Hotel Lucia

What it all comes down to, in the end, is two things: personality and service. Personality because you want a hotel stay to be a memorable experience, not just a comfortable one. And service because personality without warmth is just eccentricity — and you want those memories to be pleasant ones. So if Portland’s Hotel Lucia is neither the most outrageously experimental of design hotels, nor the most lavishly opulent of luxury hotels, know that it’s strong in the areas that ultimately matter most.

In the Lucia’s case the personality comes from a confident and rather grown-up visual identity, some charming and slightly quirky historical architecture, a location in Portland’s increasingly vibrant downtown, and a first-rate collection of black-and-white prints from David Hume Kennerly, a highly regarded local photographer. Add to this a selection of rooms and suites which are comfortable and efficient (if not always exactly oversized) and you’re well on your way.

What brings it together, in the end, is the service, which combines genuine Northwestern friendliness with an impressive can-do mindset: “Make It So” is something of a motto for Hotel Lucia’s staff. No less warm is the atmosphere in Imperial, the restaurant, where painstakingly sourced Northwestern dishes issue forth from the wood-fired grill; or Portland Penny Diner, a much more casual (though scarcely less tasty) counter-service option.