Hotel Alder, historic hotel building in Portland, Oregon, USA
Hotel Alder is a five-story brick building in downtown Portland built in 1910, showing early commercial architecture of that era. The solid, functional design offers single rooms and features a ground floor bar and cafe that remains open to the public.
The building was originally built in 1910 by the Southern Pacific Railroad as a hotel for travelers and businesspeople. Decades later it became a low-cost housing building with single rooms, until a nonprofit organization purchased the upper floors in 2004, renovated it, and reopened it in 2005 to serve low-income residents.
The Hotel Alder takes its name from its original purpose as lodging for travelers passing through Portland. Today, visitors experience the ground floor bar and cafe, where locals and guests gather in a space that preserves the feel of early Portland's busy commercial life.
Hotel Alder is located in downtown Portland and is easy to find on foot, with its prominent brick exterior and street-level windows. The ground floor cafe and bar are open to the public without requiring reservations.
A documentary film called Century Plaza captures everyday life in the building during its years as a low-cost residence. Director Eric Lahey actually lived in the hotel for several months to experience firsthand what daily life was like for residents.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
