This spring, Mainers will get their very first lifestyle boutique hotel. Located in city’s Old Port neighborhood, The Press Hotel gets its name from its location in the historic Portland Press Herald building.
The boutique experience promises to be found around the hotel, with creative tweaks like customizable “Do not disturb” signs, “Hot off the Press” French-pressed coffee, typewriter-key-styled bar coasters and time-lapse video clips of insider hotspots in the city.
In guestrooms, expect to find “journalist desks” and newsroom references, including a reeded glass door to the bathroom, similar to vintage press rooms.
The penthouse is the highlight of the hotel’s 110 guestrooms, it offers exclusive rooftop access and 360-degree views of the city. Interiors are expected to be fun as well; Stonehill & Taylor—whose recent portfolio includes NYC’s NoMad Hotel, Refinery Hotel and Crosby Street Hotel—is responsible for The Press Hotel design along with local firm, Archetype.
The restaurant will be equally exciting, M.C. Union is the marriage of James Beard Award-winning chefs Mark Gaier and Clark Frasier. Widely regarded as the originators of farm-to-table sustainable cuisine before it was on trend, and 26-year Maine restaurant veterans, the chefs will stay true to their passion for the classics. The lobby bar, aptly named The Inkwell, will feature handcrafted vintage cocktails.
As with many boutique hotels today, the property is dedicating itself to celebrating local culture, partnering with the community to commission all of the art within the hotel. local painters, sculptures, textile makers and woodworkers. Highlights include a front-desk “letterpress art wall” sculpture, a public art gallery of local Maine artists, and a stunning installation of antique typewriters.
Furthering the cultural tie, Portland institutions such as the Portland Museum of Art, MECA (Maine College of Art), The Telling Room, thePortland Public Library will offer guests exclusive insider access to some of the city’s most unique entertainment, art programs, creative community gatherings and trade workshops through collaborations and a lecture series at the hotel itself.
We can’t wait to check it out.
