I’m a fan of the growing portfolio of boutique hotels owned and managed by Provenance Hotels. They first won my heart when they enhanced and improved, rather than erased and replaced, a hotel I had a sentimental attachment to: Portland’s Mallory Hotel, which is now Hotel deLuxe. 

Now, each time I visit one of their new properties, I’m pay close attention to how creatively and responsibly they redo vintage spaces and create new places that feel as if they’ve been welcoming guests for years.

The still-new Woodlark in Portland (open since mid-December 2018) is no exception.

As with the larger Sentinel a few blocks away, the Woodlark blends two historic downtown buildings. This time it is the former Cornelius Hotel and the Woodlark Building, which have become a 150-room retro-modern hotel that feels as if it’s always been right here.

As a nice touch, they’ve even reclaimed the Cornelius Hotel’s original slogan: “House of Welcome.’

The hotel has 11 different room variations – from standard rooms that measure 230-260 square feet to a 415-square-foot loft suite with a spiral staircase. Each room has custom-designed furnishings, natural wood and specially-created wallpaper featuring flora found in Portland’s Forrest Park. 

As a bonus, each room also has a framed botanical print by noted photographer Imogen Cunningham, who was born in Portland.

Besides the plush bath robes and the MiN bath amenities, some of the in-room touches I appreciate at this hotel include bedside tables with multiple integrated charging options, a nice bluetooth speaker, and coupons to swap for strong drip coffee at the comfortable Good Coffee café in the lobby.

Down in the fitness center, I tested out the new gadget that streams fitness programs – from a mirror.

The lobby features a display case with custom flower arrangements from floral design studio, Colibri; the charming 40-seat Abigail Hall bar that’s tucked into a space that once housed the library and Ladies Reception Hall of the Cornelius Hotel; and the Bullard restaurant, which is billed as a place where “Texas hospitality and Oregon’s bountiful food landscape meet.”

If you go: room rates range from $155/ night in low season to $255/night in high season, not including city taxes and the hotel’s nightly facility fee of $27.67.

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