AN EARLY 20TH-CENTURY BUILDING—ONCE HOME TO HOTEL PHILIP—PERCHED ALONG PORTLAND’S WEST BURNSIDE STREET IN OLD TOWN CHINATOWN IS NOW THE HOXTON, A 119-ROOM HOTEL FROM THE LONDON-BASED HOSPITALITY COMPANY ENNISMORE. The Portland location, which opened last November, is the second Hoxton in North America and follows the company’s mission, which states that each outpost should reflect its particular surroundings.
A collaboration between London hospitality firm Ennismore Design Studios, London interior architecture and design firm Fettle Design, and Portland architect Surround Inc., The Hoxton celebrates the historic building’s past through details like exposed original interior timber columns, which share the lobby and ground floor restaurant space with some of the space’s slightly more modern concrete counterparts, their surfaces chipped and layered from coats of paint throughout the years. Outside, signage and illuminated awnings recall the original Hotel Philip markers.
For the lobby, the designers sourced all materials locally. “The wood wall paneling is made from reclaimed Oregonian Maraschino cherry vats from Portland-based Pioneer Millworks,” says Tom Parker, Fettle’s director. “If you look closely at the paneling, you can see the variation in wood between the inside and outside of the vats, as well as the imprints of the metal straps used to wrap them [together].”
Ennismore, which handled the room designs, opted for a Northwest Modernism vibe focused on natural materials such as walnut, oak, blackened steel, natural leather, red marble, and hand-knotted jute rugs, which pair well with the mid-century furnishings he selected. “We love to see the imperfections in welded steel joints, the patina in leather, and the variation between every piece of marble,” says Charlie North, Ennismore’s design director. Plush buttoned headboards and armchairs in muted colors serve to soften each room’s overall palette.
Clay Factor and books chosen by 119 Portland residents—small business owners, artists, and artisans who, as part of the hotel’s Hox Friends initiative, selected their top 10 tomes and favorite Portland tips, listed on a bookmark, for each room. Murals by local artist Buckley adorn hallways and Pearl District art gallery Upfor curated artwork located throughout the hotel.
The Hoxton Hotel, 15 NW 4th Ave., Portland; thehoxton.com