Friday, Mar. 26, 2010

Hotel Vintage Plaza

Oenophiles appreciate this Kimpton group beauty, which offers wine-themed accommodations in a stately 1894 building downtown. Each night, guests can sip complimentary local vintages in front of a leviathan marble fireplace in the lobby; afterward, they can retire to one of the hotel's 117 rooms, which are done up in color schemes and fine Italian linens reminiscent of Tuscany. (The guest quarters aren't quite as delicious as those at the Hotel Monaco, but a major interior redesign in late 2008 refreshed all the fabrics and much of the slightly dated furniture.) Small but notable perks — like free Wi-Fi, newspaper and overnight shoeshine — abound, and hotel staffers are perhaps the most attentive in town. The in-house Pazzo Ristorante serves outstanding regional Italian fare, along with a (natch) well-edited wine list that includes top-notch Tuscan Chiantis and Piedmontese Nebbiolos.

Room to Book: Any of the three Garden Spa rooms, which have private wooden decks with hot tubs. Room 910 has the best view of the downtown skyline.

Insider Tip: The hotel's resident wine expert can help you plan a foray into nearby Willamette Valley Wine Country; if you want to plan an itinerary in advance, e-mail the hotel before your arrival.