When you spot the lads in tattoos and ragged clothes in the hotel foyer, you know instantly that Ace Hotel is no ordinary inn. Everything here is a touch hipper, without being trendy, a little queerer, without being over the top. The hotel thus attracts precisely the creative clientele that generates the right atmosphere. Whether web designers or photographers, club kids or film makers: people checking in here want to enjoy original facilities and service ideas without missing the comfort and intimacy of a boutique hotel. All this at rates of a mid-range hotel chain.

Impossible? Not for the three founders Alex Calderwood, Wade Weigel and Doug Herrick. The three gay men made an empty Salvation Army building in Seattle the first Ace Hotel in 1999, creating a refuge for creative people and artists. They opened a branch in Portland (Oregon) in 2007, followed by two more in New York and Palm Springs two years later. All three men had no prior experience in hotel management, and their decisions are mainly based on instinct. “We asked ourselves what we and our friends would like,” says Calderwood.

Their success proves them right. The rock stars of the hotel industry want more than just offering rooms, they want to create a cultural forum. Each of their four hotels has been designed by local artists, each room is individually furnished, and many pieces of furniture are retro: from second-hand shops and flea markets. Street artists, photographers and painters are presented in changing exhibitions, there are regular theme parties and club concerts. During Pride Week in Palm Springs, drag queens from San Francisco are flown in to liven up the atmosphere with their biting humour. That might also please Udo Kier, who likes to spend a few days in Ace Palm Springs when he is getting bored in his home.

For Calderwood, the personality of a hotel “lies with the small things. The kind of things that do not cost more, but make the experience unforgettable.” All Ace hotels all gay-friendly. But really anybody, including animals and children, are welcome. The Ace Hotel in Portland is located directly in the gay quarter and offers chic vintage comfort, beds made of antique wood and free-standing bathtubs. You could also call it a fancy military style. The larger rooms have a record player on which vinyl discs from the hotel’s own collection can be played. If you do not yet have the right company with you: just take a peek in the lobby, the favourite hangout of hip Portlanders.

Ace Hotel and Swim Club in Palm Springs opened in 2009. The latest addition to the group is also animal-friendly, hip and ideal for people who want an unpretentious and original place to stay. The area looks a bit like a camp summer camp with its Indian and Wild West motifs and a majority of gay guests visibly enjoying the trip back into childhood. DJs provide the sound to the party at the saltwater pool every Sunday afternoon and the Short Bar provides the crowd with tea infused vodka and blackberry cocktail ice cream. Entertainment is also offered at night. There is bingo with hostess Linda on Mondays in the Amigo Room, the black and brown hotel bar. On Wednesdays, not only guests, but also employees and residents can show their talent at open mic. This becomes even more palatable whilst sipping a kiwi caipirinha. Jack Baron, the fourth Ace manager who joined in 2007 and is the only straight Ace man, describes his vision of the Ace Hotel Palm Springs as “an artist enclave taken over by a crazy heiress, a Mariachi band, a few Tibetan monks and the entire cast of ‘Easy Rider'”.

That puts it in a nutshell. And if you need some peace and quiet, just put the “Do not disturb” sign on the doorknob. The sign here simply reads: “Not now”.

www.acehotel.com

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