Portland's Nines

Rooms at The Nines are spacious, decorated in a light blue and white with faux crystal-covered lighting, and the location is ideal, an easy stroll to the Pearl and Old Town districts and, in particular, the famous Powell's Books, an ideal place to get lost for a couple of hours, just make sure to get the map before you delve into the stacks. The lobby of The Nines is like a lost floor in MoMA, complete with sheer pink and blue drapes, modern portraiture, a pair of surreal, oversized high heels encased in glass, and several naked mannequins (they have more attitude than the staff) that reminded us of the 8mm black-and-white shorts we made in freshman filmmaking. We also had a late-night dinner and drinks at Departure, the new restaurant-lounge at the top of The Nines. Aptly named, entering Departure is like boarding a luxury plane to nowhere. Friendly and sleek, with a fabulous view of the city at night, the cuisine is neo-Asian-funky fusion and the dink menu distinctive, to say the least. Our damage: The "Tasho Macho," a blend of Thai chili ginger vodka, muddled Thai basil, lemon, lime and cock 'n' bull (whatever the hell that is). I'm fairly sure I had three of those, so the walk back to the room is a blur. Even the front desk staff add the the sleek vibe with their impeccable posture. The Nines recently made the Condé Nast Traveler Annual “Hot List,” but we enjoyed it anyway.