Imperial Hotel

Years: 1894 – 1991

Hotel Vintage Plaza 1991-2015

Kimpton Hotel Vintage Portland 2015 – present

Addtion to the building to the north was called "New Imperial Hotel," in 1909. Forty years later, the New Imperial was sold and separated from the Imperial, which was then renamed the "Plaza Hotel." [per website: https://pcad.lib.washington.edu/building/13780/

The three historic postcards are from http://www.pdxhistory.com/html/portland_hotels.html

citations & references:

  • Per JD Chandler and Theresa Griffin Kennedy in their book Murder and Scandal in Prohibition Portland, writes on page 22, …many others like him, was forced to live a double life, and an underground gay culture developed. The Imperial Hotel on Southwest Twelfth was the center of the secret gay culture downtown, with the basement men’s room often used for sexual liaisons. Around the hotel, a small colony of gay-owned businesses grew. The ABC Restaurant owned by Claude Bronner, and E.S.J. McALlister’s Smart Shop Millinery Store were among the businesses that catered to a gay clientele Using secret code words and clothing signals, the business owners and their customers kept their gay identity a closely guarded secret.  

  • Cited on Wikipedia: In the 1910s, the Imperial's bathrooms were named as popular gay cruising site as the Portland vice scandal hit.

  • Per  Boag, Peter. "Portland Vice Scandal (1912-1913)". The Oregon Encyclopedia. Retrieved December 25, 2010.

  • Boag, Peter (2003). Same-Sex Affairs: Constructing and Controlling Homosexuality in the Pacific Northwest. Berkeley: University of California Press. p. 113. ISBN 0-520-24048-0.

  • PER GLAPN website:  Built in 1909 as an offshoot to the original Imperial, which was directly to the south on Broadway and now is known as the Kimpton Hotel Vintage.

    This is one of the locations cited during the trial of Edward McAllister where he was reported to have cruised for male companionship-specifically the first-floor lobby restrooms, which have probably been remodeled from the original state.  Several men known to have been or believed to have been involved in the Vice Clique Scandal worked here as elevator operators or bellhops.  After the scandal, the Social Hygiene Society chose the bellhops at the Imperial to be the first people in Portland to receive the Society’s “sex hygiene” program. 

If you look at the photo below Left there are two buildings joined as one. The one to the Left was an expansion to the Imperial Hotel. It was split into two separate hotels calling it the New Imperial Hotel and then in 2001 it was renamed Hotel Lucia.

  • Per website https://wowtravel.me/historic-hotels-in-portland-or/ A gathering spot since 1909, Hotel Lucia is one of the most popular historic hotels in Portland, OR. This Portland, Oregon, historic hotel was built by a successful German immigrant and businessman, Phil Menschen. It was built as an expansion of his well-liked Imperial Hotel. This hotel played a great role in shaping Portland’s culture and history from the very beginning. And by the end of 1949, the Imperial Hotel was split into two separate establishments, with the newer one named the New Imperial Hotel.

    Then, in 1950, the New Imperial Hotel was purchased by Albert Gentner. Under his management, the hotel managed to welcome guests to the heart of Portland for the next 50 years. After that, Provenance Hotels purchased the hotel in 2001. It was then renovated entirely and renamed Hotel Lucia. This Portland hotel is also now a member of the National Register of Historic Places. [No mention of 1910-1912 scandal]

As the Hotel Vintage Plaza 2022 – Kimpton Vintage Hotel Portland]

  • Per https://hotel-vintage-plaza-portland.vivehotels.com/website Centrally located in Portland, Hotel Vintage Portland, a Kimpton Hotel is minutes from Portland Art Museum and Tom McCall Waterfront Park. This 4-star hotel is convenient to Portland Japanese Garden. Take advantage of recreation opportunities such as a 24-hour fitness center, or other amenities including wireless Internet access (surcharge) and concierge services. Additional amenities include wedding services and a fireplace in the lobby. Featured amenities include a 24-hour business center, express check-in, and express check-out. Planning an event in Portland? This hotel has facilities measuring 4800 square feet (446 square meters), including conference space. Make yourself at home in one of the air-conditioned rooms featuring minibars and LCD televisions. Your pillowtop bed comes with Frette Italian sheets. Wireless Internet access (surcharge) keeps you connected, and cable programming is available for your entertainment. Private bathrooms with shower/tub combinations feature designer toiletries and complimentary toiletries.

·       First listed in Fodor’s Gay Guide to the USA 1996 as IMPERIAL HOTEL   Under:  hotels “Built in 1908, this hotel is full of character and as good a budget option as you will find in any major city. It looks and feels nearly as nice as the luxury hotels that neighborhood, and though it lacks some of the business services, it’s nevertheless a classy property with spacious rooms.”

·       First listed in Damron Address Book, 1996 under Accomodations – (GF – gay friendly, mostly straight) Upscale

·       First listed in Fodor’s Gay Guide to the USA 1996 as HOTEL VINTAGE PLAZA Under:  Hotels “Fully restored in 1991, one of the loveliest properties in the Pacific Northwest. Every night the lobby hosts a wine reception, meant to capture the ambience of Oregon wine country.”

·       listed in Fodor’s Gay Guide to the Pacific Northwest 1997 as HOTEL VINTAGE PLAZA Under:  Hotels

·       listed in Out & About Gay Travel Guide 1997 as HOTEL VINTAGE PLAZA Under:  Stay

·       listed in Damron Address Book, 1997 under Accomodations – (*GF – gay friendly, mostly straight, WC) Upscale

·       listed in Fodor’s Gay Guide to the Pacific Northwest 1997 as IMPERIAL HOTEL Under:  Hotels

·       listed in Damron Address Book, 1998 under Accomodations – (*GF – gay friendly, mostly straight, WC) Upscale

·       listed in Damron Address Book, 1999 under Accomodations – (*GF – gay friendly, mostly straight, WC) Upscale

·       listed in Damron’s Men’s Travel Guide 2000 as HOTEL VINTAGE PLAZA Under:  Accommodations

·       listed in Damron’s Men’s Travel Guide 2007 as HOTEL VINTAGE PLAZA Under: Accommodations

·       listed in Damron’s Men’s Travel Guide 2010 as HOTEL VINTAGE PLAZA Under:  Accommodations

Above Left and Middle various postcards and photos of the building. Above Right is an ad in Oregonian July 6, 1956, page 20. The below photo is the current Hotel Vintage Plaza [Kimpton Vintage Hotel Portland]