PORTLAND, Ore. (May 26, 2022) – The Jupiter Hotel, now referred to as “Jupiter Original,” the independent and thoroughly Portland hotel, prepares to reopen this summer after an extensive, top to bottom renovation and property refresh. For nearly twenty years, The Jupiter Hotel has defined Portland’s Inner Southeast, with its signature blend of community outreach and events. Celebrating all things that make Portland weird and wonderful, the original converted motor lodge was opened along a seedy stretch of East Burnside in 2004. The property is currently preparing all 81 rooms for a summer grand reopening. After serving the community for the past two years, Co-owner Kelsey Bunker and design firm Megan Millie Design are working closely together to bring this new vision of Jupiter Original to life.
“Jupiter Original was born out of an elemental desire to build community and a place where you are wildly free to express yourself fully,” said Jupiter Hotel and Jupiter NEXT Co-Owner Kelsey Bunker. “The past two years have challenged us all in ways we couldn’t imagine. But we believe in our ability to come back from the brink. Above all, we believe in Portland’s comeback.”
In 2020, adapting quickly to the new realities of the pandemic, the team at The Jupiter, led by General Manager Nick Pearson, struck up an arrangement with Multnomah County officials in the Joint Office of Homeless Services. The Jupiter heard the call for the need to expand the regional shelter system and answered with 81 rooms. Finding themselves with plenty of hotel rooms and few guests, the team inked a contract with the county, shifting all hotel business to NEXT, as Jupiter Original signed on to serve as a Covid positive shelter for those experiencing houselessness in Portland. It was a unique moment where the right thing to do and the best thing merged. With the partnership, Jupiter built out a template that cities around the state and country would utilize to temporarily transform hotels into emergency shelters for those most in need. In 2021, GM Nick Pearson was recognized by Travel Oregon, receiving a Tourism Industry Leadership Achievement Award for these efforts.
In 2018, the Jupiter Original owners opened Jupiter NEXT, a fully grown-up 6-story neighbor to the original converted motor lodge. The construction brought the total number of rooms at the urban campus to 148, and offered two distinctive stay options. The Jupiter Original, home to the famed music venue Doug Fir Lounge, is the livelier side of campus. With a thoroughly rock and roll vibe, the property has always encouraged people to be their fullest self. Attracting artists, musicians, and creatives of all creeds, the Jupiter is rooted in freedom of expression. At NEXT, the rooms are a little quieter, more elevated, unedited and urban. Home to cocktail haven Hey Love, and sweeping city views, NEXT is a modern, sophisticated retelling of the original Jupiter story. In an era of corporate boutique hotel products filling the marketplace, The Jupiter and NEXT remain completely independent, and completely Portland.
For more information concerning The Jupiter Hotel, contact Katie Watkins katie@jupiterhotel.com or Jordan Culberson jordan@culberson.co
