In March, Portland’s Governor Hotel reopened with a new name and design.  Dubbed Sentinel, after the architectural sculptures that look out across the city from the top of the historic building, the 100-room hotel was purchased by Provenance Hotels in 2012 and underwent a $6 million renovation of all guest rooms, four floors of meeting space and lobby. In addition, a new bar, Jackknife, is slated to open in the hotel later this spring.
Built as the Seward Hotel in 1909, Sentinel’s East Wing was a favorite among the movers and shakers in the state’s timber and mining industries. It was renamed the Governor Hotel in 1932 and served as the home of Atiyeh & Bros. carpet store after WWII when the building’s fortunes fell into decline. The complex that houses Sentinel reopened in 1992 under the name Governor Hotel.
Sentinel boasts a signature art collection, including black-and-white white photos of a young Muhammad Ali, Vivienne Westwood chatting up the Sex Pistols’ Sid Vicious in a London Club, and Martin Luther King Jr. moments after delivering his “I Have a Dream” speech. In the guest rooms, guests will find pop art depicting icons such as John Lennon, Steve Jobs and Jackie Robinson. In addition, the hotel offers 23,000 square feet of meeting space which has been revamped with vintage-inspired carpeting and jewel-toned paint.
