KEX Portland, Ore., is the first U.S. location for the KEX Icelandic social hotel brand. Found in Portland’s Central Eastside neighborhood, the property lies in the confines of a restored apartment building that was originally constructed in 1912. As a collaboration between KEX Iceland, ChefStable, and Green Light Development, the KEX Portland accommodates up to 152 guests in either 14 private or 15 shared guestrooms. While the private guestrooms have either queen- or king-sized beds, the shared guestrooms have bunk beds with privacy partitions and personal reading lights. Whether private or shared, earth tones make the guestrooms feel comfortable and functional for every traveler or group.
AT FIRST GLANCE
Opened
November 2019Rooms
29Owner
KEX Iceland, ChefStable, & Green Light Development
Designer Hálfdan Pedersen, who designed the first KEX Iceland, designed the interiors of the KEX Portland and found repurposed amenities, artifacts, and furniture from around the globe to bring a Nordic aesthetic to the shared spaces. KEX Portland’s design combines traditional hotel décor with modern and eccentric accents, providing Nordic character to the spaces.
The hotel’s signature restaurant Dóttir, which is Icelandic for “daughter,” serves northwestern cuisine fueled by Nordic food preparation like fermenting, pickling, and smoking. KEX Portland also features 850 square feet of meeting and event space, a courtyard, a sauna, and a communal kitchen, in addition to its flexible community gathering spaces.
