The Vibe: Hyperlocal sophistication.
The Area: Located in the heart of old McMinnville, a small country town with agricultural roots steeped in pioneer history and the epicentre of Oregon’s Willamette Valley wine country.
The DNA: Trendsetting owners Erin Stephenson, Brian Shea, and Ben Perle -all hailing from the are – launched the petite hotel offering a product relatively unknown in the hinterlands surrounding urban Portland: luxury. Although Atticus appears to date back to the 1900s when most of the town’s Main Street was erected, it is in fact a new build imagined by Portland, Oregon architect Nathan Cooprider. He worked closely with local designer Christina Tello of Tello Interiors, who layered the hotel in bespoke furnishings wrapped in lush fabrics that draw attention to the verdant wine region. Eschewing the ubiquitous light-filled California aesthetic, Tello embraced a Northwestern palette, covering guestroom walls in dark navy hues and storm-cloud gray, against which bronze and gold light fixtures exude warmth. Electric fireplaces and reading nooks have distinct, thoughtful moments offset only by whimsical wallpapered headboards boasting either polka dots, glittering owls, and cumulus clouds, among others. In lieu of reception desk, Tello and Cooprider installed a Welcome Bar (for, among many things, wine tasting) in white quartz encased in walnut and illuminated by ceramic lights. Salvaged library windows in a wood frame create a barrier, sectioning off the lobby where armchairs in emerald and blue velvet microsuede invite guests to linger. A hidden gem of the hotel is the drawing room, a sequestered space painted in a blue so deep it borders charcoal, and enlivened by gold silhouettes of McMinnville residents. The centerpieces of the room are a walnut table large enough for a dinner party and a turn-of-the-century fireplace salvaged from a local one-room schoolhouse, which Tello upgraded with tiles. As she points out, “every single thing has a story here.”
Suite-Me-Up: Guestrooms feature plants slung in long macrame holders, braided by a local woman, while a seamstress from town stitched the decorative pillows topping beds, sofas, and armchairs. In homage to McMinnville’s pre-wine cash crop, woodworker Jon Basile crafted numerous walnut pieces found throughout the property. The singular bunkhouse boasts a wall of built-in bunkbed cubbies for six people with top bunks accessed by a wooden staircase. Wrapped in olive green walls and punctuated by an inviting brown leather chesterfield sofa, the room highlights the property’s laidback, welcoming vibe. In addition, “flora and fauna are a hidden element around the hotel,” says Tello, who added a paper headboard of delicate pheasants above the bunkhouse’s king bed.
Seen: Hospitality Design
✅ free Wi-Fi • size matters: 36 rooms & suites (20-106m2) (215-1141 sq ft)• hotel opened: 2018 • architecture: Nathan Cooprider • interior design: Christina Tello • on-site parking (charged) • no pets allowed • 24-hour front desk • wheelchair accessible
