Top 10 Hipster Hotels in the US
Between buying vintage clothing and waxing mustaches, hipsters too have to take time to vacation. Thankfully, there are options outside of the mainstream Comfort and Holiday Inns out there. Here are 10 hotels that appeal to the alternative-minded traveler.
Location: Los Angeles
What could be more small batch than a hotel with just three suites? Bring your vinyls, this intimate Mexican-themed hotel has all rooms equipped with turntables. Its prime location in the eclectic neighborhood of Silver Lake gives ideal access to the best farmers markets and locally sourced cafés in LA.
Location: Astoria, OR
The Commodore Hotel operated from 1925 to 1968, was shuttered for 40 years, then reopened in 2009 with all the original doors, windows, woodwork and fixtures. (Talk about vintage revival.) With advice on everything from bike and brewery tours to under-the-radar record shops, the Commodore does all it can to round out an unconventional vacation.
Location: Austin, TX
This former motor court in the "Brooklyn of the Bible Belt" is now a 40-room urban bungalow-style hotel tucked amidst lush garden courtyards. The minimalist concrete interior is balanced out by custom sheets and kimonos—and don’t forget Bavarian Night every Tuesday.
Location: Louisville, KY
For the art-inclined hipster, wake up inside a contemporary art museum—or step in to the adjoining bar, Proof, to try some locally raised, grass-fed (of course) bison while you look at installations like What the Flock?!, inspired by exploding seagulls. 21c Museum Hotels get hipster points for off-the-beaten-path locations like Bentonville, Durham and Louisville.
Location: Chicago
Though hipsters prefer farm stands to Acme supermarkets, rooms with Smart TVs and wireless audio systems make ACME Hotel ideal for the high-tech hipster looking for alternative boutique hotels. They even have “ACME HOTSPOT TO-GO,” so guests can bring a free WiFi hotspot with them all around Chicago.
Location: Marfa, TX
Typewriters, a vinyl library, minimalist concrete seating areas and bike rentals to boot—all the amenities that a jet-setting hipster needs packed in a renovated 1950s motel an hour drive from the Mexican border.
Location: Portland, OR
This list HAD to include a hotel in Portland, right? This school-turned-hotel in the hipster heartland prides itself on its roasted to order coffee beans and invites you to “have a pint in a classroom,” and “a cigar in detention.”
Location: New Orleans
The rooms are packed with a diverse collection of architectural artifacts, modern electronics, timeless furniture and local art, and—if that isn't enough—you can walk to the nearby Greg’s Antiques and the Pharmacy Museum. Or just walk two blocks to the French Quarter—if it’s not too mainstream, that is.
Location: Seattle
What was an early 20th century hotel for maritime workers, a mid-century tavern and a homeless shelter in the '90s, is now Ace Hotel, brimming with vintage furniture, local art and loft ceilings, for that unfinished look. (Thank goodness!)
Location: Big Sur, CA
For the wild man in every hipster (hence the beards), Post Ranch Inn offers treehouse rooms. Alternatively, for those more hobbit-ish, the Ocean house comes complete with a sod roof. Either way, there’s free yoga and organic bath products galore.
