PORTLAND, Ore.—The Jupiter Hotel still has that vintage, two-story motel look and feel, sort of a Travelodge circa 1990.
But walk into the lobby or any room here at the Jupiter and you'll instantly break away from the old and outdated, into the trendy, contemporary, artsy property, run by management—including gay general manager Al Munguia—that certainly carries a think-outside-the-box attitude.
Hotel doors, for instance, can be written on in chalk—and multiple, colored pieces of chalk are kept inside the room, along with a small towel, just for erasing the chalk.
Rooms also come with condoms, featuring the Jupiter website (Jupiterhotel.com ) and city location.
"The condoms are an incredibly smart marketing idea," Munguia said. "The Jupiter is all about having fun and expressing yourself, and sex is one way how we express ourselves."
The Jupiter condoms, which incidentally are lubricated, are presented in a variety of colors. They are "a great way to promote safe sex and also promote the hotel," he said. "It just makes sense for us, for who we are."
Munguia said he's received "mostly positive" comments about the in-room condoms.
The Jupiter's management team took over the 1950s motel about 11 years ago and immediately started a much-needed transformation—physically and perception-wise. This was, after all, a dull, dreary property where drug deals were commonplace as well as prostitutes.
Not anymore.
"The Jupiter really was the catalyst for change in this whole neighborhood," Munguia said.
The new, modern, clean Jupiter has helped inspire new businesses to open in the area.
"The Jupiter really gentrified the neighborhood, which is exciting," he said.
A variety of restaurants are within walking distance, including the fine dining available at Le Pigeon, one of the top restaurants in the city.
The new-look Jupiter opened in October 2004 with an event called "The Affair at the Jupiter." "All of the rooms were striped of furniture, and art galleries from around the world moved into every room and every room became a different gallery," Munguia said.
"When we came up with the idea for the [new-look] hotel, we had this idea that it would be this community gathering place, this hub in the neighborhood, and that was a great way of kicking off what [the hotel] was all about."
The Jupiter was named to the 2005 Conde Nast magazine's Hot List of Top 100 Hotels, which Munguia said was "very, very exciting for us."
Munguia, 51, is originally from San Francisco and has lived in Portland for almost nine years. He started working at The Jupiter in March, 2005.
"The beauty of this property is, it's a constant work in progress. We're never satisfied with where we're at," Munguia said. "The Jupiter is ever-changing, ever-expanding."
The Jupiter features 81 rooms, plus, one suite, with 26 two-bed rooms and 54 queen bed-only rooms.
Don't be surprised to see a wall-sized photo of Marilyn Monroe inside a room, among other artsy designs and looks.
The lobby is an always-changing art gallery, where locals showcase their wares. And yes, it is for sale.
"The whole philosophy behind the Jupiter was to be this community hub, and the LGBT market is part of our community, so it's equally as important [for the Jupiter] to be part of the LGBT community as, say, part of the music or art scene," Munguia said.
The Jupiter is a popular destination during Pride weekend, with the majority of the rooms filled with LGBT revelers.
The hotel is all gay during the annual Beartown weekend, hosted by the Oregon Bears and held in early June (the week before Pride). "They take over the entire hotel, all 81 rooms, for a three-day festival with events on and off property," Munguia said.
This year there was a dance party at the property, with a DJ and about 500 attendees.
The Jupiter also is a main hotel during Portland's annual, multi-day Latino Gay Pride weekend, held in mid-July.
In addition, the Jupiter has served as the host hotel for the annual Red Dress Party, a charity fundraiser held in the spring; and it has hosted various meetings of LGBT organizations, such as the Portland Leather Alliance, which has held educational classes on site.
