By Ellen Spitaleri
July is Disability Pride Month, which commemorates the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act in July of 1990. This year’s theme is We Belong Here and We’re Here to Stay, which dovetails perfectly with one of the major goals of the owners of VioletSuitesPDX Boutique Hotel, located in The Bora building at 905 SE 14th Ave.
The hotel features five suites with fully-equipped kitchens, in-unit washer and dryer and other amenities to make guests feel right at home; free parking is provided in a gated area adjacent to the building.
But what sets this hotel apart from others is the Chinook Suite, which has a mobility-accessible bathtub, a roll-in shower and smooth floor surfaces for ease of moving in a wheelchair or with a walker. The kitchen offers lowered counter tops with roll-in space underneath to offer the comforts of home for accessibility/mobility travelers.
The suite also features a space under the bed to accommodate a Hoyer Lift, which is “a mechanical lift used to help caregivers safely transfer individuals with limited mobility between surfaces,” said Kathryn Larsen, The Bora building manager and director of business development. “It is uncommon to find a hotel that offers space under the bed for the Hoyer Lift; I have been told the Chinook Suite is a rarity for that,” she added.
Larsen recently attended the governor’s conference on tourism in April, which focused on accessibility and mobility, and was surprised to learn that a large number of travelers are not catered to. “We feel quite fortunate to be able to offer the Chinook Suite to the accessibility community,” Larsen said.
In fact, the owners of the hotel decided the issue was so important that they decided to become a verified Wheel the World hotel; that organization was founded nearly 20 years ago with the goal to provide detailed accessibility information to travelers with mobility issues.
Wheel the World “sent out a representative to measure our counter tops and check on the tub and the grab bars” in the shower, Larsen noted. The hotel is now certified by that organization and is listed on their website, wheeltheworld.com.
VioletSuitesPDX Boutique Hotel opened in the summer of 2023 and is on the second floor of The Bora building in the Belmont neighborhood. The property includes an elevator and stair-free main entrance.
The purpose of the purchase was for the commercial space on the first floor, where Larsen’s brother, Dr. Brad Larsen, the founder and executive director of Portland Mental Health and Wellness, opened his business.
The prior owner of the building had set up short-term rentals on the second floor, one of which they lived in. The address is zoned for a hotel and that is what sparked the new owners, Dr. Larsen and his partner Ofelio Resendez, to open VioletSuitesPDX Boutique Hotel.
The hotel is now locally, LGBTQ and BIPOC owned. Kathryn Larsen added that the owners named the building for their beloved dog, Bora, which means violet in Korean, where the name VioletSuitesPDX Boutique Hotel originated.
Her brother and his partner made some cosmetic and interior design changes, including painting each suite a different color and outfitting each one with colorful artwork, Larsen noted.
The best thing about the location of the hotel in the Belmont neighborhood is the opportunity to provide a service to the community, Larsen said. She feels comfortable recommending restaurants and other local activities to guests from out of town. “It is a treat to be surrounded by great restaurants, venues and local shops. It’s walkable, full of character and offers a safe neighborhood feel,” she said.
For her, the best part of her job is interacting with guests. “I love to see the joy in people who travel here to go to a concert or a family gathering; what warms my heart is to turn somebody’s day around,” Larsen said.
The best compliment came in mid-June when the family staying in the Chinook Suite asked to extend their stay another night because they were enjoying themselves so much, she said.
VioletSuitesPDX Boutique Hotel has become known as a “hidden gem,” Larsen said. “With no large signs out front to announce its presence, it’s a quiet discovery for those who know where to look. We are grateful for the wonderful reviews and returning guests.”
VioletSuitesPDX Boutique Hotel
905 SE 14th Ave.
503.662.8255
violetsuitespdx.com
VioletSuitesPDX Boutique Hotel, located on the second floor of The Bora building. Photo by Kathryn Larsen.
