Portland · West End
Sentinel
William C. Knighton's 1909 Seward Hotel, faced in Art Nouveau terra cotta, joined in 1992 to the 1923 Elks Temple to make one hotel.
- Built
- 1909–23Two buildings: the east wing was built in 1909 as the Seward Hotel and the west wing was completed in 1923 as the Elks Temple; they were joined as one hotel in 1992.
- Style
- Chicago School with Art Nouveau terra cotta (Seward Hotel)
- Architect
- William C. Knighton (Seward Hotel); Houghtaling & Dougan (Elks Temple)
- Type
- Boutique hotel
- Area
- West End
- Credentials
- Listed on the National Register of Historic Places; Local landmark
The story
The Seward Hotel opened in 1909 with a glazed terra-cotta exterior blending Art Nouveau and Native American motifs, designed by William C. Knighton, later Oregon’s first State Architect. It was renamed the Governor Hotel in 1931, closed in the mid-1980s and reopened in 1992 joined to the 1923 Elks Temple, then believed to be the largest Elks lodge in the country. Provenance Hotels renamed it the Sentinel in 2014 after the stone sentinel figures on its roofline.
Good to know
- Address: 614 SW 11th Avenue, Portland, OR 97205
Things to do
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Sources (4)
Last verified October 2026. Details change; confirm with the inn before you book.