Basic Information for Ace Hotel Pittsburgh
Address: 120 S Whitfield Street Pittsburgh, PA 15206
Hours: Lobby area is 24/7
Website: https://www.acehotel.com/pittsburgh/
Admission: Free to see lobby, room prices vary
Transportation: Bus and car (street parking or valet)
Access: Uneven floors, elevators only accessible to guests
About Ace Hotel Pittsburgh
Ace Hotel is a global hotel chain. There are currently 10 locations including the one in Pittsburgh. Although the Ace Hotel is a chain, each location’s design is unique and is inspired by the city it is in. They transform historic buildings into functioning hotels while trying to maintain as much of the original space as possible in order to preserve the history of the site. The Ace Hotel in Pittsburgh building was once a century old former YMCA. Much of the YMCA elements are preserved, and the 67 rooms are all the original dormitories. The YMCA social hall has also been transformed into the Ace Hotel ballroom, and gym is now a recreation area.
Ace Hotel Pittsburgh opened in 2015 in the East Liberty neighborhood. The Ace Hotel sets itself apart from other hotels through their unique mission of providing a space that is useful to the community (“About Ace Hotel”). One way the Ace Hotel accomplishes this is through interaction with community members and local businesses. Some of this interaction can be seen through the artwork on the walls as much of it was created by local artists. The East Liberty neighborhood has experienced a long history of gentrification, and the Ace Hotel must face challenging questions as the community changes. The mission statement of the Pittsburgh hotel is to create a space for the East Liberty neighborhood to gather, and the Ace Hotel must address how it can stay a welcoming place for the whole community, even as a force of change.
The hotel attempts to cater to the community through elements like their restaurant, Whitfield, and their many events which can be found on their website’s event calendar. One of the more well-known events held at the Ace Hotel Pittsburgh is ReelQ, an annual LGBTQ+ film festival. The ballroom is the most popular choice when it comes to private events such as weddings. The Whitfield, located on the ground floor, offers high-end dining. The menu is seasonal and their food is locally sourced in Pittsburgh.
Overall, Ace Hotel is popular among both tourists and locals. It offers both a comfortable and trendy place for visitors to stay and an accessible place for community members to gather.
Works Cited
“About Ace Hotel.” Ace Hotel. Accessed 29 Nov. 2019. www.acehotel.com/about
“Whitfield.” Ace Hotel. Accessed 29 Nov. 2019. www.acehotel.com/pittsburgh/food-and-drink/whitfield/
It's Fun to Stay at the YMCAce
September 10, 1921 was a very significant day to the YMCAs of the greater Pittsburgh Area. On that day, the YMCA field meet was held at Lawrence Park in Lawrenceville. In this field meet, different YMCAs from around the surrounding area gathered to compete in athletic competitions, ranging from racing to boxing as they represented their neighborhood. One of those events was the 90-pound boys 50-yard dash, captured in the archived photograph (see Fig. 1). Looking at the image, one of the first things I noticed was the competitors themselves.
The Ace Hotel: Art as a Unifier
Art can be used to engage audiences in target ways. The Ace hotel seeks to use art and creative expression to connect to the Pittsburgh community, despite its role as boutique accommodation for visitors and tourists. This might seem contradictory, but the Ace tries its best to achieve this balance. This unconventional mission is inspired by the hotel’s history. The founders of the Ace hotel chain originally started out as owners of a gallery space in Seattle.