The Nines was created on the top nine floors of the old Meier & Frank department store, a Portland retail icon since the 1920s. Clark Gable worked here before he was a star, and the city’s first escalator graced the store. The Nines, as in “dressed to . . .” honors the defunct fashion emporium with panache. Throughout the property is fashion-centric artwork; and it’s not just the crack staff who greet guests in the reception area—stylishly dressed mannequins  are also on hand. The hotel lobby is a soaring, light-filled atrium with limousine-long leather sofas in orchid bright colors—you may feel like you’ve stepped onto the set of Technicolor movie. The rooms are fairly large and dressed for fun, with fake-jewel shades on swag lamps, bracelet-like drawer handles, cool-blue sofas, and big beds with gleaming white bedspreads. Bathrooms are large and luxurious. Service is a keynote here, with twice-daily maid service, 24-hour room service and a staff that bends over backwards for guests. Once you’re inside, the Nines is a world unto itself. Urban Farmer, set off to one side of the lobby, is a farm-to-fork steakhouse, while Departures, on the top floor, is a cocktail lounge and Asian-inspired restaurant—the most vegetarian-friendly in the city—with an airport lounge look inside and a rooftop terrace for outdoor drinks and dining.