NEWBERG -- Textures that invite a touch and colors inspired by the valley’s bounty take shape in The Allison, Oregon wine country’s first luxury hotel, located at 2525 Allison Lane.

A public sneak preview, set for 3 to 7 p.m. today, represents a special prequel to the official opening slated for Thursday, Sept. 24.

The Allison looks right at home in its bucolic setting. With hills and mountains filling every horizon, it’s easy to forget that bustling state Highway 99W is a mere mile away.

The road to the inn features Newberg’s first roundabout, which accommodates traffic flow rather than punctuating it.
The inn is the largest luxury development in the Willamette Valley’s wine region. It offers 85 deluxe rooms and suites on four levels, all located in the east wing of the four-story, 155,000-square-foot hotel complex.

The Allison is named for a local lake, now long gone, which was created when ice dams gave way and unleashed the Missoula Floods more than 10,000 years ago. The substantiating data was accumulated and published by Ira Allison, an Oregon State University geology professor.

This sense of history inspired the inn’s timeless design.

The concept for the inn dates back more than 20 years — to the time when Ken and Joan Austin, founders of Newberg’s international dental equipment manufacturer, A-dec, opened an alcohol and drug treatment center called Springbrook Northwest.

Joan, pronounced Jo-Ann, noted Newberg’s woeful lack of accommodations for friends and relatives visiting Springbrook clients. “I thought I could build a little 25-bed country inn,” she said with a wistful smile.

All of the appropriate permits were gathered and all of the needed approvals secured. Then a Shiloh Inn was erected in mid-town Newberg, and the Austins put their plans on the back burner.

However, they continued to quietly collect land in the historic Springbrook area, where A-dec is headquartered, eventually amassing 450 contiguous acres. They decided to develop a community combining residential, commercial and public places.
They intended to make a luxury wine country inn one component, but not an early one. They planned to use proceeds from other elements of the dream community to eventually cover the cost of the hotel.

Then the real estate and development bubble burst nationwide.

At that point, Joan, who heads the Austin family’s Springbrook Properties enterprise, decided to proceed with development of the inn — an element less dependent on the vicissitudes of the real estate market. She chose a 50-acre portion of the site occupying a gently rising, south-sloping hill with inspiring Coast Range views.

She was emboldened by the valley wine industry that continues to draw accolades — and visitors — from around the world — that and the approximately 200 wineries that have been established in the vicinity.

Sonja Haugen was appointed project manager and Joe Kavale was named assistant project manager. Together, they chose GGLO of Seattle to design the inn and Lease Crutcher Lewis of Portland to build it.

Vines already are in the ground on The Allison’s own five-acre pinot noir vineyard, which was planted by David Adelsheim of Newberg’s Adelsheim Winery. Inn staff now manages the vineyard in preparation for a 2012 vintage.

The grounds also feature a garden, from which Executive Chef Nathan Lockwood will gather fresh produce daily for the Jory restaurant.

Named for the soil that characterizes the region, Jory will be open every day. Breakfast will be served from 6:30 to 10 a.m., lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and dinner from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, with extension of the dinner hour to 10 on the weekends and addition of a brunch from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sundays.

The inn’s exterior features elaborate landscaping in variations ranging from manicured lawns to rural walking trails. Most of the biggest and oldest trees on the former farmstead remain, along with a blueberry patch that also serves the kitchen in the growing season.

The interior is a study in light and dark contrasting fabrics, woods and fixtures.

Visitors are greeted in a warm entryway which opens on to a dramatic glass enclosed spiral staircase. The exquisite view is magnified in ascendance of the stone treads that are circled by a bronze handrail.

The inn’s “living room” allows guests to take in more spectacular views while seated in comfortable chairs near a massive stone fireplace. Nearby, a semicircular full bar is open to guests and the public alike.

The 8,500-square-foot ballroom features whimsical, round, pleated fabric light fixtures in earthy shades of brown and red, made in Israel. Its textured walls are reminiscent of windblown wheat fields.

Like many of the public areas, it has retractable walls that can be deployed to make the space more intimate. The ballroom, board room and meeting rooms occupy a total of 12,500 square feet and open onto outdoor terraces.

The inn’s general manager, noted hotelier Pierre Zreik, said all of the inn’s amenities except the pool and gym are open to the public.

Zreik came to The Allison after serving as general manager of Cavalla Point in Sausalito, Calif. He trained at Lycée Technique in Grenoble, Switzerland.

His career spans more than a quarter-century. It includes work with the Four Seasons and Hyatt, as well as independently owned hotels.

Zreik said he loves Oregon and considers working at The Allison a dream. He said all of the guest rooms, which range from 485 to 1,575 square feet, feature either a terrace or balcony, with fireplaces, original art pieces and custom-crafted furnishings.
All the guest rooms also feature one hidden asset. Behind a discrete retractable wall is an oversize bathtub in which guests may take in a spectacular view while bathing.

Rates range from $295 to $1,100 per night.

As if the landscape and views are not enough, the Allison Spa offers yet another serene oasis. It features 12 treatment rooms, along with a head-to-toe salon, a barber shop, terraces and gardens, indoor swimming and spa pools, a fitness studio, sauna and steam rooms, and separate lounges for men, women and couples.

A private spa suite can be arranged for small gatherings.

Zreik pointed out that while the inn is luxurious, it was built with “green” eyes. The project is seeking gold-level LEED certification, which means that everything that can be recycled is. The building’s solar panels produce 7 percent of the electricity needed to power it and the eco-friendly roof is planted in sedum.

Water from the city’s wastewater treatment plant is used to irrigate the grounds. All water gushing through water features is recycled.

The demand for original art has provided local artists with an important new venue. Joan said a book showcasing all of the works on display at the inn is in the planning stages.

By happy coincidence, a wedding is planned at the inn on opening day. Joan sees it as a fitting symbol of new beginnings.
It’s been a tremendous undertaking, but Joan said she’s had wonderful help.

“My heart is full,” she said.

“The inn is so beautiful. It’s good for the community and the state.”