Keepin' It Quirky: The Best Hipster Hotel Amenities

The Ace Hotel and Swim Club has a way of wooing the residents of Silver Lake and Echo Park away from their Intelligentsia coffees for weekends in the desert. There’s an undeniable party vibe at the hotel: like its sister properties, weekends are host to music events (especially well known DJs), where the two pools become lined with chest tattoos and vintage sunglasses. Rooms have retro touches like radios, record players and vinyl. And even though the nearby Coachella music festival is way too mainstream to be considered a hipster party anymore, the bands that play it are just as likely to end up on a Gorilla vs. Bear post as anyone. Just make sure you don’t forget to hit up the photo booth in the lobby before you head back to LA.


Read about more so-cool-they're-not-cool-but-still-ironic amenities after the jump.

Austin as a city is second maybe only to Portland as a presumed hipster have, as it prides itself on being a bubble of alternative living and counterculture in a typically conservative state. And in the home city of the SXSW Festival, it should come as no surprise that the hotels follow suit. Guests at the Hotel San Jose are offered plenty beyond a hip place to sleep at night: they can rent a bike to explore the city (fixed gear, anyone?), Polaroid cameras to document their adventures, and even a typewriter to recount their entire story in a quirky, non-mainstream way. When you factor in the minimalist rooms, trendy surroundings, and the locally-famous Jo’s coffee just next door, it’s pretty hard to top.

There’s usually a line a mile wide between your typical hipster and the Hard Rock brand. One glamorizes the most mainstream rockers in history; the other loses interest in a band when they pass 2,000 YouTube views. One likes to party at Angels and Kings with the likes of pop punk rocker Pete Wentz; the other wouldn’t be caught dead in the same building as one of Wentz's fans. But the Hard Rock Chicago’s Fender Picks program is something that speaks to the hip crowd. Staff will deliver the ax (or bass) of your choice to your room, along with an amp and headphones so you can rock out without damaging your neighbors’ eardrums. There’s no reason to stop channeling Jeff Tweedy just because you’re on vacation.

Don’t let the name fool you: Even though he hails from the Toronto, the Drake Hotel has nothing to do with the famous rapper. But the property itself is rather music obsessed, both inside and out. Rooms are furnished with iPod docks and original artwork, the rooftop patio bar is a major nightlife fixture, and it’s located in a one of the trendiest part of town. The best perk, though, is that your room key gets you to the front of the line for the Drake Underground, a killer music venue with schedule that reads like the FADER’s blog feed. Sweet hotel digs and a Weeknd live performance round out any stay in Toronto.

Berlin is a bubble of affordable living on the European continent, and its low prices have attracted one of the hottest creative and artistic crowds in the world. Most of the hotels in town reflect the stereotypical German restraint in price, charm, and décor, but there are a few rare exceptions. The nhow Berlin takes funky, artistic design and then pushes it even further with a trippy front desk, crazy ceilings, and ultra modern rooms. There are also Gibson guitars available to be brought to rooms, and if you happen to meet the perfect band mates walking around Charlottenberg, there are two recording studios in the hotel. It's a great place to lay down your first EP.