Downtown Albany is excited to welcome 206½ Historic Hotel. Albany’s only historic hotel, located at 206½ 2nd Avenue SW, is perched atop Margin Coffee in the heart of the Downtown community.
Local resident Ashlee Graybeal began working on the space in August 2018 and welcomed her first guests to the 7-bedroom boutique hotel on December 24.
In restoring this historic boarding house, Ashlee has focused on refurbishing the space with vintage and recycled pieces.
The building, built in 1909, was used as apartments for wives visiting their GI’s stationed at Camp Adair. The space has been called “home” by many over the last 100 years. Families grew and love was shared.
“We are all formed by our past. Our beauty comes from life lived; time. Our lives are made richer by those we’ve shared them with,” says Ashlee. “This space is no different.”
“At 206½ Historic Hotel, we embrace the journey each and every one of us have been on. We offer a place of rest during the current adventure you’re on. We create reasons to smile and breathe, and be thankful for what’s brought you to this moment.”
Guests can start their day at Margin Coffee or dine at one of their many restaurant and tap house neighbors. Ashlee says, “This is the spot to be!”
Ashlee became involved in Airbnb through her late husband. “He was a big supporter for the community living style,” according to Ashlee.
They opened their first Airbnb in their home in the Monteith Historic District. Through this, Ashlee and her family were able to meet a variety of different people from all around the world. This inspired her to lease the space above Margin Coffee for an Airbnb.
When not running her Airbnb boutiques, Ashlee is raising her children Trevor, Connor, and Piper Joy.
In addition to meeting a need through creativity, vision, and tenacity, starting a boutique hotel takes money. Ashlee started a GoFundMe campaign to help. On Saturday, April 6, she is holding an open house fundraiser from 6:30 to 8:30 pm in Margin Coffee. The open house will include tours of the hotel as well as a ribbon-cutting.
Reservations can be made on Airbnb http://tinyurl.com/206-half-historic-hotel. Rooms start at just $67/night. More information is available on their Facebook and Instagram pages … @206andahalf
