Nearly five years ago, I sent out an email to friends who were lamented the lack of a proper hotel (as opposed to the many excellent local B&Bs) in Hudson:
> From: Sam Pratt <sampratt@mac.com>
> Date: October 1, 2008 6:20:33 PM EDT
>
>
> This hotel chain in Seattle/Portland is
> the kind of thing I could see [here
> in Hudson] -- clean, stylish, not too
> expensive. Their website indicates that
> they are looking to expand their brand
> to other parts of the country... wish
> we had development agencies picking up
> the phone to call them:
>
> http://www.acehotel.com/seattle
>
> (I notice that since my last visit to
> their site, they've planning new branches
> in NYC and Palm Springs.)
>
> I know that there are other hotel proj-
> ects in the works around town, but I'll
> believe 'em when I see 'em.
>
> --S.
>
It was actually the second time I’d made that suggestion. Now via Scott Baldinger’s Word on the Street blog comes a strong rumor that the Pocketbook Factory—stabilized but then mothballed a dozen years ago by Eleanor Ambos—may be acquired by... none other than the folks from Ace Hotel. (Own back, accept pat.)
Naturally at this point it’s just a rumor. But that would be stupendous news not just for Hudson's visitors, and all the people who would help build and work in the place, but also for other businesses which would thrive off the foot traffic and spin-off spending it would bring... For the moment, keep that ace up your sleeve, because as noted above: In Hudson, monster hotel rumors do have a tendency to get cracked.
For a better sense of the growing Ace empire's style, hitch seems a perfect fit for Hudson, click this link to a Google Images search.
