I adore historic hotels, and the Columbia Gorge Hotel's position on the National Register of Historic Places says it all. The architecture, the location, the decor: as a friend put it, we kept expecting Hercule Poirot to walk into the reception room. But the grounds, the grounds! We were there in the first few days of January, so the holiday lights were still all aglow. I took a few snowy evening strolls to take them in, and wish I'd done more. Best of all, it's a short jaunt over the highway to downtown Hood River. We've been meeting friends in town for a decade or more, and have recently convinced them to stay at this end of town rather than at the Celilo Inn up past the Dalles. (Lovely place but a bit of a trek to get to HR.) The ability to drive a few minutes for breakfast at Bette's or just to stroll Oak Street makes the Columbia Gorge Hotel even better as a center of operations. And the room! We had a garden view room on the 3rd floor, and as it was on the corner we had windows overlooking the stream just where it met the waterfall. It was spacious, very comfortable, and so well appointed. At one point while my wife and I were enjoying a nightcap at the bar, I commented that a sign of maturity is having a selection of favorite hotels in areas you go back to. The Columbia Gorge Hotel is now our favorite place to stay in one of our favorite places to visit. It joins The Benbow Inn (another '20s-era luxury getaway, originally for Hollywood royalty) at the southern tip of the Avenue of the Giants in the California redwoods, and the Ashland Springs Hotel in Ashland.

A longer stay is the only way I can think of to improve the experience.

Loved the property... It's stunning, everything from coming into the driveway to walking around the grounds and gardens, to the rooms... Everything is beautiful and felt like a fairytale. The staff was very friendly and we lived that not only are they dog friendly, but they had a gift bag ready for our dog at check in with some presents and bowls to use for our stay.

I didn't like that our room was right above the garbage compactor. There was banging and crashing every 5-15 minutes out there up until about 10 pm. It did stop at 10 pm which was nice so we could sleep but it did put a damper on enjoying the room.

Everything having to do with the service was perfect. I loved it and will do it again.

Room 200, a garden room, was lacking greatly. The room out both windows was a flat rooftop. On that rooftop that was approximately 25-30 ft. on both sides obscured any real view of the gardens. There was a large escape ladder and a huge AC unit. The one window was also adjacent to someone else's window as my room was a corner room, so I had to close those drapes altogether. So it was for the most part, very limited on viewing anything. I just thought that it wasn't represented well, should have been the very LAST room booked, and when booked it should be for less $$s than the other "garden rooms". I did tell them when I checked out. Nicely.

Beautiful historic building on the Columbia river. Showing its age a little bit here and there. Grounds could have been a little better taken care of to be more of a showplace. Pretty gardens. Noisy if you get a room closer to the interstate and want to have your windows open at night.

As noted, the rooms facing the interstate were noisy. Staff having to work the historic elevator could be inconvenient at times. But not a significant concern for those able to walk up a couple flights of stairs.

The hotel grounds, room, and furnishings exceeded expectations! The staff were warm and welcoming, sharing information about surrounding areas and offering support at all hours of the day. We loved the location of the hotel (easy access from the freeway) and the ease of traveling around the Hood River/Gorge area with a rental car. My favorite morning was spent drinking coffee on the patio overlooking the river and wandering the grounds, admiring the gardens and ducks. Would highly recommend!

Enjoyed the outside of property and location. It is very much a historic building and grounds are beautiful. Holiday lights were a nice touch . Room was clean and stayed warm. Staff was friendly just needed more staff . Location of hotel is near attractions. Also, enjoyed the piano player who was very talented.

There is NO coffee machines in rooms and the coffee down stairs was ice cold when we tried to get it . I requested some and had to wait 20 plus minutes because they were under staffed . Also, be aware there is only one elevator and staff has to operate it so you must ask. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get help with this due to them being constantly busy . This resulted in my knee crunching by the end of the night climbing up to the top floor. I Couldn’t get a drink either being so crowded in the lounge.

That it is a beautiful historic building overlooking the Columbia River with lovely garden grounds to walk and enjoy with a stream and waterfall. The staff were great. At check in when we mentioned it was our anniversary she immediately upgraded our room and in the dining room accommodating special requests.

They don’t provide in room coffee makers or coffee before 7:00 and we get up very early……I should have remembered to bring our own.

Beautiful location along the Columbia River. Close to town (five minute drive). Very nice guys on the front desk. Food in the restaurant was tasty, if a bit pricy. The reviews I read warned about road noise, but even tho we had a room at the front of the building, our room was quiet. But, we didn't open our windows. Go to Hood River for breakfast rather than eating in the hotel restaurant.

Rooms are a little tired but location can't be beat. There is a highway out in front. Restaurant was fairly expensive and staff seemed a little inexperienced but they were earnest and nice. I left my memory foam pillow in the room and I wrote to inquire about it but no one ever wrote me back.

It is a lovely place to stay. The food and service was excellent. The hotel has beautiful grounds and view. The bartender was amazing.

The room was not as quiet as we would have liked due to the lodger above seemed to want to pace the floor at all hours. Sadly, the bathroom above seemed to vent to our bathroom and it was a bit unpleasant of a smell when the upper bathroom was in use. Next time we will either choose the upper floor or maybe stay in the villas.

This hotel is gorgeous and comfortable. The setting is lush and serene. The rooms are comfortable, spacious, and nicely appointed. The whole hotel is very quiet. We loved walking the grounds. Breakfast at their restaurant was delicious and the service was impeccable.

Check in was a little rocky. Every other staff member we interacted with after that made up for the rocky start by being just attentive enough, kind, and considerate.