Skamania Lodge

A beautiful setting for a slightly dated lodge experience. Views were great from the main lawn and we enjoyed good cocktails from the bar. We had a very yummy dinner in the dining room (though we found it odd and disruptive that they started vacuuming to close up at 9pm when there were still a few tables dining) and were bummed when told we could not buy any alcohol after 10pm. (Not even to buy a bottle of wine to take to our room.) We had a nice spa experience - everyone was very friendly and the massages were affordable and nice. My husband had heard the golf course was beautiful, and it was! But the boxes were all fake grass/very firm. We stayed in the Hood River suite which was very spacious but dated (a separate shower/tub, older kitchen materials) -- we had wanted to stay in the new treehouses which look amazing. All in all, would return for a meal, a walk or a spa but would opt not to stay in the lodge again. Treehouses look amazing though and would try one of those next!

Overpriced. Low quality food. Outdated/used/worn/old furnishings. Untrained staff. Powdered eggs at the breakfast buffet. Outdated spa. Desperately needs renovation and management overhaul. I have no problem spending money to stay in nice accommodations. This was 100% not worth the cost.

Best Anniversary ever!!! Want to make a lifetime memory, spend a night at Skamania in one of their treehouses. You won't regret it.

I had heard such great things about Skamania from friends that we booked a last minute overnight stay to launch a camping trip in the area. It was mediocre at best, unfortunately. The good: - My kids loved the indoor pool - the temp was a bit cool, but was refreshing on a warm day and big enough that several families can use it at the same time (ranges from 3'6" to 5'0" in depth, with the deepest part in the middle so there are 2 shallow ends). They also had a few beach balls out, which my kids liked. - The views from the front lawn towards the Columbia River are beautiful and there are lawn games for guests (they weren't out early in the morning, but were placed sometime between our morning pool visit and when we checked out). - There are some nice amenities if you're staying awhile - a small fitness center, a locker room with a sauna and a small hot tub, plus a ropes and zipline course (that your kid is probably too small for - my gigantic 6 and 9 year old are still too young/light). - The hotel is within 30 min of Hood River's excellent restaurants and parks. - The restaurant is a decent choice for breakfast. The kids' buffet option is $10, so it's less expensive than some other mid-range hotels, but still more than a la carte. The service and food are fine, but not memorable. The annoying, but disclosed: - There are no double queen rooms. So if you're traveling as a family of 4 (or more), you can either pay for 2 rooms or share a tiny full-sized bed with your spouse or a wiggly child. It's been a long time since I stayed in a mid-range or above hotel that didn't have queens or at least a king with a queen futon. - Parking is $15/night. This hotel is in the middle of nowhere with tons of space and no transit access, so obviously everyone will drive there. Why are they charging for parking, especially when there's already a $40+ resort fee/night (18% of the room rate per night plus tax)? - The outdoor hot tub (which is the only one large enough to fit more than 4 people) is 18+ after 6 p.m. As a parent, I fully support having adults-only time, but it's usually after a regular kid bedtime (i.e., 9 or 10 pm). The annoying and undisclosed: - There is absolutely no sound-proofing. There was a wedding on the Friday night we stayed (2 weddings on the Saturday we left ). Our room was across the property (1st floor on the pool side, reception was on the patio on the opposite side) but we could still hear EXTREMELY loud music until 10 p.m. that prevented my kids from sleeping. Our room neighbors must have been wedding guests and they popped back into their room at one point and we could hear their normal level conversation as if they were standing right next to us. The front desk doesn't care (they were dealing with multiple noise complaints) and will do nothing. - The beds and pillows are not comfortable. In addition to being small, the bedding is really stuffy and not soft, the AC is loud and cuts in and out all night. The cleaning staff are doing their best (I saw one housekeeper clean the conference room bathroom twice within a 3-hr period), but there was a bar of soap left in our bathroom from a previous guest and the lotion was completely empty. If you can stay on a weekday in the shoulder season, the amenities might make up for the hotel's shortcomings, but we'd opt to stay elsewhere on a future visit to the area.

Gorgeous setting, chill atmosphere, great service. Activities are expensive but food is reasonably priced and delicious. Great choice for our anniversary weekend!