Skamania Lodge

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.

Skamania is near and dear to our hearts. Being on the property, taking in the sweeping mountain and river views fills me with joy. I love sitting in the Adirondack chairs watching my kids play on the great lawn. This trip, we stayed in a tree house, we played the mini golf course, the par 3 9-hole course, used the pool, and my oldest son and I did the ropes course. We made s'mores every night at the private fire pit. Aside from the property activities, we explored waterfalls, visited Backwoods in Carson, and really maximized our time. We love Skamania!

We Glamped at Skamania and it was marvelous!. The canvas tent with adjoining bathroom tent was wonderful. Skamania thought of everything to provide guests with a memorable experience.

To try something a little different, I booked the glamping for my wife and our three-year-old twins. We thoroughly enjoyed it. The one drawback was lack of information after we were inside. There was a tray on the table with some papers on it that we moved out of the way because of the kids. We didn't realize until we were packing up to leave that it included a booklet with detailed information about how to use the heaters, fans, cooking smores, etc. It would have been great of the person who checked us in at the main desk told us to look for that information, or had given us that information booklet when we checked in. The grounds were nice. We spent time in the pool with the kids. We recommend this place and hope to come back again.

We stayed at Skamania Lodge last weekend while visiting family in Stevenson, and the experience was incredible. The views of the Columbia River Gorge from our room were breathtaking, truly a perfect backdrop for a relaxing getaway. We enjoyed several meals at the on-site restaurant and lounge, and every one of them was excellent. The food, service, and atmosphere exceeded our expectations. Our daughter loved the pool and spent hours swimming and playing on the lawn that overlooks the Gorge, such a beautiful and peaceful setting for families. Every member of the staff we encountered was warm, welcoming, and professional. The level of service really stood out and made our stay even more special. We made countless memories during our time here and are already looking forward to our next visit. Highly recommend Skamania Lodge to anyone looking for a mix of natural beauty, comfort, and exceptional service.