An impromptu last-minute visit to the incredible Columbia River Gorge had me scrambling for…read moreaccommodations during peak summer season. To my surprise and under astonishment I found Hood River Hostel and was able to make a reservation with less than 24 hours notice! The proprietors Lorena and Tim are friendly, accommodating, outgoing but most importantly they are people pleasers. I was greeted warmly on the phone and in person. They serve breakfast from 7 AM to 9:30 AM Monday through Friday and 8 AM to 10 AM Saturday and Sunday. This is the only meal they serve in the cafeteria however Lorena had the coffee brewing at 6:30 AM. The men's dorm is clean and quiet with a lockableprivate bath room attached. On the rare occasion that it's occupied a short stroll past the lobby and you will find two more restrooms that are unisex, one equipped with a shower. This is a pet free and smoking free facility so please note there is no smoking in The facility or on the grounds. Quiet time is posted so guess can be assured of their undisturbed sleep. The bed was very comfortable the and the linens smelled fresh and clean. This is a new business that they started this summer so they are still working out a few kinks. Be patient with them as they went way out of their way to make me feel comfortable, happy and welcome. What an incredible fine in the Columbia River Gorge for only $54 per night for the shared dormitory. A single private room is $69 during peak season.

This place is bananas. I spent two weeks here and here's what happened:…read more This is a converted grade school where the owners just moved out the school stuff and threw beds into the rooms. All the other school stuff is still there, and the rooms don't have any of the basics (like closets) that you'd expect. I watched the woman who owns the hostel chase and scream at a female guest (who had only asked her a question) to the point where the guest locked herself in her room while the owner continued to scream and pound on her door. If you read the other reviews you will see similar behavior. This place only has one shower for the entire hostel. That's one shower for about 30 people. They claim to have security but the front door was never locked, I only saw staff there four or five times during the whole two weeks, and while each room has a key to lock the door any key works in any door. Because it's so cheap the locals like to come here to rent a room and get drunk. Really enjoyed the guys in the room next to me drinking all night and barfing until noon the next day. And despite the photos this place is not clean at all. There is a washing machine but it's got quite a bit of black mold in it. You can see photos in other reviews. Avoid this hostel at all costs.

I loved my stay here at the NW Portland hostel. I've been to many hostels around the world, and…read morethis is by far the most calm and peaceful hostel I've been to. They have everything you may need - soap in the shower (bring towels), free water, free social events (cider and wine tastings, city tours, live music), a cafe with food and drinks, and several buildings with rooms. I really appreciated that my 4-bed, all-female room only had me and one other person in it throughout my 4-night stay. I appreciated they don't try to cram the rooms full. I really liked that the bathrooms are private. Each floor has 4 private bathrooms, each with a shower. Each bad has its own bed lamp, charging station, and personal fan. There aren't any bed curtains, though. Staff was friendly and helpful. Location is great and only a 10-20 minute walk into the city. Street parking is available for less than $5 a day. Would choose to come back and stay here again!

It was a great hostel. Large, lots of amenities, and the cafe had good food. The service was great…read moreeverywhere. The front desk people were great and the cafe people were too. The kitchen is too cluttered with people's food. The room was too hot and we couldn't figure out how to cool it down. Those were the only things that kept this place from getting a 5 star.

I did a quick little trip to Portland and need a place downtown near the Roseland Theater. The…read moreSociety Hotel is within 5 minutes walking from there so it was perfect. Its hotel style BUT they also have private rooms you can book with it's own bathroom and super affordable. I didn't the private suite and it was perfect for the one night. The felt desk staff was super friendly both when I checked in and out, the room was clean, super comfy bed and overall loved my stay. The area this hotel is in is a bit sketchy but that's no fault of the hotel, just be aware when walking around especially at night.

I would recommend any other hotel unless you have no other options. The lobby is aesthetic but…read moreeverything else is below expectations. Location: next to a safe injection site and the entry way smelled like pee. You essentially have to step over people sleeping on the street. Rooms: the toilet had mold growing in it. The duvet cover was missing and the insert had sharpie on it. The sheets were dirty. The furnace will keep you up all night long. The pictures do not show how small the suite we booked was and the "upgraded view" was of a wall about two feet away. There is nowhere to put your stuff other than the ground. the patio: half was closed and what was there were just a few tables and chairs. The staff: friendly but cannot compensate for the state of the rooms. We survived one night with the worst sleep while still wearing earplugs. We abandoned the rest of our stay and are eating the cost even though we did ask for a refund. We asked both the front desk and were instructed to email the generic line. We have not gotten a response.

If you are planning a trip to Hood River and want an inexpensive but unique experience, keep…read morereading. Bingen School Inn is located just across the river, perfectly situated for visitors to White Salmon and Hood River. I stayed here with a friend while we were doing a three day cycling stage race, and so we wanted something cheap but safe and secure for our bikes. True to its name, the hostel used to be a school house, and like Portland's Kennedy School, the former school rooms are now with simple beds in a dorm style setting. Only instead of the McMenamin's artwork, here at Bingen School Inn we have a small collection of typewriters and other various old objects placed among well-tended vines and swiss cheese plants. The room we stayed in was small, narrow, came with a mini fridge, and two beds. Think dorm room. The floors were a little creaky, and we could only barely hear other occupants down the hall. The beds weren't the best, unfortunately. In fact, this place would get 5 stars if it weren't for the crappy mattress. In the basement area of the Inn there is a huge communal kitchen area with restaurant grade stoves and refrigerators. Outdoors there is a large lounging area and picnic tables. Finally, there is a big auditorium/basketball court adjoining the hostel. While we were there it hosted a friendly potluck for some visiting Buddhists. Meanwhile the owner/manager sports a beard about 2 feet long. Quite nice. I wouldn't recommend coming here with your young children, or making this a romantic weekend stay. It's perfect for a long weekend or a visit for a wedding, or a trip involving bikes, hikes, rivers, and the like. Highly recommend!

Across the Columbia River from the more well known city of Hood River, Bingen is a small town with…read morenot much to call attraction to it (outside of being in the beautiful Columbia River Gorge). It was here, though, we were able to find what appears to be the only hostel in the Gorge. Located in a historic school house built by the Civilian Conservation Corps, it was a quiet hostel (probably because we were some of the few people there) and served us well for the night. We really loved how they kept the majority of the aspects of the school intact when converting it into a hostel. The hallways are lined with lockers, water fountains down at the child level, chalk boards in the rooms; you get the idea. They have a nice large kitchen and common area (maybe the school's old cafeteria?) which is filled a random assortment of furniture, reading material, and other such curiosities. The manager on duty was extremely nice and we had some great conversations with him later in the evening before we retired for bed. It was a nice place to shore up and lay our heads for the night and we will certainly be back.

This review is only for the cafe inside of the Society Hotel! Ive had multiple great stays at the…read morehotel itself and enjoy the pools thoroughly, enjoy the ambiance of the space, the gymnasium and the sanctuary. Unfortunately the cafe gets one star, the eggs and avocado I got last time was downright offensive. As in, this meal should not have been served/ left the kitchen. The avocado was rock hard, brown and unable to be mushed with a fork and $4, the eggs were greasy and burned brown. Oh no, this was disastrous, I returned the avocado as it was inedible and ate two bites of the burned eggs... over $12, really disappointing.

I had a fantastic stay at The Society Hotel. If you're into super fancy luxury hotels, maybe this…read moreisn't the place for you, but for the rest of you, read on. The design of the hotel is really neat - it's in a restored school building and they lean into that with lockers still in the hallway and things like that. I came here during the week while working so spent a lot of time just hanging out in the hotel lobby, which was very comfy and cozy with a fireplace going. The spa was really nice. Again, not huge or fancy, but a great value. With your stay you get one hour reserved per day (free), including the days you check in and out, and can also ask to soak additional times if there is space. On my first night, I had booked the last hour they're open, and they texted me saying I could come an hour early if I wanted since there was plenty of room. There's a warm pool and a cold plunge inside, as well as a sauna, and a hot tub outside. I was nervous it was going to be a strict one-hour time limit, but they didn't seem to care. Caveat though, I also did come during the week so it was probably less busy than average. I was cheap and stayed in one of the bunk rooms. They're like fancy hostel accommodations. I generally don't like hostels but I liked it here. The beds are super comfy and sturdy, linens and towels provided, and there are curtains around each bed, as well as a light switch, outlets, and a storage area at the head of the bed. The lights in the room turn off at 10 and it was very quiet the whole time I was here. There were probably only 5ish other people in the room though that could technically fit 24. There are ample bathrooms outside the room; they're all single bathrooms with their own showers and were very clean every time I used them. Access to the spa is the same, and I paid $35 a night, which was a crazy deal considering I saw local people coming just for the spa which is also $35 for a single hour if you're not staying here. I had never been to this area before, and I loved it! I took the Amtrak here from Portland (which was only $7!) and drops off less than a 10-minute walk from the hotel. Transportation options once you're in town are pretty limited, but there is a public shuttle system that's $1 a ride - I took it to nearby White Salmon one day for lunch and on the way back they just dropped me off right at the hotel. Bingen itself really isn't much, and not a ton of food options. White Salmon was just a tad bigger and really close. While I didn't make it there, looks like Hood River just across the bridge is a little more happening. I did eat in the hotel lobby a few times, and the food was fine, although breakfast was pretty overpriced. The evening happy hour with $9 cocktails/wine was good though! If you're looking for a fun/different experience, I really recommend The Society Hotel. I loved my midweek getaway here - and they offer discounts for weeknight stays!

Bluebird Guesthouse is a wonderful place to stay if you want to drop into the Hawthorne / Division…read moreneighborhood vibe for a few days. Wonderful location on Division, near great eating (pie, pizza, speakeasy, ice cream, and more!) and fun shops (vintage, more vintage, black owned bookstore, and more!). Walking distance to the heart of Hawthorne too! The house itself is like a classic "bed and breakfast" shared house. Baked goods and coffee available all day, fridge space for your leftovers and booze, plus bonus for long stays: you can use the washer and dryer! Cozy nooks for eating, front porch with swing, comfy couch in the parlor. Friendly staff, and friendly fellow guests, & comfy rooms -tho we were in a basement room, not the best view from there. I would definitely seek this guesthouse out if & when we're visiting the area again!

Overall score: 4…read more Customer Service: 5 Location: 5 Parking: 3 Cleanliness: 4 Reservations: 5 Comfort: 4 We stayed last night at this lodging location, while we were visiting the Portland area. We made our reservations a few weeks ago, and the process was seamless and very easy. Everything was contactless and we received an email from the staff on how to access the house. Our email instructions included our room and private bathroom details. The parking situation is very challenging because they don't have on site parking. There is nearby street parking within 1-2 blocks. This lodging is within walking distance to many nearby restaurants, shops, and bars. The rooms are warm and cozy, but not very accessible for handicapped people. Overall our lodging experience was very good and I'm sure we would return for another visit. Tip: Enforce or put a sign in your driveway "Don't Block Driveway" so your guest can at least load bags. Parking is not good at all. I saw others homes in area that had signs stated the obvious. There are alot of steps. Don't stay here if you can't handle stairs or parking issues in this area. Other than that, enjoyed my stay. @glampedlife

This is for a one night stay. We walked in and were able to…read moreget a room for the night. We selected a room with shared bathroom to get a cheaper rate. The bathroom was very small but nice and clean. Our room was comfortable. However, it lacked foldable rack for my bags. I don't like putting my Travel bags on the floor. After coming back from dinner, we had to use our key to enter the main lobby entrance. Keys were simple to use. There was complimentary coffee in the shared kitchen. There is no parking. Our car was parked on the street . We will definitely come back to this place in the future. :)

Chrissy was very impolite and honestly quite rude when helping me. I tried to cancel my reservation…read morebecause of transportation issues for my wedding, and they will not accept my reasons for cancellation or give a partial refund. I would not recommend staying here if this is how they treat their customers.

Best youth hostel, bed and breakfast, day care, hang out, tea house, cigar lounge, buffet, bar,…read moredance club I have ever been to

This place is awesome and the beer is good but theres little kids running around and I'm so…read moreconflicted.

A great location, an intriguing old house and great hosts! And Trader Joe's is just down the block…read more Hosts will help you arrange parking permits. Very close to the medical facilities. Absolutely fab restaurants and food trucks in the area.

Such a quaint house & location is great! I happened to found this when I was looking for B&B's…read more I'm surprised there hasn't been other reviews in years! It's truly a gem! The owner was very responsive and if you are looking for a safe place just to sleep while visiting, this is the place. There are 4 rooms available and I took the single bed room. Suited my needs perfectly! I took the metlink from the airport and had no issues! It's also close to bus stops and other rails. I took it all over the city! There are 4 rooms for rent and you share 2.5 bathrooms. I never had any issues using the bathrooms when I needed! Everything was kept clean! There is also a small kitchen area where there are items available. I however did not eat anything since I was eating my way around town! Soo many options and not enough stomach space . There are also lots of food places around the corner as well as a Trader Joe's. Works perfectly! Definitely a gem.