Best Western Plus Hood River Inn

Our ground-floor room opened onto the grass, which made taking the dog out easy, and it had a lovely view of the river and mountains. The outdoor deck looked great for meals, and the pool and hot tub were right outside. There was also a big exercise room, a sauna, and another smaller hot tub indoors. Breakfast was good, and we had fish and chips around 4 for an early dinner. This is the best Best Western I’ve stayed at, and honestly feels like it should be rated five stars.

The bed was very comfortable and the room was clean, and the heated pool and hot tub came with a beautiful view. Getting around Hood River and to nearby activities was easy. We had an excellent breakfast too, with a great menu, good prices, and excellent service. The exercise room is usable, though the weight area is so cramped that only one person can use it at a time. One guy occupied the whole spot for an hour, which was frustrating; there’s more room for the larger machines, but bring your own music. Some rooms have lovely Columbia River views, but the highway and bridge traffic make for constant noise. The TV remote was very unresponsive, and you can’t operate the TV from bed. They can’t control the traffic, but there are things they could improve. Will they, and would we return?

The river view was easily my favorite part, and we still had a very nice stay in the executive suite. It had high ceilings that made it feel open, and the road noise was minimal since it was set farther back, even though the hotel is by a gas station and the toll bridge into Washington. The room was pretty clean, though the shower head wasn’t, and I expected more than tiny sample bottles of shampoo, conditioner, and body wash in a suite. They gave us a $10 voucher for the downstairs restaurant. On our first visit the server seemed uninterested, skipped the berry syrup garnish shown in guest photos for the French toast, and a couple of sides were forgotten. The second visit went better.

This was my second stay, and I wanted to say this place is a gem. The riverside setting and the really warm pool make it special, even in winter, and the restaurant is excellent. We were here for a ski weekend and plan to bring our 5&9 year old kids back for the same kind of trip. Starbucks and McDonald’s are an easy walk across the parking lot, though we didn’t go to either.