An eminently walkable option in the Gorge's recreational and cultural epicenter, this historic downtown building got a major facelift in 2017. Beyond a variety of king and queen rooms and spacious suites, there's now a 10-bunk hostel with a shared kitchen, locker rooms, and a sauna. The renovated downstairs ballroom, complete with a wood-paneled bar and large fireplace, accommodates events for up to 150 people. Another on-site perk: an outpost of Portland's beloved Nordic restaurant Broder.

Built by timber baron and Columbia River Highway booster Simon Benson as the "Waldorf of the West," this Mission-style villa was once a Roaring ’20s respite for presidents and movie stars. It’s led several lives since then, including a midcentury spell as a retirement home, and underwent a multimillion dollar renovation completed in 2023. Perched on a bluff overlooking the Columbia River, the seven-acre grounds feature lush gardens and winding paths, and an on-site spa offers a full suite of services. Visit the Valentino Lounge—named after Rudolph Valentino, who’s rumored to have frequented the hotel—on Friday and Saturday evenings for live piano music.

This five-room B&B, about 15 minutes southwest of Hood River, combines the rustic delights of a farm weekend with the pampering of a spa retreat—think private decks, postcard-worthy Mount Hood views, and spacious soaking tubs. The only crowds you’ll see on Sakura Ridge’s 82 acres of farmland are the chickens scratching the ground. Pear and apple orchards color the landscape and inspire seasonal ciders and perries, while an extensive garden fuels the daily breakfast.

Within sniffing distance of the eastern Gorge’s myriad vineyards and wildflower-strewn hikes, the Balch Hotel anchors the tiny former railway town of Dufur, just as it did when it was built in 1907. Painstaking restoration in the aughts remade the Balch into an elegant western den replete with velvety parlor couches and leather armchairs, brass-and-glass chandeliers, and even the hotel’s old iron safe. There's a feeling of retreat here, 15 miles south of The Dalles, away from the bustle of the main Gorge corridor. Warm chocolate chip cookies greet you on arrival, and you’ll find no phones, TVs, or alarm clocks in any of the 20 rooms, some of which share baths. (Modern upgrades include Wi-Fi, air-conditioning in some rooms, and a spa.) An on-site restaurant serves a seasonal menu; in the warmer months, nab a table on the tranquil garden patio.

Lavishly timbered and expansively lawned, the complex known as Skamania Lodge sprawls across 175 acres, with a 254-room hotel built in 1993 and other accommodations—stilt houses in the trees, a cluster of glamping tents—added in more recent years. The list of amenities is likewise vast: indoor pool, indoor and outdoor hot tubs, restaurant and bar, golf and disc courses, zip-lining, axe-throwing, spa. The many trails of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, meanwhile, await right outside. However you spend your day, end it in front of the great room's three-story window for a sunset show of pinks and oranges falling across the Gorge’s southern walls.

Opened in 2022, the minimalist cabins on Tenzen's 100-acre property are petite but serene affairs, with compact kitchenettes and Scandinavian-meets-Japanese style. The main attraction here is the mineral-rich geothermal water—somewhat milky, pleasantly sulfur-scented, and drawn from 3,000 feet below ground—that feeds each cabin’s soaking tub. Sitting on semi-enclosed porches with either Gorge or meadow views, the tubs are roomy enough for two, and hot and cold taps allow you to adjust temps to your liking. Add an outdoor shower and an indoor steam shower, and you’ve got a private spa getaway.

When this cozy, 22-room lodge was built in 1937, it was known as the Hood View Hotel. While much has changed since then—formerly drab Victorian-style rooms are now graceful and modern—the vistas of Oregon’s tallest peak remain mighty fine. A communal space is stocked with books and games, and out back you’ll find a patio, terraced garden, and firepit. Traveling with kids? Book the family studio, which holds a king bed and a set of twin-size bunk beds, plus a kitchenette. On a budget? Book a room with a shared bath.

A sibling of the Society in Old Town, this hostel-hotel hybrid occupies a former school in the tiny Washington town of Bingen, with some of the original features intact (yes, you can play basketball in the gym or gossip on the bleachers). The main building is home to triple-stack bunk rooms as well as private rooms with shared bathrooms, while a ring of Scandinavian-vibed cabins surround a shared bathhouse; work your way through a tepid saltwater soaking pool, a super toasty outdoor soaking pool, a chilly 54-degree cold plunge, and a cedar sauna.