This hotel is on the Washington side of the Columbia Gorge just past White Salmon. This is wine country, and if you drive out here to taste you should spend the night.

The Lyle Hotel was built in 1905 as a boarding house. It has maintained its rustic ways with lots of bedrooms, but bathrooms down the hall.

We stayed here with friends, they are regulars and like the twin room at the top of the stairs, I think it is room 07 on the reservation page. It has windows on both sides and is very bright and open. It is at the front of the hotel, so nearest the train tracks, but our friends sleep with earplugs and don't mind the bit of noise.

We went for room 11 as it said it was a "queen" bet, but if so it is a small queen and looked the same as the doubles. The room was at the back, so pretty quiet. But it only has one small window that is mostly taken up by an air conditioning unit. This meant it was a dark room and since we couldn't open the window (but did not require air-con) the room got stuffy.

If staying here again I would go with one of the rooms at the front that have more windows.

The rooms were fine with comfy beds, luxurious duvets, fresh towels and big robes. The furnishings were limited but so was the space. And there is no real need to hang out in the room - downstairs there is a lovely and inviting lobby and bar area. We spent quite a bit of time down there just relaxing and talking to the other guests plus the owner. It was all quite enjoyable.

The bathrooms were clean and there was plenty of hot water. Just wish there was an en-suite room or two. Still in an old charming hotel you can't always have it all.

Breakfast was free and quite yummy. It was fruit and home-made pastries. So no fry up, but lovely. The day we were there the owner had made scones and banana bread - but fab. Plus lots of coffee all day.

It was a charming place and I would recommend it. Nevertheless, we are so used to staying at budget accomodations that the $75 price seemed a bit high for a room with the toilet down the hall. That said, I can't imagine there is anything better in the area, so would stay again.

Only disappointment was their reservation page on the website asked if the stay was for any special reason. I entered that it was for my husband's 50th birthday - a pretty big deal. But they did nothing for it. Don't ask if you don't care. Would have been nice to have something done for his birthday.

This was our second stay at the Lyle, and we thoroughly enjoyed the relaxed, small-town atmosphere in this historic hotel.

Tips: Make sure to stay on a night when the restaurant is open, ie Friday or Saturday.

My wife organized some kind of surprise b-day party that was hosted and and catered by the Lyle Hotel staff. It was awesome. Great service, great food, it was all good. The place was clean and they even let my wife keep her dog there! We stayed 3 nights and visited places around the Gorge. I would highly recommend the Lyle Hotel to anyone that is passing through or to anyone who wants to host a special event in the area!

p.s. they have amazing coffee!

First I have to say my wife and I had a great time here. We felt at home, welcomed and catered to. Second don't come here expecting the Ritz Carlton or cookie cutter accommodations. The hotel is small by almost all standards, so are the rooms, but it is one of the most pleasing places I have every spent a night, blending the past and the present in a way that seemed to make all the guests feel that we were not only travelers across distance but through time as well. The design of hotel itself reflects its past. More than once I found myself feeling a sense of history and what it must have been like for the men who built the railroads here. Yet the decor of the hotel is modern and pleasing (and yes it does have WiFi). I found our room and bathrooms clean, the bed (room 10) very comfortable, and the train sounds actually added to the ambience.

Heading to the Gorge for two nights, my wife and I wanted three things. We wanted to feast on the beauty of the landscape, explore the local wines and enjoy some good food in a pleasant atmosphere - oh and we wanted it reasonably priced. The Lyle Hotel delivered on all of that and more.

The landscape: The Lyle is a very short walk, mostly paved, to a small outcrop of land that offers incredible vistas of the Gorge. Sunsets were stunning and the night sky was dazzling.

Local wines: On the way to the Lyle my wife was trying to figure out how we were going to travel from winery to winery and still mange to drive safely. The solution, we had our wine tasting at the Lyle itself! Their wine bar is stocked with local wines and caretakers Steve and Maryanne are very knowledgeable about the growers.

Good food: Despite the fact that the dinning room was not open during our stay, Steve and Maryanne, also the resident chefs, offered to make dinner for the 4 groups staying at the hotel that night. At Steve’s suggestion, we all sat together to enjoy one of the best meals on our trip and, thanks to the relaxing atmosphere and the other guests, a delightful evening of conversation. Each morning we enjoyed Steve’s scones (chocolate, lemon and poppy seed and current), homemade banana bread, fresh fruit and coffee.

I highly recommend the Lyle Hotel. Its size makes it perfect for gatherings such as family reunions.