Recommends

matchew64

Joined 3 years ago

The Great Lodge of the West. Skamania lodge is nothing short of exceptional.

My wife and I stayed here for our wedding anniversary. I was very impressed by the lodgings, service, and cuisine that we experienced.

From the moment that we booked it at the front desk, to the sad time that we left at the end of our stay, we were treated with an uncommon politeness and courtesy.

Keep in mind that this luxury does come at a price.

With that in mind, when booking make sure that you get a river view. It is worth it.

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LightPlay Creations

Joined 3 years ago

Amazing customer service. A few weeks ago I stayed as a guest at Skamania Lodge where I was working as the Wedding Photographer. My family and I were already quite impressed with the magnificent mountain views, the large rustic resort and the attentive guest service from the moment we walked through the front door that was held open by your friendly staff members.

I am writing this letter to thank one specific person for their amazing customer service. I had made the mistake of forgetting to bring my cufflinks for my formal dress shirt and the photo session was about to begin in 1 hour. I went to the gift shop in the hopes that you would have cufflinks for sale, but unfortunately I was apparently the first person that ever forgot that important part of my suit. Joy, the young woman who was working behind the counter creatively came up with a solution, which was to fashion me a pair of custom cufflinks using spare buttons and strings from within her drawer. She managed to sew them together successfully in about ten minutes but in that little time she impressed me for the rest of my trip.

Joy’s small act of kindness was the kind of attention to detail that I try to train my sales staff to do everyday, but while extraordinary service with a smile can be learned, it seems to come naturally to only a chosen few. I will retell this story again and again as I feel it exemplifies going above and beyond the call of duty. Thanks again! I’ll be back for sure.

Doesn't Recommend

foodlover17

Joined 3 years ago

Don't waste your money on the Friday Night Buffet. The food at the Friday Night Buffet was a real disappointment! All the "hot" food was room temperature. It had been sitting for a long time. It has really gone downhill over the years. Don't waste your money on this place.

Doesn't Recommend

Disappointed in LO

Joined 4 years ago

Premium price for HoJo experience. In a nutshell, Skamania Lodge is NOT the glorious spa resort getaway it used to be in the 90's. My husband, a retired corporate executive, said it has become like every other corporate hotel he has stayed in over the years. Nothing special.

This is a very sad decline for those of us who frequented Skamania Lodge in the 1990's. My husband and I spent every other Thanksgiving there from 1990 to 2000 and were never disappointed - food was always freshest (not canned), prepared with care and attention to detail, and presented with pride. The rooms were furnished with beautifully crafted lodge furnishings and luxurious linens.

Now, the rooms are furnished with mass produced hotel furniture, linens are down market and look/feel worn. The room itself is beat up - attention to detail is not happening to maintain the rooms.

Our room was not very clean when we arrived. Bathroom counter had gunk stuck on it from previous guest (toothpaste? shaving cream? not sure - but it scrubbed off - so if I could do it - why didn't they do it before we arrived?); surfaces were very dusty (top of headboard has a ledge and it had a visible layer of dust as did the ledge above the fireplace); center of carpet was vacuumed - but when you moved the chair there was dirt and clutter from previous guests. Finally the bathtub drain was clogged and didn't drain effectively and there was hair in the bathtub from the previous guest - NOT ACCEPTIBLE!!! I have a hard time paying $238 a night for a room I have to clean before we are comfortable staying there.

For us the poor quality food was the final straw. We tried 3 meals in our short stay and all three were either a send back (salmon cakes were not cooked/cold in middle), overcooked (rubbery scallops) or tasted terrible (Skamania Salmon Hash made with frozen hash browns, frozen salmon and topped with pureed canned tomato coulis - YUCK! The quality of ingredients do not rate a $12 breakfast dish.)

The final straw - Buffet only Thanksgiving meal - at $38 a plate!!! No way for canned ingredients prepared in advance and sitting in warming trays - NO WAY. (In years past they offered a buffet OR dinners made to order off a short holiday menu - the made to order never disappointed - again fresh in season ingredients cooked to perfection).

We cut our stay to only 1 night - that is all we could stand after one disappointment after another and I am sad to say we will NEVER go to Skamania Lodge again. Why? Why pay premium prices for a Howard Johnson experience.

Doesn't Recommend

amgzsg

Joined 4 years ago

This place has gone WAY downhill - so disappointed!. We used to live in Portland in the late 90s and frequented Skamania Lodge. We even got married there in 1999. The lodge was a very special place to us. Had not been back since moving to CA in 2000. Decided to spend our 10th anniversary there with 2 young kids and grandparents in tow.

Sadly, we were very shocked and disappointed with how Skamania has gone so downhill under the new ownership. It still looks nice from the outside, but inside it was a whole different story. The front desk staff was not very friendly. The rooms had been redone with very cheap looking furniture.

The biggest disappointment was the restaurant, which used to have incredible cuisine. The quality was mediocre at best (and we ate there several times - hoping it would get better, I guess!)

If you had never been to Skamania the way it used to be, you might be okay with this average hotel. But the old Skamania was a world-class, top quality resort - a very special place with outstanding service, amazing food and luxuriously appointed rooms with solid wood furniture.

When I mentioned the changes to a couple of employees I talked to, they all confided how their pay had been drastically cut under the new ownership. They all cared very much about the hotel. They were long-time employees who were and how dismayed they were over what Skamania had become - just another average, corporate hotel.

Very sad.

I hope another company will purchase the hotel and restore it to its former grandeur. Until then, we won't be back (and will be sure to avoid any properties owned by Destination Hotels & Resorts).

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BriannaLeah1690

Joined 5 years ago

Amazing getaway with my husband!. My husband and I spent 2 nights, mid week, at Skamania Lodge this summer. It was hard to come home!

We loved the hiking trails, the golf, room service and the spa. It was perfect for a little relaxation and escape from Portland.

We did not care much for the dining room. For the price range, it just did not have the atmosphere that we expected. The food was good, the waiter friendly- but I felt like I was on a college campus in the cafeteria. It just didn't fit. However, the food in the bar was amazing! We sat on the patio and had one of the best lunches we can remember, just eating hamburgers (which were amazing). We also loved room service for lunch, dinner and late night snacks. It was not that spectacular for breakfast.

The spa was an incredible experience! Much too expensive to justify it regularly, but a great way to treat myself. I loved the massage and wrap I got. I found the Spa employees to be incredibly concerned with my comfort, and very kind. The worst part about the spa was having to leave it!

Golf was very fun. Since we were there mid week, it was very quiet and peaceful. We completely forgot we were only an hour away from home!

I think the very best part of Skamania Lodge was the natural beauty. The hiking trails are beautiful, but easy enough for anyone to conquer. Watching the sun rise from the front lawn was absolutely worth getting up for, and the highlight of our summer. Even the drive out to Skamania was beautiful.

Recommends

portlandanne

Joined 6 years ago

Wonderful place to getaway!. My husband and I love staying at Skamania. It's so beautiful and peaceful, especially in the off-season. Take a walk around the trails of the hotel. They're just marvelous.

Doesn't Recommend

asizemore123

Joined 6 years ago

THIS PLACE IS THE HORRIBLE ESPECIALLY THE SPA. Lets talk about the spa, since it was the worst place I have EVER been to in my life. I am asked to put on a bathrobe and wait in a waiting room full of other couples in bathrobes with tons of people walking by going to the pool area. I am not a modest person but was extremely embarressed sitting in a robe for about 15 minutes waiting for the women to figure out what they were doing. They offer food but nothing to put it in but a napkin and no garbage cans in site. I guess they expect you to put the food in your pocket of your bathrobe. Once I arrived into the room, the woman asked me if I had any open sores or wounds of any kind. I was appalled by this. She then asked me to get under a blanket and proceeded to come back twice and tell me I was under the wrong one. Each time leaving for about 5 minutes while all I had to do was get under the "correct" blanket. She then slapped on Ice cold black herbs and the light was blinding me and the music was up way too loud to be relaxing. She slapped down clothes on me and when I asked why it wasnt wrapped, she said "most people get clausterphobic". What is a wrap PEOPLE? The prices are absurd at $140 for a body wrap. The lady looked like she was a bag lady that did it. I then immediately cancelled my massage to follow and walked past all the people with black herbs all over me and proceeded to get it everywhere I walked. My boyfriend had a horrible experience as well but didnt feel comfortable cancelling the massage. He said the lady that massaged him sounded like a large animal and a heavy smoker and grunted and hissed everytime she put her hands on him. She sounded way to out of shape to be giving a decent massage and also kept circling his feet in an attempt to take a break from massaging. DO NOT GO TO THIS PLACE AND DEFINTELY DONT SPEND ONE PENNY AT THIS SPA!!!

Recommends

holymakeral

Joined 7 years ago

Fantasy Sunday Brunch. The Sunday brunch is to die for! Every kind of treat is here in abundance and of the best quality. This is a favorite place to bring out of town guests or celebrate birthdays or other events. The price is on the high end, but you will get your money's worth if you come hungry.

Recommends

Contributor

Joined 10 years ago

An upscale, Northwest-style resort where guests can enjoy the great outdoors.. The Scene
Nestled between the forests and the Columbia River Gorge, Skamania captures the Northwest feel in its architecture, decor and location. Enjoy the great outdoors with nearby hiking, horseback riding, whitewater rafting, windsurfing and golf. Skamania's spa and fitness center feature exercise equipment, outdoor tennis courts, an indoor pool and saunas, plus a great outdoor deck and spa pool.

The Details
Rooms are spacious and comfy without being over the top. Think natural--but with enough amenities to feel pampered, like televisions, minibars, coffeemakers and hair dryers. Spend the extra money for a river view; better yet, get one of the fabulous fireplace rooms or suites. Go casual at the River Rock Lounge, with tasty burgers, upscale pub food, pool tables and a fireplace. Or splurge for breakfast, lunch and dinner in the dining room and enjoy fine food and fabulous views. Sunday brunch is a winner.