The Lyle Hotel

This place is such a gem!
We stumbled on the Lyle Hotel during a Hood River festival when another hotel could not be found. The serendipity could not have been better.
The town of Lyle is still in transition from a insular community to one which has soon to be discovered. The owners of the hotel are ahead of the curve. The rooms and public areas have been thoughtfully restored, the food is top-​notch by most any comparison. The owners are earnest in their commitment to making their place a true destination.
We had a quiet (despite the muffled rumble of nearby trains passing) and enjoyable evening in a small-​well appointed room. No TV, phone or in-​room bathroom made our stay both intimate and a pleasant diversion from the cookie-​cutter hotel experience we might have had elsewhere.
Go with a sense of open adventure and come back, like us, with fond memories.
We’ll be returning.

Be careful about going in a big group. Short staffed even when aware that hotel would be full. Long wait for dinner, food fair, multiple errors with the order. Owners pleasant and friendly, cocktails lovely. Air conditioning was not functional in several rooms.

Sibling bonding at The Lyle Hotel B&D (bed&dinner) Wine Bar
Historic railroad Hotels are truly in our American landscape. We will not lose these treasures because of true saints such as Richard Simpson and Trece Lanel Loiseau. Index Washington has the beautiful Bush House which is also being restored. Support your regional railroad hotel and you’ll experience crossing the bridge from the past to the future with an amazing experience unlike any other American vacation, likely authentic flavor and quality tastes will be offered. Only the most intelligent of proprietor undertake the restoration of such a property.
As the region’s wine industry is on the brink of fame, The Lyle Hotel seems to be the local meeting place where creative minds meet to forge the future of the Columbia gorge community. The crowd at The Lyle is intelligent and progressive. I imagine a century of wonderful ideas have been born of brilliant folks sharing a bottle of local wine in this place. The kitchen is remarkable, concentrating best talents on dinner. I call it a new style B&D with a superb wine bar with local wines and brews on tap or by the bottle. You will frequently see local vintners relaxing and dining there.

I just returned home from a 3 night stay at the Lyle Hotel and couldn’t be happier. The accommodations are very «Bed & Breakfast» like (without the breakfast, except Sunday) and you can tell that the owners love what they are doing and it shows. I only got a chance to eat dinner there once and really enjoyed it. The asparagus appetizer was fantastic, as were the jambalaya and blueberry bread pudding. I wish I could have had a chance to try their pulled pork sandwich because I heard other patrons raving about it. I guess that gives me something to look forward to next time

We had a wonderful time in Lyle winetasting, hiking and spending the night here. First off, I have to admit that I did not pay attention on the website when it mentioned (or did they) that the rooms were not complete with bathrooms. Showers and toilets are shared with other guests. I did have some difficulty on the website figuring out how to book my room, but I finally drilled down deep enough to figure it out. The place is new and they are still working out the kinks. We checked in and were shown our room by the owner. New owners this year and they are working hard to bring the place up to the level that people visiting the wineries expect. The hotel is an old railroad hotel (right next to the tracks). We had a quieter room away from the tracks but with no view which was fine. I would suggest a little artwork in the room though :) The place has great historic charm. We settled into the bar and had a few glasses of wine. The owner was extremely knowledgeable about the wines in the region and we enjoyed learning from here. We ordered dinner, bacon wrapped shrimp with garlic mashed potatoes. One of the best meals I have had in a long time! The husband is a chef and it shows. The fifth star will happen when they finish up all the improvements they are working on. Definitely will be back!

A beautiful location, with great wineries nearby. Rooms are small and basic, but comfortable enough, and the staff was friendly. I’d rate the restaurant as just OK, based on one dinner, but the continental breakfast included freshly made scones and fruit bars — bonus.

We stayed last Saturday. Our meal was outstanding. I had the sauteed scallops with oyster mushrooms. They were perfect, just lightly browned at the edges, and not overcooked. We pasta was cooked perfectly, and didn’t feel heavy, as pasta often can. Dinner prices were very reasonable, considering the quality of the food. I love the vibe of these old hotels, and can put up with walking across the hall to the bathroom for the reasonable price and friendly staff.

We had a great weekend at the Lyle Hotel, we heard our favorite band, went wine tasting, hiking and had the best food. Great hospitality, quaint hotel rooms, cool little town, we can’t wait to go back.

Four of us had dinner at the Lyle Hotel on Christmas evening and were delighted. The food was superb, as was the service. This is a definite repeat destination!

So the Lyle Hotel ain’t the Waldorf but it’s not supposed to be. You won’t find pretense here but what you’ll find instead is the real deal when it comes to hospitality. Maryann (you’ll find her photo in the dictionary under «sweet») and Steve are the kind of hosts you dream about. I forgot the security code to get into the hotel twice and Maryann, bless her soul made sure I could get in by helping me thru the process in the wee hours of the morning. It was a lot better than sleeping in my car. I judge a place by how well I sleep, how often I smile and how much love a place rests on. The Lyle’s foundation is built on love and the experience is one you’ll remember as magical. Go with an open heart and the rest just shows up. I loved this place… and everyone I met in it.