Imperial River Company

Wonderful location, wonderful people and wonderful hospitality!
Spent an evening at the hotel before Ride Row Run and had an amazing time. We had a cozy, quiet room just next to the main building perfect for my wife, daughter and me. The event was a blast, very well organized. Plan to return for a raft trip soon! Come and stay you are sure to love it!

I took a rafting trip on a Sunday with another company and bookended the activity by staying in The Dalles Saturday night and in Maupin Sunday night. I *thought* I had made the reservation for Sunday night, but I messed up and made it for Monday. The host graciously let me pick from the two rooms he had left. I stayed in room 9, the Sportsman (so not me!) The bed was comfortable, the linens were great, and I adored that there wasn’t a TV! The shared patio overlooking the Deschutes was marvelous. Best of all they have a huge lawn and several porch swings scattered along the bank so you can kick back and watch the river drift by. The vibe is super casual and friendly and I only wish I had more time to spend here. I will definitely be back!

We took two of our grandsons on a ½-​day rafting trip and stayed here for the night. Room was comfortable, patio facing the river and grounds were nice. The kids didn’t even mind that there was no TV! We ate dinner at the restaurant and it was fine. We liked the location and rafting so much that we discussed bringing the whole family down for several days next year for our annual fun trip. However, trying to sleep was impossible. The noise level of adjacent guests was just ridiculous. I went outside around 1 a.m. and asked them to please close their patio door. They did, but their conversation went on VERY loudly until 3:30−4 a.m. There is little or no soundproofing here, it became obvious very quickly. Needless to say, there won’t be a family trip here next year.

We booked a 1 day rafting trip and 1 night at the Inn through Imperial River Company. Brian was very knowledgeable and helpful when booking. We had a great time river rafting — had a great guide and lunch was very good. There is a lot of lazy river time on the river, but when we got to the rapids they were a lot of fun. They took pictures available for purchase which is nice so you don’t have to take anything with you but a water bottle! They even had ice cream for purchase afterwards which was a nice treat on a very hot day.
We booked a non-​river view room since we were only there one night and I wish we had booked the riverview and spent the extra money. The non river view rooms were small and dark. We weren’t advised to keep the door closed and by the end of the night we had tons of knats! The air conditioning unit was loud, but it was too hot to not keep it running and the toilet kept stopping up. The beds were a bit old, but not too bad. Could use updating.
The grounds were very well kept and we loved sitting on the swing on the river.
The restaurant had great service and a good menu!
We will definitely return.

We come here every year and it looks like business is way down and so did the quality dive of both food and service fall from five to three stars. The soup was a combination of everything that didn’t sell yesterday and was awful. It would be nice if they could put out some bat houses to help eat a few mosquitoes, we were eaten alive Inside the restaurant,

We recently stayed at the Imperial will visiting Maupin. I really like the layout of the grounds and the laid back feel of the place. The staff was friendly and the bar service was good. We did not have dinner in the restaurant, but the drinks were good. The room was decorated in with antiques and was quite charming however the mattresses need to be replaced they were old and worn out, as is the bedding. The sheets were too small and would not stay on the bed, it made for an uncomfortable night. This was the last stop on a long road trip so we had stayed in several hotels over the last two weeks so I was disappointed as I had looked forward to a comfortable bed.
I might try this hotel again if they updated their beds and bedding. Maybe with so few lodging options in the area they don’t think they need to try, that is a mistake. There were several open rooms the night we stayed in the middle of the season.

Once again before we booked any hotel room we searched Unilocal for top choices. This is specially important while staying in Maupin Oregon which is a small fishing/​rafting town. The Imperial stood out among all the choices. The room was newly remodeled and clean. When we walked in the door the AC was blasting and it felt so good after a day of white watering rafting in 100 degree weather. The first thing my boys said is «where is the TV»? Come to find out the rooms don’t have phones or TV’s. It was really nice and a few minutes later both boys were reading the wonderful books provided in the room. Thanks for going old school! The view was amazing and we could of spent all day on the log swing on the river. The beds were very nice and everything about the room was perfect. Not easy these days to find that!
The restaurant was very nice and the food was really good. Something for everyone and the service was enjoyable. The next morning we didn’t want to leave and are already planning our next trip over to stay. Thanks and keep up the good work. It shows,

There aren’t many options for getting a bite to eat in the town of Maupin, especially if you’d like to couple it with a cocktail. As far as I can tell you actually have two choices: bar food or the Imperial River Company. Seeing as I am not a huge fan of platters containing copious amounts of greasy goodness, I chose The Imp (already nicknamed it, ’cause I’ve subconsciously made it my permanent go-​to post-​rafting spot).
And it was definitely the right choice. First off, they have free Wi-​Fi. In this town of no discernible cell coverage, this alone warrants a five-​star review. The view of the river from the dining room, bar, outdoor bar tables and fire pit doubles down that five-​star potential; you are close enough to dip your toes in the water regardless of where you sit in here.
The service was enough to put a smile on my face. The bartender/​waitress was personable, attentive, and in possession of that admirable, yet elusive, skill of simply taking good care of her customers. Her awesome service, too, is deserving of a five-​star review.
So why only four stars?! Well, the food was hit and miss. The barbecue sauce was phenomenally tasty. That I had to slather it all over my veggie burger to make it edible is unfortunate. The quesadilla was really flavorful. The salsa that came with it prominently featured overripe tomatoes which killed any semblance of freshness. There needed to be more consistency with the food dished up.
The Imp is multi-​purpose to be sure, offering lodging, catering, event hosting, rafting, biking, fishing, and hunting. Check out the other reviews for the scoop on those aspects as mine is limited to the food and drink alone.

Great place for a small conference or retreat. I stayed there last weekend as part of Vogue Knitting Live. Fantastic staff, food, and view of the river.
Highly recommend especially if you fly fish or love white water rafting.

Our son and new daughter in law were married this last weekend at the Imperial River Company. It was a wonderful «weekend on the river» from the rafting trip and rehearsal dinner on Friday to fishing, wedding, and dinner on Saturday. The Imperial did a wonderful job handling all the details necessary to make a memorable experience for everyone! We couldn’t have been more pleased. Our thanks to Susie for making special memories for everyone there. Thank you!

Beautiful place and wonderful staff. Perfect place for a wedding weekend! They went about and beyond finding a babysitter for our little one!

Great burger, friendly staff, just had a burger and salad that was awesome. Comfortable to sit in the bar and chat with the locals and other customers.

Stayed for 2 nights in late October with my wife. Went to fish a day on the Deschutes.
Wasn’t crowded at all since rafting season was over. Stayed in a big second floor newer main lodge room overlooking big lawn and river. Super big private deck outside that would be awesome in summer.
Room was cabin-​like, big and quaint. Very clean and well appointed. Deck outside is fantastic.
Small bar is very nice and clean and cozy.
Good tap brews and mixed drinks as well as nice wine list.
Restaurant food and service were excellent.
Yummy desserts too. Very warm and accommodating staff in all aspects of the stay. I highly recommend this place.

This is the pricey joint in town, but well worth it. My rib-​eye steak was prepared perfectly. Two excellent and huge burgers. And a whole rack of ribs with fall off the bone meat. The potatoes and salad were fantastic. Service was friendly and prompt. The atmosphere is outstanding! It’s not a discount place — but I definitely feel like it was worth it!

From start to finish, our day of rafting was a total blast. I didn’t know what to expect from a guided raft tour, but our guide Andy was an absolute pleasure. Firstly, it is impressive the way he can maneuver a raft (while giving us clear directions on when and how to paddle) but secondly, and this goes for the other guides as well, they were so personable and engaged with everyone on the trip. They relayed their rules clearly and concisely, told us jokes and interacted with everyone in a way that was not at all patronizing or tired. It was very apparent that these guys were having a good time and clearly enjoyed being out on the water with us.
The lunch was great and the day went surprisingly smooth with getting in and out of the water three times. We started and ended right at the shop as well as had lunch at the picnic tables out on the lawn. It was perfect.
We had such a great experience, it is hard to imagine how the other rafting companies in town can compare.

Great place. Stayed overnight at the resort and then went for a full day on the river.
First the accommodations. They are rustic. there are no phones or televisions in the rooms, at least the moderately priced rooms. There is free WiFi however. The beds were a bit spongy, but the rooms were clean and the water pressure was good.
The food, especially the basic beef fare is very good. The resort gets its beef from Imperial Ranch, which is one of Oregon’s largest. The beef is not processes, and is very tasty. Hamburgers, steaks etc., all very good. The salad and the other offerings are basic, but again generous and very tasty. The service at lunch and dinner was very good. The continental breakfast is self serve and very basic. Boiled eggs, do it yourself bagels, and fresh fruit.
The highlight of the stay was, of course, the trip down the river. Imperial has excellent friendly guides (ours was Andy), and they approach the river trip differently, leaving from the dock and travelling down the river, ahead of the great flotilla (I counted approximately 70 boats when I was watching from the road next to the river). which leaves five miles up stream. They bring you back for lunch and then bring higher up the river, when everyone else has already travelled down. the result a fun, relaxing and thoroughly pleasurable experience on (and yes, in) the river.
Only negative is the air conditioners are old and very loud. If you are a light sleeper, bring earplugs.

Spontaneous trip to the area brought us to this cute motel. We stayed in the «bunkhouse» room and bonus they allowed pets for a small fee. Really the only place to stay in the area and we were pleasantly surprised. Pros: free continental breakfast, great restaurant, great customer service. On the river, beautiful location. Cons: room had spiderwebs on the wall above the bed and around the air conditioner. No tv but fast high speed internet. Our room was old and could use a deep cleaning and airing out. Newer rooms in the other part of the motel appeared to be in better shape. Would definitely stay here again but would ask for one of the newer rooms.
Restaurant: yummy French dip (add the horseradish) great fries and wonderful service. The turkey panini was good too.

Fantastic three day rafting trip down the Deschutes with stay at lodge the night before. The guides couldn’t have been better and were very patient with kids aged 6 – 12. Comfortable and hassle free — 2 people per 4 man tent with great thick sleeping pads, plenty of food. All of our needs were taken care of. Couldn’t recommend more strongly. Bring a ribbon for the outside of your dry bag to keep track of it.

We stayed in the Imperial Suite and it was great. We usually eat a steak and watch football in the bar after fishing all day, however the bartender/​front desk lady just couldn’t handle delivering steaks for some reason and limited the menu to just burgers… I thought that was odd. Burger was GREAT! ;) continental breakfast is limited but a fair deal. Great view of the river.

******* Disclaimer ********
This review isn’t for foods. I review nothing but foods. But I guess I can offer good travel tips after my vacation, so this is sorta exception.
I came here for the «whole day white rafting» on Deschutes River!
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Booking: Online or call. Online is definitely easy. There’s a season for rafting — when the water level is low, it’s not fun. Make sure you contact them first so that you can do it.
Fee: $ 100 for the whole day (adult). I guess $ 60 or so for the half day. I do recommend the whole day! The whole day package comes with 18 mile of rafting — 2 sections before lunch, and 1 more difficult/​exciting section after lunch — and lunch.
Attire: I recommend to wear swim suits, shorts, and T-​shirt. They have water proof light jackets you can wear under the life guard jacket if you don’t wanna be «SOAKING WET». You WILL get wet. I warned you.
Stuff you might bring: They have a photographer — you can buy all the pictures for $ 60. But we didn’t have it since he/​she called in sick that day. Bring the water proof camera! It costs you only a little, and you do want that since there’re tons of quiet down time you don’t need to paddle and can enjoy seeing all the nature. You don’t need to bring anything else — they provide you water and a snack bar while moving to the next point. You might need a towel during the lunch and after rafting, but you don’t need it during rafting.
Personal belongings: Put everything in the car. You can leave your car key in the building — they lock it while rafting.
— Locale Destination —
It’s on Bakeoven County Rd — right on the banks of the Deschutes River, Maupin, OR.
It’s an hour drive from Bend. It’s beautiful — lots of trees, river, and mountains. The town I passed to come to this white rafting experience had some cool classy buildings — good old American classic — like a gas station. I wish I could take pictures there ;(If you come here for rafting, it’s good idea to stay this lodge or places nearby (the whole day rafting starts at 9 am). You don’t see 5 star accommodations around here, but you see old and small charming places.
The staff were all fun, knowledgeable, and funny.
— Gluttony Expedition —
Rafting: They’ll teach you how to do it and give you tips before we start it. It’s easy. The guide tells you what to do while rafting. Lots of down time not to paddle. If you fell into water, just be calm so that all of your clues can help to pick you up. Don’t get panic. It happens. You can swim in the river if you want. The guide tells you when things get bumpy and let you sit at the front of the boat to enjoy it! Just listen to your guide. They’re well experienced! It’s really fun!
Lunch: They’ll provide you BBQ — burger (beef, chicken, or vegetarian), salads, fruits, cookies, and drinks. *** For a whole day package
It’s decent. It tasted good after rafting!!!
— Conqueror’s Deduction —
This was my first time for rafting. This was easy and a lot more fun than I thought. It’s more like «paddle sometimes, lots of non paddle time to enjoy the scenery». You don’t keep paddling non stop here. I’m sure you can have those experiences somewhere else, but this is definitely easy and tons of fun! I was thinking to get my own boat and paddles for myself to enjoy it while rafting ;p
The knowledgeable staff really helped us to enjoy it.
Do it if you had a chance. It’s REALLY FUN!!!