Where to stay in Oregon
Let’s cut to the chase on hotels: Luxury may be fine once in a great while, but most days on the road there’s nothing better than a cut-rate midrange motel room. We like a clean, comfortable room without pretense: cable TV, a comfortable bed, and a decent restaurant or two you can walk to, all for well under $100 for a double. We really like, for example, the Super 8 Motel in Klamath Falls.
Beyond that, it’s great to have a little character in a place, though not if you have to spend real money on it. So here’s a list of our favorite places to stay in the state. Some are remarkable; some are mundane but reliable. Some are just plain unusual. We like them all.
In Eastern Oregon, Malheur Field Station is one of the nicest places to stay imaginable, though it’s pretty rustic and remote. The Frenchglen Hotel is historic and has lots of character.
Over on the Oregon Coast, Captain John’s Motel is a favorite because it’s cheap and right in Charleston. The Sylvia Beach Hotel has literary pretensions, but we like it anyway.
Then there are the lodges: In the Cascades, Timberline Lodge and Crater Lake Lodge come from an elegant past, and so does Southern Oregon’s Oregon Caves Lodge.