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The Society Hotel Bingen Opens Within the Columbia River Gorge

11.13.19 | By
The Society Hotel Bingen Opens Within the Columbia River Gorge

Just about hour east of Portland, Oregon, across from Hood River, Waechter Architecture has launched their first hospitality project, The Society Hotel Bingen, set within the Columbia River Gorge’s dramatic canyons and scenic vistas.

The hotel is made up of distinct units: a hotel, a cafe, a bar, a spa, and an event zone, sprawled across a 2.5 acre campus, the most impressive of which is an 80-year-old converted wooden schoolhouse. Constructed in 1908 and rebuilt in 1937, it was most recently transformed with interiors and landscape design by Portland-based firm BLOSSOM, headed by interior designer Megan Blossom.

The building houses 10 private rooms, two 24-bunk shared rooms, and a book-lined library, and it’s furnished with former items from the schoolhouse, as well as curated finds.

Bunks

The library

On the former school’s playing fields are 20 detached cabins arranged in the shape of a ring and united by a covered walkway and shared roof. An open courtyard in the middle has a spa and bathhouse with a shared saltwater soaking pool, sauna, hot tub, cold plunge, and cafe.

Inside a cabin

The courtyard and bathhouse

Spa and skylight

If you’re not into aquatic activities, you can always lie outside and watch the stars. The double perspective of seeing a framed sky within the courtyard, and the hills beyond, provides a sense of sanctuary.

What: The Society Hotel Bingen
Where: 210 N Cedar St, Bingen, Washington 98605
How much? Room prices start at USD $50
Highlights: Private cabins and communal bunks with a Scandinavian aesthetic make this a delightful, light-filled sanctuary within the Columbia River Gorge.
Book it: Visit The Society Hotel Bingen

Keshia grew up in Singapore and moved to the U.S. to attend Dartmouth College. When she was living abroad after graduation, a chance enrollment at the Architectural Association Visiting School led to her becoming enamored with door schedules and architectural écriture. She's particularly interested in design for aging, rural architecture, and Asian design heritage.