Just read about a new luxury inn opening in Newberg, Or, called The Allison Inn and Spa- opening Set 24- the pics look great - rates high $295-1100/nt. - beyond what I will pay for lodging but I am sure will appeal to some.

It will be nice asset to wine country

Sunbum--It is only a few minutes from my house. I agree, rates are high, way too high for Newberg, IMO, but it will be interesting to see if they adjust that. It will be nice to have another place to recommend here, but it will be interesting to watch this for a bit first.

I heard about a restaurant connected to this hotel, as well. Anyone heard about it yet?

I sat next to the Director of Marketing for the Allison Inn at a luncheon a few months ago. She practically admitted that it might be too far ahead of the curve for Oregon wine country, especially since the economy tanked. So, it'll be interesting to see how they do.

The restaurant looks like it might be worth trying - http://www.theallison.com/restaurant.php - but for my money, I think I'd rather stay at the Black Walnut or Youngberg Hill. Just something about Newberg.... what's the saying; you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear (or something like that).

I realize it is not in the area of Newberg, but reading these postings reminded me about the hotel and restaurant at the Oregon Gardens in Silverton http://www.moonstonehotels.com/Oregon-Garden-Resort.htm They have some great specials that include room, dinner, bottle of wine and entry to the gardens. The rooms are beautiful and the dinner was excellent!

I had the same thought, roguemck. The photos of the Allison show a style similar to the Oregon Garden Resort, though maybe the level of luxe is a bit more elevated. I will never be at the Allison to make an actual comparison unless I win a lottery.

You're right about the "level of luxe", pdx. We spent Saturday afternoon in wine country, and stopped at the Allison on our way back into town. Asked about dinner, and were told it was by reservation only (or, maybe they just didn't like the way we were dressed?), but suggested we could have a bite in the lounge/bar. Nice architecture, design... attractively furnished. But I wonder if it's not way ahead of its time for its Oregon wine country location, and won't end up going the way of Lucier in Portland.

Saying hello isn't bad form but advertising is.

Nice to see a perspective here from your side of the table, Michael. To clarify my comments, we showed up at The Allison dressed casually, but no more casually than when we'd gone tasting in Napa Valley a few weeks prior. There must have been a wedding or some other event going on, because compared to everyone else, we were quite underdressed. I didn't mean to imply anything inappropriate about the response to my query, but I did think it rather odd that dinner was "by reservation only", which I understood to mean not just that night. But, maybe I misunderstood. We did have drinks and food from the bar menu served at a table on the patio outside the lounge; nice. As for my silk purse comment... that was pointed at Newberg, which I think you'd have to admit is the least attractive town in the area.

I'm curious as to why you think the Willamette Valley "needs" a place like The Allison, especially given your comment about not wanting to shake the "down home farm feel". The Allison feels much more Yountville-ish to me. Not that that's necessarily bad, but I'd think that if the Willamette Valley is to compete for wine country tourism, it would be better to differentiate itself from the Napa Valleys rather than become more like them.

Beachbum said what I was thinking about what we "need" here, and in comparison to Napa. I have to agree as well that Newberg is not the most desireable place. Now I do grocery shop there, so I am not knocking it entirely, but I sure as heck would not pay anywhere near $300 a night in that town.

As for the Austins giving back, well, let's just say that I am close friends with a former employee of theirs that left because of how employees were treated. Not saying that is the case at The Allison, but just throwing that out there for consideration.

I do not want any business to fail, but given our economy here, I just don't see why they didn't adjust to the market. I live 5-10 minutes from the inn and the only buzz I have heard about it is from the media, not other locals. I do wish you well though, and look forward to checking it out myself.