5 Best Hotels in Mt. Hood, Oregon

This contemporary 28-acre compound of poshly furnished chalets and "Grand Lodge" town homes with fireplaces and dozens of other amenities is scattered around an alpine lake and offers the cushiest accommodations in the Mt. Hood area. Each unit has two or three bedrooms and can sleep 4 to 10 guests—they all have fully equipped kitchens, 2½ bathrooms, outdoor decks with gas barbecues, two-car garages, and laundry facilities, and the Grand Lodge units have plenty of extras, from Cascadian stone and Brazilian cherrywood materials to luxurious master suites with enormous bathrooms. Free shuttles whisk guests to the slopes, and the property is laced with trails for snowshoeing and hiking. On-site recreation centers have year-round heated pools and hot tubs.

Guest rooms are simple, rustic, and charming (a handful of them lack private baths), but don't expect a cushy experience—the reason for staying here is the location and setting. The approach builds excitement: an unforgettable 6-mile ascent that curves its way up to an elevation of about 6,000 feet on Mt. Hood. Then the Lodge materializes out of the mist, and you momentarily forget about the snowcapped peak high above. No wonder Stanley Kubrick used shots of the exterior for The Shining. Complementing the size and majesty of Mt. Hood, the massive structure was erected using timber and rock from the forest and mountain: in 1936–37 more than 500 people toiled, forging metal for furniture and fixtures, sculpting old telephone poles into beams and banisters, weaving, and sawing. A 22-minute film, shown on the lower level, tells the story. You don't need to be a guest to appreciate Timberline—there are daily tours in summer, and day visitors can wander around on their own. Enjoy the restaurants, snow sports, and hiking paths, or relax by the massive fireplace in the "headhouse."

Clean, well maintained, and inexpensive, all rooms have microwaves and refrigerators, and some have kitchenettes and whirlpool tubs. Best of all, especially for winter sports enthusiasts, it's conveniently located within walking distance of Government Camp dining, sports shops, and ski shuttles. Free breakfast is included, and there's an indoor hot tub and exercise room.

Affordability, accessibility to recreational activities, and wonderful hosts make these cabins with knotty-pine vaulted ceilings, log furnishings, and full-size kitchens a great lodging choice in the Mt. Hood area. Comfortable, large studio units accommodate from one to four people; a single studio cabin is for those who need only a microwave and mini-refrigerator. The surrounding woods offer privacy, and the owners have amassed an impressive collection of midcentury and pioneer-era bric-a-brac that they display throughout the property. Patios on each unit face the seasonal creek, and the cabins have lock-storage units large enough to hold bikes, skis, or snowboards.

In the evergreen-forest foothills of Mt. Hood, this expansive golf and spa resort is popular year-round both with outdoorsy sorts and couples seeking romantic alpine hideaways. Accommodations run from doubles to two-bedroom condos, and each of the sharp, contemporary rooms has a deck or patio overlooking the forest, courtyard, or fairway. Despite the resort's size, its wooded setting feels relaxing and secluded. You can play croquet on the only regulation court and lawn-bowling green in the Northwest; or choose from plenty of nearby outdoor activities such as fly-fishing on the Salmon River, horseback riding, white-water rafting, and all snow-related sports. Treatments at the serene spa include specialty massages for golfers and skiers.