One on One ~ The Lyle Hotel Spring 2010
by Zoë Campbell and Bruce Bolme
On a recent rainy March afternoon, we drove east along Hwy. 14 on the Washington side of the Columbia River to the small town of Lyle. While we have been there many times before, we were especially eager on this trip because we were going to interview the new operators of the historic Lyle Hotel Restaurant and Bar.
A smiling Marianne Lewis opened the door as
we dashed through the rain, and ushered us into the dining room. The cheery sunshine-hued walls, white tablecloths and bright red napkins, ready for a large group coming in later, belied the gray day outside. We settled into a dining nook and conversed over chevre and crackers. Afterward we got a tour of the entire premises.
Marianne and her partner Steve Little took over the operation of the hotel in May 2009. After a career as a software engineer at Intel, she was laid off and was searching for an opportunity that allowed her and Steve to work for themselves and to get away from the urban Portland area.
A visit to craigslist
provided it. There was an ad for a chef couple, unusual
in itself, to take over a
small-town hotel in the
Columbia Gorge where the sun shines 300 days a year. Both she and Steve had
been chefs in Portland in
the 1980s. Marianne said
it was irresistible. It was meant to be.
The original hotel, built circa 1905, was a place for railroad workers to eat and sleep. In the terms of the day, it was a “beanery.” Much of the original architecture and floor plan remains. There are eleven lodging rooms, each furnished differently and in period style. The five bathrooms are across and down the hall, true to 1905 convention, although they have been updated to
modern standards, and
bathrobes are provided.
Today the hotel attracts several types of customers, and it is pet-friendly.
Hikers, cyclists, birders, steam train enthusiasts,
people visiting relatives in Lyle, Maryhill concert-
goers, and those doing a tour of local wineries have stayed or eaten there.
The Tour des Fleurs of Gorge wildflowers and many other outdoor activities also bring visitors. Marianne has discovered that the hotel and the restaurant and bar tend to serve different sets of customers, and they need to market to both. The hotel is listed on the website of
the Columbia Gorge
Winegrowers for their upcoming Passport to the Gorge event, April 9-11.
People who come for “A World of Wine in 40 Miles!” can present their passports for a 10% discount on lodging.
Learn more about
Passport on the web at
columbiagorgewine.com
Steve and Marianne have some “works in progress” projects. The wine bar, off the dining room, is one. It is fully operational now, though they plan to make some décor changes. One of the smallest woodstoves I’ve ever seen occupies one
corner, sporting a model vintage train engine on top of it and some authentic old railroad signs on the wall behind it.
The wine bar opens through the French door into another project
underway, a grassy enclosed space sheltered by an
enormous black locust tree, with a brick fireplace structure in the center and a good backdrop against the hotel wall for weddings and other occasions. One planting bed has a thick crop of violets and there are stands of miner’s lettuce that provide edible landscaping. Both
are lovely and yummy.
The restaurant and bar feature locally grown food and wines, and the spring menu began March 17. There is also a Sunday brunch. A previous owner had added on a space destined to become a bakery for the restaurant.
Soon after their arrival in Lyle, Marianne was looking for a bookkeeper to help with the hotel accounts.
She found GLCC
advertiser Callie Jordan from The Dalles. Ironically, at the time, Marianne was unaware of RiverHOURS in the Gorge. I say ironically because she is a native of Ithaca, NY. The concept of local currency is a familiar one to her, so it was natural that she and Steve became advertisers in the Trade Directory after finding our website online.
We asked Marianne about her personal philosophy. She said she and Steve were looking for a culture change. They have found the slower pace, the quaintness, and the “off-the-beaten-path” feel of their new home just right.
The many touches of Asian culture throughout the hotel, which somehow work well with the vintage look, reflect her own
appreciation of gracefulness and serenity. In fact one room upstairs is being used as a quiet spa room
for massages.
After their move last year, the newcomers soon began to get acquainted with
their community. They helped with the Old Lyle
Elementary School
Supporters. They get native plants for the grounds from Milestone Nursery just up the block.
They are familiar with both Horizons and the Gorge Grown Food
Network. Marianne
commented that while the various little towns of the Gorge are somewhat
geographically separate,
she feels that they have a sense of identity together distinct from the larger population centers. The “A World of Wine in 40 Miles!” is an example.
Her advice to people
making a similar lifestyle change is to GET INVOLVED. Get to know your neighbors. Discover the networking and interaction and
opportunities that a small
community provides. Come for a meal or an overnight stay and use your
RiverHOURS. Get involved in your Gorge community!
For more information and reservations, visit the hotel website at lylehotel.com or call 509-365-5953. The Lyle Hotel’s toll-free number is
1-800-447-6310.
by Zoë Campbell and Bruce Bolme
On a recent rainy March afternoon, we drove east along Hwy. 14 on the Washington side of the Columbia River to the small town of Lyle. While we have been there many times before, we were especially eager on this trip because we were going to interview the new operators of the historic Lyle Hotel Restaurant and Bar.
A smiling Marianne Lewis opened the door as
we dashed through the rain, and ushered us into the dining room. The cheery sunshine-hued walls, white tablecloths and bright red napkins, ready for a large group coming in later, belied the gray day outside. We settled into a dining nook and conversed over chevre and crackers. Afterward we got a tour of the entire premises.
Marianne and her partner Steve Little took over the operation of the hotel in May 2009. After a career as a software engineer at Intel, she was laid off and was searching for an opportunity that allowed her and Steve to work for themselves and to get away from the urban Portland area.
A visit to craigslist
provided it. There was an ad for a chef couple, unusual
in itself, to take over a
small-town hotel in the
Columbia Gorge where the sun shines 300 days a year. Both she and Steve had
been chefs in Portland in
the 1980s. Marianne said
it was irresistible. It was meant to be.
The original hotel, built circa 1905, was a place for railroad workers to eat and sleep. In the terms of the day, it was a “beanery.” Much of the original architecture and floor plan remains. There are eleven lodging rooms, each furnished differently and in period style. The five bathrooms are across and down the hall, true to 1905 convention, although they have been updated to
modern standards, and
bathrobes are provided.
Today the hotel attracts several types of customers, and it is pet-friendly.
Hikers, cyclists, birders, steam train enthusiasts,
people visiting relatives in Lyle, Maryhill concert-
goers, and those doing a tour of local wineries have stayed or eaten there.
The Tour des Fleurs of Gorge wildflowers and many other outdoor activities also bring visitors. Marianne has discovered that the hotel and the restaurant and bar tend to serve different sets of customers, and they need to market to both. The hotel is listed on the website of
the Columbia Gorge
Winegrowers for their upcoming Passport to the Gorge event, April 9-11.
People who come for “A World of Wine in 40 Miles!” can present their passports for a 10% discount on lodging.
Learn more about
Passport on the web at
columbiagorgewine.com
Steve and Marianne have some “works in progress” projects. The wine bar, off the dining room, is one. It is fully operational now, though they plan to make some décor changes. One of the smallest woodstoves I’ve ever seen occupies one
corner, sporting a model vintage train engine on top of it and some authentic old railroad signs on the wall behind it.
The wine bar opens through the French door into another project
underway, a grassy enclosed space sheltered by an
enormous black locust tree, with a brick fireplace structure in the center and a good backdrop against the hotel wall for weddings and other occasions. One planting bed has a thick crop of violets and there are stands of miner’s lettuce that provide edible landscaping. Both
are lovely and yummy.
The restaurant and bar feature locally grown food and wines, and the spring menu began March 17. There is also a Sunday brunch. A previous owner had added on a space destined to become a bakery for the restaurant.
Soon after their arrival in Lyle, Marianne was looking for a bookkeeper to help with the hotel accounts.
She found GLCC
advertiser Callie Jordan from The Dalles. Ironically, at the time, Marianne was unaware of RiverHOURS in the Gorge. I say ironically because she is a native of Ithaca, NY. The concept of local currency is a familiar one to her, so it was natural that she and Steve became advertisers in the Trade Directory after finding our website online.
We asked Marianne about her personal philosophy. She said she and Steve were looking for a culture change. They have found the slower pace, the quaintness, and the “off-the-beaten-path” feel of their new home just right.
The many touches of Asian culture throughout the hotel, which somehow work well with the vintage look, reflect her own
appreciation of gracefulness and serenity. In fact one room upstairs is being used as a quiet spa room
for massages.
After their move last year, the newcomers soon began to get acquainted with
their community. They helped with the Old Lyle
Elementary School
Supporters. They get native plants for the grounds from Milestone Nursery just up the block.
They are familiar with both Horizons and the Gorge Grown Food
Network. Marianne
commented that while the various little towns of the Gorge are somewhat
geographically separate,
she feels that they have a sense of identity together distinct from the larger population centers. The “A World of Wine in 40 Miles!” is an example.
Her advice to people
making a similar lifestyle change is to GET INVOLVED. Get to know your neighbors. Discover the networking and interaction and
opportunities that a small
community provides. Come for a meal or an overnight stay and use your
RiverHOURS. Get involved in your Gorge community!
For more information and reservations, visit the hotel website at lylehotel.com or call 509-365-5953. The Lyle Hotel’s toll-free number is
1-800-447-6310.