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Inn of the White Salmon
An eco-friendly boutique hotel
 As
we all look to stretch our travel dollars, it’s fun to search out places
closer to home, places you can drive to and places that offer a lot of
activity nearby, yet a quiet space to relax. Have we got a place for
you!
Inn of the White Salmon is located in, of all places, White Salmon,
Washington. Built in 1937, it was purchased in June of 2007 by David and
Dennice Dierck. They have set about remodeling all the private and
communal rooms and are a little over halfway through. "We wanted to
honor the style, but update everything as well," says Dennice. "We had
stars in our eyes when we took over. We’ve learned that things take a
lot longer, especially in an older building. Where we thought we might
be done in a year, it will be more like three. But the enjoyment we
expected is here. One of the best things is how the community has
supported us. We’re new here, but they’ve come alongside and affirmed
our vision. It’s been great."
 They’ve
simplified rooms and offered nice additions. "Along with big things like
retiling bathrooms and adding low-flow toilets, we’re putting clock
radios in all rooms with an iPod docking station along with flat screen
TVs," says David. "We offer free WiFi. As an older building, the rooms
were fairly dark. We’ve lightened them up and added more electrical
outlets."
Being eco-friendly is important to them "We don’t make a big deal of
it, we’re just bent that way," explains David. They found carpeting made
from recycled Pepsi bottles and have a recycling station in their
office. Guests can bring recyclables there or leave them in their rooms
to be picked up by staff.
 An
unusual touch is how they’ve chosen to decorate rooms. Instead of
hanging pictures, they’ve had local artist John Mayo paint quotes on the
walls. They’ve christened the main hallway the Hallway Gallery and hung
paintings and photographs by local artists.
Photo: Dennice and David next to a wall quote
"We decided early on that we’d run ideas through four business
filters," explains David. "We look at art, wine, landscape and
recreation. If an idea fits one category, it’s worth talking about. If
it hits 3-4 categories, it’s a home run. Displaying local artists’ work
is an example. We also hold gallery shows and artist receptions with
live music that are open to guests and the community. We offer wine
tastings and tours. In December, we offer a "Nights in White Salmon"
event, and an Art and Wine Fusion event in July." They help promote
other events like March’s "A World of Wine in 40 Miles" that celebrates
local wineries.
 The
co-ed Alpine Hostel portion of the hotel sets them apart from other
properties. It’s a large room separated into two sections. Both sections
hold bunk beds and each bed area has an outlet, a nightlight for
reading, privacy curtain and a shelf to store books, reading glasses and
other personal items (shown at left). There are lockers for each guest
and everyone shares one bathroom. "Probably 70% of the Alpine Hostel
guests have been from Europe, Australia and Asia. However, we also had a
group of U.S. 62+ year olds who stayed here. They had all traveled and
were familiar with the concept." One of their signature items is a queen
size bunk bed.
Their two business associates are Flo and Nicole Niemesch. Nicole
worked for them in a previous business and went to school with their
son. She had traveled to Cologne, Germany to be an au pair. While there,
she met Flo and they married. "We asked them to join us for a very
specific reason," says David. "We wanted to capture the late 20s/early
30s generation. They taught us the hostel concept. In Europe, travelers
want to save money on the hotel so they can spend it on food, drink and
adventure."
 White
Salmon is near Mt. Hood, Mt. Adams and plenty of water. They started a
BRT program—Bed/Ride/Ticket. A package included a place to sleep, a ride
to the mountain and a lift ticket. Over time, they’ve added other
adventures and the "T" started meaning "thrill." They partner with
Zoller’s Outdoor Odysseys for rafting on the Klickitat, White Salmon and
Snake rivers, and Wet Planet for a two-day kayaking class. Then it began
to mean "trek" when they got interested in snowshoeing (they may call it
"snowshoeing with Dangerous Dave," but they go over safety issues and
how to get in and out of snow shoes in the lobby before ever leaving on
a trek). Treks include a packed lunch from the Inn. "Afterward, we like
to hit the brew pub and then the hot tub!" Flo and Nicole are snow
boarders and share their knowledge and enthusiasm.
Photo: A wintery look across to Mt. Hood taken from the front of the Inn,
March 2009
Breakfast is provided each day in the dining room. "We offer healthy
food that will stick with you during the day. We make our own granola
that’s gluten-free and rye bread, and offer seasonal fruits that are
organic when we can get them. We follow the SNORe concept (sustainable,
natural, organic, regional). The buffet area holds meats and cheeses
with breads. And there are muffins and sweet bread. A different egg dish
is made each day plus we’ll do special requests like scrambles," says
David.
 In
the communal family room, people can watch TV, read, work on laptops,
hang out and talk with other guests. At the desk, they sell wine by the
glass or bottle at very reasonable prices that can be enjoyed in the family or guest rooms.
Photo: Communal family room
For a former firefighter (David) and Starbucks store manager (Dennice),
they seem to have a knack for innkeeping. They’re focused on finishing
the rest of the remodel, but are also planning on adding a deck off the
breakfast area to use for outdoor breakfasts and a beer garden. "The
Gorge is an undiscovered gem," says David. "We love being here for the
activities and the 300 days a year of sunshine!"
Connie Adams/April 2009 |
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Inn
of the White Salmon