Turn of the century charm

While at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, we enjoyed the central location and turn of the century charm of the Columbia Hotel. This quaint hotel on Ashland's Main Street is easy to miss, with a simple single, recessed door with the words Columbia Hotel etched into the glass. A grand staircase leads you up into this 1910 building, and once you arrive in the lobby you feel swept into a slower, gentler era. Period furnishings and old radiators abound. The staff is very friendly and warm, and the plush couches in the lounge area invite you to sit and relax or select a book from the shelf.

The Shakespeare Festival campus was only 2 blocks away. Restaurants, bookstores, and interesting gift shops were everywhere, the sun was out and the temps were high, all of which made this weekend everything I had hoped it would be.