The Vintages is a trailer resort located in Dayton, among the rolling hills of Oregon’s wine country. Opened this July, the "hotel" is a collection of 8 retro trailers grouped into a compact neighborhood on the 14-acre Willamette Wine Country RV Park.  

“We tried to bring in some aspects of a hotel: top quality amenities such as robes, nice beds, and sheets," says park manager James Piper. "You get an idea of what it would have been like to stay in a trailer of the 1950s and 1960s—with the comfort and coziness of a hotel."

How did the idea come about?

“We love Oregon. But lodging was always hard to find,” says Piper, a California-native who manages another property in Newport with his long-time associate, Janice Lesin. During one of their visits, Piper recalled a hotel-style trailer park in his hometown of Santa Barbara, a memory sparked the outlines of the idea in their minds. 

"We started brainstorming on how we could offer alternative lodging that would appeal to the Portland crowd," Piper explained in a later email. "It morphed from several ideas for cabins, to only Airstreams, and then after partnering with FlyteCamp in Bend, to a variety of trailers from the 50s and 60s."

Curious, I booked a night's stay at the Vintages this fall. 

It was evening as I approached, but the character and quaint personality of the resort were still apparant in the gathering darkness. Each space had its own little driveway, lawn chairs, and BBQ, giving the trailers a homier, more welcoming aspect than a standard RV park. 

I quickly found my room—The Oasis. Inside, I found a writer’s paradise. A small lamp hung from the ceiling over a rustic table with a bench on either side. It was easy to imagine a family sitting down to dinner there in the 1950s. I looked around to find coffee, a full bathroom, and kitchen, too. Resting on top of counter, near the sink, there was a glass tray with a hot pot, two red Vintages coffee mugs, and a white teapot (with a strainer built in as the lid). Rain began pattering down outside as my fingers glided effortlessly atop the smooth black keys of my MacBook. The Oasis's space heater proved more than effective in defending the trailer from the subtly stinging cold of fall.

The Vintages is a can’t miss—the perfect getaway—that all writers, Oregonians, and couples should enjoy. As Piper had told me days before, “The Vintages is a really fun and different kind of experience all together. It’s an experience—one you’ll always remember.”

Room rates range from $95 to $135. For more information, visit the-vintages.com.

To find more cozy stays for oenophiles, check out Portland Monthly's guide to the Northwest's best Wine Country Weekends.