One of the first commercial buildings in the world to use geothermal energy as its main heat source.
It is considered one of the most sought-after properties for paranormal enthusiasts.
Full of history
Access to the Hot Lakes Hotel is not difficult.
On I-84, a four-hour drive from Portland, Oregon, and two and a half hours from Boise, Idaho.
The hotel was located in a rural area 8.5 miles southwest of downtown La Grande.
The surface of Hot Lake was quiet and the atmosphere was extraordinary.
This building collapsed as if time and space had been distorted.
The main brick building, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979, was dilapidated but showed signs of restoration.
The history of the hot springs is very old, documented by the Astor Expedition that cut the Oregon Trail in 1812.
At that time, boiling water was already spewing itself into the lake at the foot of the hill, which the Native Americans considered sacred.
In 1864, a shopping mall, as we know it today, was built, consisting of a post office, blacksmith shop, dance hall, and bathhouse.
The wooden buildings from the time of its founding was demolished in 1903, and the current main building was completed in 1908.
Billed as the world's first commercial facility with a geothermal heating system, the hotel had 105 guest rooms and a 60-bed surgical ward.
In 1917, the hotel was taken over by Dr. Phy, a follower of Jung and Freud, and more experimental and occult medical practices began to take place.
A fire in 1934 destroyed most of the buildings.
During World War II, it began to be used as a flight school and nurse's training center in 1939.
In 1951, it was converted to a nursing home and then to a mental hospital.
It seems like an exemplary history of haunted places.
While abandoned in 1991 and destroyed until 2002, various paranormal phenomena were reported.
Steady restoration began in 2003, and today you can book accommodations through Airbnb.
As for me, I succeeded in spending a lonely night with the help of alcohol.
Violent sulfur smell from time to time
The soaking area was outdoors, jutting out into the Hot Lake.
The atmosphere was open and stylish.
There was one pool adjacent to the lake as soon as you entered.
Three circular pools in the center.
Inside was a wooden bench in the shape of a regular heptagon.
Romantic location with a direct view of the sunset in the evening.
At the far end was a covered pool, enclosed by a brick wall.
All of the water was adjusted to 106 degrees F and did not have much character.
The water temp at the source is 199 degrees F, so it was inferred that it was considerably watered.
I noticed a wild sulfur smell wafting through the air on the occasional breeze.
It appeared to be from an off-limits area further back than the covered pool.
A stream that felt the heat was pouring into the lake and I could imagine that the sources existed upstream of it.
Across the stream, a mysteriously shaped building that looked like a former bathhouse remained.
Hopefully, I would have enjoyed the water in its original state, but that may be too much to hope for.
I was already full of that history alone.
Summary
The Lodge at Hot Lake Springs, La Grande, Oregon, U.S.
My rating
Type: Lodging, Walk-in
Rule: Clothing required
Chemical use: Not detected
Water temp: Up to 199 degrees F
