I spent three nights in Joseph, primarily because I wanted to day hike in the Wallowa mountains. But I also wanted to be able to clean up at the end of the day and walk to nice restaurants to start and end my day. So I chose to stay at The Jennings. I thought it would also be fun to stay in an historic building. And it is perfectly located at the center of town. I would definitely recommend folks stay here, as long as they understand that this hotel is different (it is not your typical hotel) and they're ok with that and want what this place does have to offer. They have a Minimalist vibe going on here. Both in terms of the room decorations and furnishings. As well as with the staff. There is no staff on site! So don't expect to be pampered like a traditional hotel. Communication is by email and they send you the code for the door and you simply let yourself in after check in time. So that is definitely different. I'm not sure of that approach is a thing in the hotel business these days but I've certainly never seen it before. It worked out ok in my case. Fortunately, I never needed anything. I'm not sure what it would be like if I did. The other thing to note about The Jennings is that most of the rooms do NOT have their own private bathroom. They share a common bathroom. There is one shared water closet and another shared water closet with a shower. This is not unusual for hotels in historic buildings. However, a few rooms DO provide a private bathroom so read those room descriptions carefully so you know what you're getting! There's also a shared sauna with a cold plunge shower. The other big thing to note about The Jennings is that it is NOT a place for kids. Their policy asks to avoid bringing kids under 12 years of age. Best to respect that. They'd be bored here. They do provide WiFi but there are no TVs in the rooms. I think that is a plus! I stayed in Room 5 1/2. It's a great room for one or two people and it does provide a private bathroom. The bathroom is a bit small but well furnished. It also has a shower which I greatly appreciated after a long day hiking. Some early reviews complained about lack of air conditioning. They fixed that! My room contained units for both A/C and heat. It also had a ceiling fan and a small fan on the table. The bed was top notch and very comfy. I did not hear any street noise. Most of the rooms overlook the side streets, not main street. So that helps avoid the noise. I also had no problem with noise from any of the adjacent rooms. There is also a shared kitchen that provides a refridgerator, oven, sink, dishwasher, plates, utensils, and coffee maker. There is no microwave. There's also a large table to eat at. And there's a small couch to sit in front of a (gas?) fireplace Oh and don't forget the balcony! The hotel is on the second floor of this building. And there's a large balcony that looks over Main street and provides an awesome view of the mountains. Overall, the space and furnishings are elegant, nothing cheap about anything. It's just Minimalistic. And historic. And there's no staff on site. I wish them well! read more

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the heat was not working, due to a wiring issues. the breaker needed flipped which is never a good sign, as in, if you need to switch the breaker to turn on the heater you're overloading your system. but the heat never came on. i asked two direct questions "how will i know when it's working" and "how long will it take to turn on" and while it is NOT on the owner looks me in the face and says, "it's on it's just really quiet". i was given a space heater and the heat never worked. i was offered another room, i didn't take it because it seemed like the issue was with the internal wiring and not the heater itself. i was like, uhh so do i want to burn or freeze to death tonight? was told upon asking for mediation that "it sounds like we may not be the right fit for you" and yes, they aren't, because i had the audacity to expect a room to be properly heated in february lol. but it seems like the building has been up for sale for years now, i hope he isn't letting it fall in to disrepair in retaliation for making a bad investment. if that's the case, please don't treat your customers like they're the enemy because they're all you got from going under, buddy! edit: i left the part out where before reaching out to me about the heater the owner watched my insta stories (so creepy) and deleted my comment about the heater. i've since been blocked on their account for pointing out the heater :/ read more

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Very cool spot to stay. Located in the cute little western quaint town of Joseph. The views here are amazing I would totally recommend staying here. Fits at least 3 people. One twin bed downstairs and a queen upstairs. Plenty of storage space. The ladders are a bit narrow to get to the upstairs but there are handrails to help. The bathtub is super cool but for me, I prefer a standup shower especially when I need to wash my hair. Other than that, this place was well stocked and clean for us upon arrival. read more

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Pretentiously minimalist. I'm a fan of boutique hotels and love that people are rebuilding gems in our rural Western towns. I have been waiting for an excuse to go to the Jennings, just living on the other side of the Wallowas. But rebuilding/restoring is a far stretch for the Jennings Hotel. We stayed in room #11, and it felt like a bunker. There is plenty of room for more than a sofa on the main floor. How about a coffee table, maybe a desk? At the exorbitant price, you get a hard sofa where you can stare at a plywood wall. If you stare out the window instead, you see parked cars through a broken, taped window. The stairs to the loft were ridiculous. A ladder would have been safer, and there was plenty of room to create comfortable transport to what was a comfy bed. When you lay in bed, the street lights shined in with no way to shade. Thankfully there were earplugs because I could literally hear people snoring and getting it on upstairs and next door. Maybe that is why they don't allow children under 12. I was so looking forward to the communal, clothing-optional sauna, but it wasn't clean, and providing robes should be a given. The only good thing about this example of neo-colonialism in "The County" was the tub in room #11. Given the state of the sauna, I can't imagine the expensive rooms that have to share a bathroom. The last disappointment was how unaccommodating this accommodation was. I requested an hour extra check out and was willing to pay an extra $50. My request was not accepted because it was their busy time. Interesting, since #11 wasn't booked the next day. read more

Stayed in Room #9. Place is exactly as advertised and is delightful. Not sure what all the whiny reviews are about. No, there isn't a/c. It's a historic building. But this part of Oregon always cools off nicely at night. It was 85 today and is now 8:30pm and the room is perfectly comfortable with an open window & the fan. I cannot see daylight anywhere, the room is perfectly secure. Everything is very clean, including the shared kitchen area. The building is 100 years old. If you want the best western, go stay there. If you read the website and look at the pictures you'll be fine, it is exactly as described on the website. Some rooms have shared bath, some have private. This isn't hidden, it's right in the room info. Location is fab. read more

This is a gem of a hotel. My daughter and I stayed for one night on our way/detour to Walla Walla, WA. This is a unique, well thought out place with high quality bedding, a cozy feel, awesome shared kitchen with all amenities, great books and a plethora of records to enjoy. This is a remarkable place, don't miss the opportunity to stay here! Would definitely come back! read more

This is a great old hotel that has been stylishly remodeled. I really liked the layout of our room as well as the common areas (kitchen and library). In terms of layout and style I don't think I would change a thing. Doesn't sound like the intro to a two star review does it? Well, there was one significant problem that made our stay almost unbearable. This is an old brick building with thick brick walls. The hotel itself is on the second floor. The walls have no insulation other than the bricks themselves (as you stand in room #7 you can actually see sunlight through gaps in some of the bricks along the wall). We stayed there during the heat wave that hit Oregon however the temperature in Joseph was 88 the first day and 92 the next (not significantly high temperatures for the area). The inside of the hotel (our room as well as the hallways and the common area) was sweltering. It was impossible to get to sleep. Making things worse, room #7 has a loft in a very tight space with no window to open. To be clear, there were two windows in the room which we opened as soon as the temperature outside dropped below the interior temperature. The room also had one large and one small fan. The only thing these accomplish is to circulate warm air and make so much noise that you can't hear anything other than fans. Adding to the hellish ambiance; the walls of our room have windows that have been filled in with brick-the arches above these windows, combined with the sweltering heat, gives the distinct feeling of being inside a wood fired oven. It was unpleasant and nearly unbearable. My bill for a two day stay was $757. For that price I expect some form of climate control. It's beyond cheap not to put a small wall unit above one of the windows. The decision not to do so is made more perplexing by the fact that all of the other businesses in town (including both businesses on the first floor of the hotel) have some form of air conditioning. Again, great place but I would do my best to avoid it at all costs during the summer. At nearly $400 a night I expect air. Cool air. read more

We loved this hotel, even extended our stay an extra night. Room #6 was spacious, beautifully decorated and the view of the Wallowas was amazing! Enjoyed the books in commons area, we sat next to the fireplace & put some Johnny Cash on the turntable. Located in the heart of the charming little town of Joseph. We will definitely be back! read more

I had a negative experience with this business. I booked them through AirBnB in February for several days in July, and they made me pay a huge deposit. A few days later I found out my friends couldn't make that date and I had to cancel. But this business kept my deposit of $700. It turned out I only had 48 hours to change my mind, even though it was more than four months out. They didn't even respond to my request to refund my deposit. I asked Air BnB to help, but they refused to respond to them either. The reservation was for the busiest week of the tear in Joseph, Oregon- Chief Joseph Days- so there was no chance they wouldn't get a booking to replace mine. Technically they got to keep my deposit, but I found this to be a sleazy money grab- keeping $700 without providing a single service. I have all my emails and receipts to support my story, so they can't claim they don't have my money. read more

Spent the weekend here with my wife for our 10 year anniversary. The atmosphere and company were excellent, and Joseph was charming as always. We will definitely be back! read more

We are beyond disappointed with this place. While it is very centric and charming, the rooms are small, there is no insulation and on a hot day your only recourse is a fan which is loud and does not do much. The shared bathroom is also unhygienic and not something I will ever do again. This is like staying at a youth hostel with a bit more charm. If that is you cup of tea, go for it; else stay away. read more

Here is the honest low down on this place. The idea is nice, but it is overly expense for the price. Liked the kitchen and porch: the kitchen was clean but the fridge is a bit grimy. We were looking forward to unwinding and were impressed by the reviews. We didn't mind the no TV setting but lack of access to the internet and no clock in the room was disappointing. There is no customer service help for any issues or loud noises. Even worse was the bathroom...dirty. They have only the Turkish bath towels and no wash cloth for the liquid soaps in shower. No soap for the sink or place to set anything. One towel was dirty (hair) and no extra towels supplied. I ended up using the dirty towel to soak up the leaking water from the shower that seeps out into the bathroom. There are other options at this price point to find. Be aware, one price advertised and the fees add up. read more