Rising gas prices seem to have added to an already volatile summer workforce along the Southern Oregon Coast.

At least for one hotel, Best Western Inn at Face Rock in Bandon, that went outside the country — to Russia — for some of its summer help.

Bandon, with a population of about 3,100, typically draws its workers from Coos Bay, North Bend, Port Orford and Myrtle Point, at distances of about 25 miles or more away. Some of Best Western’s employees come from as far away as 45 miles. That changed this summer.

The last of about a dozen Russian nationals arrived at the South Coast hotel last week. The 19- to 21-year-olds have been performing tasks at the 74-room hotel, from housekeeping to manning the front desk to working in the restaurant, Bandon Bill’s Grill. Best Western Inn partnered with the International Exchange Center in Russia, a cooperative education exchange student work program, to bring over the young adults. Travel, documentation and visas are all arranged through the program, which is designed to allow students to experience other countries while they work.

Front Desk Manager Suzie Ash said so far she has received only positive feedback from both employees and guests.

“We’re having a great time with our students,” Ash said. “They are some really wonderful people — young adults, great personalities. It’s all been positive.”

Three of the students are English majors.

The inn also is employing local workers for the summer, she said. Staff varies during the busy season when Best Western normally hires up to 30 or 40 seasonal employees. The Russian nationals are receiving the same standard wages that all the other workers are paid at the hotel, according to Ash.

Before embarking on the work program, Ash checked with other hotels that have brought workers in from other countries. All of them were out of the area, and Ash hasn’t heard of any local hotels that have participated in a program like this.

She said she hasn’t heard any negative comments from the community about the hires, but thinks finding workers is a problem experienced all over the area.

“In the summertime, we do have a problem getting enough workers,” Ash said. “I think that’s pretty typical with all hotels.”

Bandon Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Julie Miller agrees there is a shortage of workers in the community. She also had not heard of any other hotels in the area that have hired employees through an exchange program.

“It’s difficult to sometimes secure workers in the summer,” she said. “Especially with the gas prices, workers coming from North Bend and Coos Bay are not as prolific as they’ve been in the past.”