Bend hotel gets upgrade

Published 4:00 am Friday, March 6, 2020

They’re calling it The Roost, a low-cost motel on Division Street that blends the community-building features of a hostel with the efficiency and cleanliness of a motel.

It’s the brainchild of William and Brynn Noel, owners and developers of the Elkhorn Group, who have experience creating small communal living arrangements in Portland. The investment group has taken two homes in Portland and turned them into dorms for young adults, Noel said.

“It has an upscale hostel feel,” said Kelly Newcombe, Meredith Lodging Central Oregon general manager. “Each room has its own bed and bath and it has a communal kitchen. That’s how the owners designed it.”

Formerly called Mt. Bachelor motel, the 19-room property is the latest Bend hospitality property to undergo a remodel and a rebrand.

First there was the former Red Lion Inn and Suites on Third Street that rebranded and remodeled under the Signature brand, and recently, the new owners of the Three Sisters Inn & Suites announced they’d remodel the Third Street property.

“It’s great to see reinvestment and upgrades happening to some of the original hotel lodging properties in our community,” said Kevney Dugan, Visit Bend CEO. “Typically, these renovations are in line with the culture and experience that Bend offers to today’s traveler, and from what we have seen, The Roost is a great example of those renovations matching today’s Bend experience.”

Renovation included updating rooms, creating a full kitchen for guests to use and a outdoor patio area that guests can use, Noel said. He declined to say how much money was spent on the remodel.

“We went through quite a few names,” Noel said. “We wanted it to be a humble name to identify it as a gathering place for people.”

This is the couple’s first hotel acquisition, he said. The property is managed by Meredith Lodging, which also operates vacation rentals around Bend and the Mt. Bachelor Village Resort. The Roost will appeal to guests who want to socialize with other hotel guests and yet, have the privacy of their own sleeping quarters with a private room, Newcombe said. There is an operating hostel in Bend, the Bunk + Brew at the Lucas House on NW Hawthorne Avenue in downtown Bend.

“We’re targeting someone who likes the vibe of a hostel and want a private room, nice bed, clean sheets and towels,” Noel said. “We’re trying to take a few elements from the hostels and a few from motels.”

Renovation work was completed in January. Room rates range from $90 a night to $150.