The Entrada Lodge, an aging motel on the road to Mount Bachelor, is undergoing a reboot that could reposition the property as an accommodation for outdoor enthusiasts operated by the Loge Co.

The Loge Entrada, as it will be called, will soon offer hostel and hotel accommodations in the 79 rooms, outdoor play fields, easy access to mountain bike trails, outdoor cooking stations, fire pits and rentals of high-end ski and sporting-goods equipment. The concept is one that the Loge (pronounced lodge) Co. has used in Washington state in Westport, Leavenworth and Snoqualmie Pass.

The 1-year-old company builds on partnerships with corporations and nonprofits that bring the outdoor experience to the lodging industry, said Johannes Ariens, Loge Co. CEO.

In Bend, mountain bike enthusiasts and skiers will be able to come gearless and rent or try out premium equipment through corporate partnerships that Loge Co. has forged with Evo, an outdoor-equipment company.

“We’re doing a significant update and making changes,” Ariens said as he walked around the pods of motel rooms. “We’re geared toward the outdoor enthusiasts and young families. We’re creating a place where parents can hang out around a fire pit with their baby monitors.”

The Loge Co., which has a lease with the Evert family — who ran the hotel before — is investing about $1 million in the property, Ariens said. Driving by, visitors will see painting crews, landscapers and earth-mover equipment to create a lawn and stage area. Eventually there will be a bar and coffee shop, but those improvements are awaiting permits, Ariens said.

“It’s always exciting to see reinvestment in time-honored Bend hotels,” said Kevney Dugan, Visit Bend CEO. “With the Entrada Lodge, it’s especially fantastic to see the redevelopment happening in a way that pays tribute to the outdoor recreation culture that has become the backbone of the industry.”

Brett Evert said the property, along with about 44 acres, has been in his family since 1972, when his father built the hotel. When he heard about the plans by the Loge Co., he thought it was just what the family would want.

“We’ve always been straight hotel, low-key, family-oriented,” Evert said. “They came in with a fresh idea.”

Ariens, who said he spent time in Bend as a child, was driving past the hotel property on Century Drive after mountain biking Phil’s Trail, when he made an abrupt U-turn and saw his future. The Loge Co. hopes to have the bulk of the renovations done by Fourth of July.

“The vibe is to create a community for outdoor lovers,” said Gavin Burns, director of development for the Loge Co. “We’re creating the outside spaces first and then moving inside.”

At the rear of the office there will be an outdoor bike-tuning station that guests and even local residents can use. One of the primary retail partners working with Loge Co., Evo will provide the bicycles for demonstration or rental use, Ariens said. Rooms will be equipped with coolers in the summer and ski-boot dryers in the winter. With the bike trails all around the property, encouraging mountain biking is a key component to the concept, Ariens said. One of the nonprofits that Loge Co. supports, Central Oregon Trail Alliance, will receive donations of 1 percent of the top-line revenue earned at the hotel.

Loge, which stands for live outside go explore, also the company’s hashtag, wants to carve out outdoor gathering spaces on the property.

“We want people to come here to use our parking lot and use the trails. We want locals to use our place too and come for a beer, share their knowledge with our guests,” Ariens said. “Our guests will be exposed to a higher crowd-sourced degree of knowledge that’s way better than a brochure.”

— Reporter: 541-633-2117, sroig@bendbulletin.com