DESIGN |
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Guestroom bathrooms at The Westman include soaking tubs. Photo credit: Chris Murray |
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grays reflect native trees, mountains and volcanic rock. Postcards became a recurring theme throughout the hotel, connecting travel, personal stories and the building’ s postal history.
Historic preservation was equally important. Working alongside industry and community partners, the design team preserved original
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terrazzo floors, stone staircases, lobby paneling, Art Deco trim and light fixtures. The original vault door remains in the room where it once served its purpose, becoming another reminder of the building’ s history.
Beyond architecture, local artists and artisans were integrated. A custom wallpaper designed by a young Bend artist illustrates scenes
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inspired by Minnie Westman’ s life, while a local furniture maker built postmaster-style desks. Salvaged wood flooring from the original building was repurposed into pencil boxes for guestrooms, creating another connection to the building’ s past.
TEAM EFFORT The process relied on
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collaboration and a lot of editing. Throughout the project, the owner, architects and designers continually discussed whether ideas felt genuine or too nostalgic. Local artists and craftspeople helped tie the hotel to the community without creating something that felt overly themed.
That approach offers a lesson for hospitality designers. Creating a sense of place doesn’ t require recreating history; often, it’ s the smaller details and local connections that leave the biggest impression. The strongest storytelling helps guests understand and experience the place they are visiting.
That connection extends
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48 hotelsmag. com September 2026 |