(Photo above: My Place Hotel | by CBN)
As Bend’s lodging market continues to heat up with guest numbers exceeding pre-recession levels and more operators planning projects, the latest entrant into the market is set to occupy a unique affordable accommodation niche in the City’s vibrant Old Mill District.
Construction is now complete on the four-story, 63-unit My Place economy hotel at 550 SW Bond Street, which also offers the option of extended stays with nightly, weekly and monthly rates.
The facility is the first of the fledgling franchise in Oregon and has been developed by Pacific North West My Place Hotels, LLC, which will be responsible for operations. The official opening is slated for December 4.
VP of Development Joe Dinger said the spacious, well-designed hotel featuring Cascade mountain views fits the company’s model of offering clean, modern rooms – including kitchen facilities – at a reasonable price to meet the demands of the economy traveler looking for short or long term stays.
Guests will have internet access and on-site laundry and storage options as well as pet-friendly accommodations and a 24-hour store located in the lobby, and company leaders believe the efficient concept which dispenses with extras like swimming pools and conference centers means value can be maximized and savings passed on to the traveler.
The recently launched My Place franchise system based out of Aberdeen, South Dakota is the brainchild of the original Super 8 Motel pioneers and currently has some 20 hotels open. The chain is operating with a near-term pipeline of over 18 additional hotels and mid-term commitments for upwards of 40 more hotels to follow, planned in more than a dozen states.
Dinger said: “We are acting as a pass-through development company initially responsible for growth in Washington, Oregon, British Columbia and Alaska. We are building and operating some hotels ourselves but also expanding franchisee opportunities.
“When we looked at Washington and Oregon as a whole, Bend was pretty much top of the list and market analysis pointed to the Old Mill District as the prime site within the city, with that area and downtown leading the charge.
“Part of our template is to find the right site for our niche product and we felt there wasn’t an option to be anywhere else but here.”
Dinger observed that in relation to the life cycle of hotels, it appeared most markets were converging and many of the newer entrants had been at the upper end or mid-scale level.
At the other end of the range, a lot of the economy hotels were aging and he said it often does not make financial sense to attempt a conversion to get those facilities back up to speed in the modern era.
He added: “The My Place focus has been to come up with an efficient construction and design model that offers similar amenities to higher end/higher priced product.
“The rooms are often just as attractive and there is a large contingent of leisure and business travelers that simply want a very affordable, very comfortable, very clean room. The extended stay component also allows us run efficiently in a wider context.
“We are also in a position to help other businesses in town as guests will be looking for other dining options, and enjoying local attractions.
“Bend made sense from many perspectives, including having a regional pull and great healthcare facilities adding to visitor numbers from outlying communities.
“We are in a strong position here with great aesthetics blending in to the Old Mill style and fantastic views from upper floors. We have assembled a great management team as part of our friendly, hassle-free philosophy and we are excited to get going here and start being part of the community.”
The Bend construction project was managed by My Place affiliate Legacy Builders LLC and featured a number of local subcontractors working on a swift six-month building timeframe.
The team behind My Place Hotels of America has a solid basis in economy lodging and has been involved in nearly every aspect of the hotel business for almost 40 years.
Co-Founder, Chair and CEO Ron Rivett co-founded Super 8 Motels Inc. in South Dakota in 1974, along with long-time friend Dennis Brown. The philosophy behind the concept in the early 1970s was simple – they offered a clean and comfortable room at a fair price with the significance of the “8” being their introductory rate of $8.88 for a single room!
After selling the hugely successful Super 8 Motel System in 1993, Rivett remained in the hotel business, developing, building and operating Super 8 motels and other branded properties as a franchisee until 2011.
On the heels of the last major economic recession Rivett said it became apparent that the original Super 8 philosophy of “a clean comfortable room for a few bucks less than the guy next door” was more relevant than ever, but this time, in order to meet the needs of today’s individuals, families, workers, and business travelers, the new hotel would need to be well-suited to both short and long-term stays.
He recalled: “It would need to be clean and comfortable with modern amenities, and all at an affordable price. And so the My Place Hotels of America concept was born.
“While we like to think that we’re not recreating the wheel with this product (and we truly are not) the task of bringing about a concept and platform that is both well designed for the present and sustainable for the long term has been one of great challenge and excitement.
“We have had great fortune thus far in finding the right people to join us in further developing My Place into a simple format that can be conveyed to our franchisees and their guests practically.”
Rivett’s grandson and My Place Co-Founder, President & COO Ryan Rivett has also grown up in the hotel business, learning it from every angle and having been extensively involved in all facets of both the hotel and multifamily apartment industry, from design and development to financing, construction, and management.
Bend My Place Hotel
550 SW Bond Street, Bend
541-213-2108
855-200-5685
www. myplacehotels.com
Property Owner/Developer: Pacific Northwest My Place Hotels, LLC
Contractor: Legacy Builders
Square Footage: 63 Units
Project Manager: Joe Dinger. VP of Development, Pacific Northwest My Place Hotels, LLC
Architect: Richardson Design Group, Salt Lake City
Subcontractors and Suppliers
Alex Hodge Construction, Ogden Construction, Inc., Siding Unlimited Northern Div., Cascade Heating & Specialties, Inc., Severson Fire Protection, Baxter Builders, Becon LLC, AM-1 Roofing Inc., ThyssenKrupp Elevator, DakComm Solutions, Inc., High Desert Aggregate & Paving, Wolf Steel Inc., Elevate Flooring, Pine Mountain Acoustical, Millsite Landscape Services, Russell and Sons Plumbing, Country Construction/Masonry, Ultra Quiet Floors, FEI Testing & Inspection, Reynolds Electric, Tim Dally Drywall, Inc., Energy Conservation Insul., Bend Commercial Glass
