Over the river and through the woods to the City of Sisters we go! And when we arrive, nestled in the pines on the east side of town, we’re greeted with one of Oregon’s most romantic and coziest getaways – the incredible Five Pine Lodge. With its resort amenities and bed and breakfast feel, Five Pine Lodge is a destination that everyone should experience at least once.
This year, the partners of Five Pine were very excited to announce an expansion of their existing properties that have been a part of the Sisters landscape for many years.
The expansion is an extension of a passion project started by owners, Bill and Zoe (O’Rourke) Willits, in 2005. Hailing from Marin County, California, the Willits have been part of the Sisters community for over twenty years. With backgrounds in business, development, Ayurvedic health and massage, creating the Five Pine Lodge, Spa and Conference Center was truly a dream come true.
Kelly Newcombe, director of sales and marketing, says that, “Infrastructure is already in process. The [actual]build will begin on October 15 or sooner based on permitting.”
Currently, there are five types of accommodations. The cabins include the classic, romance and caboose styles, perfect for couples and families. Accommodations in the main lodge include the upper town house and patio suite, great for larger families and
corporate travelers.
Five Pine Lodge will be adding twelve new cabins, with a new style called the Serenity that will include amenities such as a waterfall shower, a tub and a three sided fireplace, just to name a few.
Booking the Serenity Cabin will include complimentary breakfast service — a romantic bonus.
The expansion has plans to enhance the work environment for the staff at the Lodge. It will include a new housekeeping area with state-of-the-art machinery and an ergonomic work area. Honoring and taking care of the staff is just as important as taking care of their guests and a very important aspect to this expansion.
The property on which the expansion is being built on was previously owned and “…the extension was planned since the Five Pine Master Plan was conceived,” says Newcombe. “Five [cabins]will be similar to the existing Classic [size], seven will be the new Serenity
Cabin [size].
Newcombe says, “Weather permitting, we hope to have people enjoy the new cabins on Memorial Day Weekend [2017].”
While the busiest times for Five Pine and the City of Sisters in general begins the first weekend in June through the second weekend in September, the lodge has seen increased occupancy through the off season with the direct marketing efforts of Travel Oregon, the Sisters Country Chamber and the Central Oregon Visitors Center.
Whether it’s a summer business trip in Central Oregon or winter skiing at Hoodoo, Five Pine Lodge has guests from all over the world, all year round. “Travel Oregon’s exceptional Seven Wonders [of Oregon]campaign promoted wonderful itineraries along Highway 97 and 126, directly impacting the number of visitors to [Sisters] and the lodge,” Newcombe reports.
The city of Sisters is expected to increase the number of visitors every year by twenty five percent and the expansion of this beautiful place will certainly be a large part of this number.
ww.fivepinelodge.com
(Photo | Courtesy of Five Pine Lodge)
