There’s an article here that details plans for the new Oxford Hotel that’s going to be built downtown, next to the parking garage and across the street from the Fire Hall. There’s also a Bulletin blurb here that I missed last week. Long story short, the hotel will have 56 rooms, be seven stories high and will open in fall 2008.

The longer article is a bit of a puff piece, highlighting how The Oxford will be set apart from current Bend hotels:

"The Oxford Hotel will reflect, and we think enhance, the existing downtown environment." Designed by Bend’s GGL Architecture, The Oxford Hotel will distinguish itself from existing Central Oregon lodging properties with larger than average rooms, luxurious finishes reflecting the region, and personal services including a complimentary full breakfast service. And then there’s the location. "The Oxford Hotel will be in the middle of everything," Baney said. "Restaurants, live music, the Tower Theater – you name it, you can walk to it."

"From the minute a guest steps out of their car, they’ll know that they’re going to have a different kind of experience at The Oxford."

The unique experience continues inside the hotel with full bell service, another Bend hotel first. And when guests enter their rooms, they’ll notice a luxurious feeling of space. The Oxford Hotel’s guest rooms average about 500 square feet, more than a third larger than standard hotel rooms, and rooms on the upper floors will also have private decks. Guest rooms are not only larger, they are also more richly appointed than those in most of the region’s other hotels.

Plus, there will be two 2000 square foot lease spaces that they plan to fill "with restaurant and retail operations that compliment the aesthetic of the hotel."

What I find most interesting, however, is that there’s absolutely no mention of the parking garage that the hotel will be sharing a wall with. What this means is that there won’t be any rooms with views—every room will have to face Minnesota street and the Fire Hall. I mean, have you seen how narrow that lot is? Reality check!

By and large, I think this will be a good thing for downtown; the only other large-scale options are the Phoenix Inn (right across the street, ironically) and McMenamins. It’ll be interesting to watch how this develops.