Fantastic!!! If I could drop a mic, I would!

Now that we are older, we no longer camp and have long-since sold our rooftop tent and RV. The kids now want to do their own thing or have other responsibilities which keep them from coming with us so, we’ve started travelling, whenever we can, on our own.

This trip we decided to stay at hotels and motels of our choosing. We’ve been saving up for this for a while. As members of the Marriott hotel chain, we had several night’s stay available to us. So, coming to Bend, we decided to put those points to good use.

Enter The Element in Bend. We’ve stayed at Element hotels before and they have all been near excellent! The Element in Bend is Excellent. Everything, from staff, to service, to cleanliness, to helpfulness, to amenities, this hotel ticked all my and especially my wife’s boxes.

Front desk staff (Sol, we are specifically talking about you) were very down-to earth, super nice and friendly and knowledgeable of their craft and city.

Kitchen staff, from those setting up to those cleaning up and in between; especially the short-order chef whose name escapes me - I’m so sorry - is an amazingly caring person who creates menus that match the activity levels of the area and customers and treats customers as if they were her own family. So caring of people’s well-being, nutritional needs and happiness. She knows customers by name!!!!You have to go and have her breakfasts every day. Chat with her and you’ll see I’m not making things up. Speaking of breakfast, this Element has limited short order options made freshly for you as you wait, as well as other popular options like hot and cold cereals, breads and bagels, fresh fruits and yoghurts, fresh juices and a variety of milks (cow,oat,soy). Lots of choices.

When we were there, she made seasoned egg-white puffs with turkey sausage links, or French toast with either fresh strawberries or blueberries and whipped cream. You could have more than one of each but it is so delicious and filling that you probably won’t need more than that.

The room was very clean a and well thought out. It boasted a full size fridge, small stove and oven and microwave. There were dishes, pots and utensils. The bed was king-size and very, very clean and comfortable, like lie and immediately melt comfortable. The blankets were heavy and warm. Two other blankets were available for use in the closet. The closet itself holds an iron and ironing board, hangers and two drawers as well as a programmable safe.

The shower was clean and modern with a rain-type shower head and a wand. Something that I’ve seen in other Elements (Edmonton/Calgary) is a bidet and wish they had this option here but not necessary. This is the first bathroom in ANY hotel I’ve been in where the water from the shower didn’t end up outside the shower.

It is a newer hotel and it is noticeable. Still, it is also a very busy hotel since they house tourists, firefighters helping out with the forest fires, as well as many construction workers in to capitalize on the booming construction industry that is Bend.

This hotel has a decent gymnasium and pool with hot tub. They also rent single-speed bikes which seem heavily used as their tires are a bit flat-topped but are belt driven to make them quiet, clean and trouble-free. Since the hotel is near the downtown area, they are a nice way to travel and look around on nice days.

Lastly, they offer outdoor and indoor sitting areas which are comfortable and relatively quiet. The outdoor seating offers the choice of comfortable outdoor mini sofas around a gas-lit hearth or tables and chairs under umbrellas and heaters.

I don’t have photos but will try to borrow my wife’s to add to this review. Do yourself a favour and stay here. You’ll enjoy the slower pace and clean amenities.