As I checked into the SCP Redmond Hotel, in central Oregon, a person at reception gave me a voucher for a complimentary drink. These tickets are often wasted on me as a nondrinker. SCP makes the non-alcoholic drink as creative as the sangria. The winter SCP soda I ordered was a combination of soda water and an apple shrub. The bartender described how they made the apple syrup using demerara Sugar. It was a world apart from my usual welcome sparkling water. SCP got even better.
Welcome drinks that are non-alcoholic. Photo by Teresa Bergen
Redmond is located about 17 miles away from the larger and more famous town of Bend. Redmond has been able to maintain its small-town feel as Bend’s popularity and population have grown in the past ten years. We were excited to experience Redmond for the first time instead of Bend.
SCP Redmond is dog friendly!
Rudy, my dog, was also with me on the trip and he got more than just a welcome beverage. Rudy received a bag full of goodies at check-in. This included treats, waste bags and a rope chew toy. The SCP Redmond Hotel is so dog-friendly that they have dog beds available in the lobby for your dog to enjoy. The staff was very kind and friendly to him. Locals and guests also petted him. In most areas of the hotel dogs are welcome, with the exception of restaurants and gyms. Most likely because of those pesky health codes.
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Rudy says, “All of this is mine!” Photo by Teresa Bergen
A Wellness Focus
The SCP Redmond Hotel is based on a theme of wellness and outdoor activities. The Himalayan Salt Lamp in our spacious room purportedly cleans the air, boosts mood and improves sleep. On a tray, a large mason-jar was placed with glasses and a sign inviting guests to fill the jar up at the purified water stations on the first floor. A fun metal sculpture of two climbers was on the wall, as a reference to Smith Rock, which is a popular climbing and hiking spot in the area. You’ll enjoy the sound machine we kept on our nightstand if you prefer to sleep to relaxing sounds. It has more than 12 options, including ocean, rain, chimes and calm.
The Himalayan Salt lamp and our sofa Photo by Teresa Bergen
Even the stairwells are filled with indoor plants. On the lower level, canoe paddles painted in different colors are hung as artwork on a wall. The library has a lot of books about nature and adventure. In the meditation room, a stump is used as a desk. The outdoor decor I liked best was the large photo of a rock climber in the early 1900s, who is pictured on the underside of the rocky precipice. She’s also wearing a skirt. These are not the climbing shoes of today.
The meditation room. Photo by Teresa Bergen
The gym has a much better selection than the typical hotel gym. It includes a wide range of equipment, such as medicine ball, TRX straps (in various sizes), dumbbells of different sizes, kettlebells of all sizes, and a variety of yoga props like bolsters and blankets. Two Peloton bicycles are available for cardio.
The gym is well-equipped and tidy. Photo by Teresa Bergen
Wayfarer Bar
Before our visit, I was thrilled that SCP offers a menu with a focus on plants. The property was all vegetarian, but I did not know that. This was a real surprise for someone who has been a vegetarian since childhood, and mainly vegan in the last two decades. This was especially true in a smaller Oregon town.
Photo by Teresa Bergen. Photo by Teresa Bergen
The first night, we ordered dinner from the Wayfarer Bar. The menu is small, but it’s promising. My mushroom-quinoa burger was excellent, but I was disappointed they didn’t have jackfruit. The zero alcohol drinks were also very well-made. The best places are those that make their ginger beer themselves. At the Wayfarer, they create a ginger-lime cordial. The bar also had a rotating selection kombucha and housemade soda. The bar had a cozy atmosphere with an exposed brick and comfy sofas. My husband went up to the second floor to watch a World Cup match, but I stayed at the bar. I ordered an avocado-based vegan mousse with berries. It was delicious and I felt comfortable as a nondrinker in the Wayfarer. There are no creepy vibes.
Provisions Market
The provisions market offers a friendly, bright breakfast and lunch place that opens directly onto the street. In the mornings, it’s packed with locals and guests of the hotel drinking smoothies and espressos. You can get a latte with almond, coconut or hemp milk. Both days we ate there for breakfast. The avocado toast was served with a spinach salad that I found to be delicious. I had a delicious vegan breakfast burrito the next morning, with a beautifully grilled tortilla. The smoothies, in particular the one with coffee and peanut butter, were delicious.
People lingering in the Provisions Market. Note the old photograph of a climber in the fireplace. Photo by Teresa Bergen
There are many local souvenirs and food products, including lotions, lipbalms, and foods. Bring some Back Porch Coffee, or Metolius Tea to your catsitter. Smith Rock Nut Roasters is a side business of a local teacher. They sell coffee coconut pecans. Provisions Market is a great source of information: it provides hotel guests with free coffee every day from a self-serve carafe.
Terra Kitchen
Terra Kitchen is the place to go for the best food at SCP Redmond. The all-veg small plates, such as the kale hazelnut tartine and the best beet salad I’ve ever tasted, were a delight. SCP’s executive chef Erin Behzadian told us that SCP was not anti-meat, but had a difficult time ethically sourcing meat from local sources. They decided to switch to a purely vegetarian menu for the time being. Redmond residents may find the veg options more difficult to accept. Pizza is now available as an approachable vegetarian option.
Beet salad. The garnish is a replica of the SCP logo. Photo by Teresa Bergen
We ordered Persian stew as a main dish. Behzadian’s grandmother created the saffron-flavored recipe. Behzadian visited her grandmother’s home in Iran as a young girl and was amazed at how much effort people put into their cooking.
Behzadian said that SCP is committed to serving food that has a low carbon foot print. On the menu you won’t see tofu or heavily processed alternative meats, as she believes they are bad for the planet. Behzadian instead elevates the humble chikpea. She is considering adding chickpea based tempeh in some dishes. A lentil dish will also be added soon.
Terra has a small selection of non-alcoholic drinks, but they are delicious. We ordered a ginger ale and a lavender-honey shrub. The vegan creme-brulee cheesecake, which was tiny and delicious, made me want to order more. But how piggish would that look? Behzadian let us try her new vegan caramel sauce made with coconut, which will be served this winter along with a new dessert.
Vegan creme brûlée cheesecake Photo by Teresa Bergen
The SCP Redmond hotel connects with the community
I was surprised to find that the hotel seemed to be occupied by more locals at any given time than guests. At the Provisions Market, a group of artsy kids from an adjacent school chatted animatedly while enjoying coffee. As I peered into the coworking area, I saw an entrepreneur on a Zoom conference call. Provisions is home to a local knitting group that meets there once a week. On my first night in the SCP Redmond Hotel I believe I was the sole guest to participate in a Readers’ Theater-style production of The Christmas Carol. (My star turn as The Ghost of Christmas Past).
Photo by Teresa Bergen. Photo by Teresa Bergen
Tobias Colvin, general manager of SCP, told me: “We call community our middle name.” The “C” of SCP stands, in fact, for community. The Redmond Hotel lives up to its promise. The hotel, in addition to hosting social events for the locals has also worked with Diversability to help find jobs for people who are hard to employ. The job coaches help the workers to become independent. Some of the current success stories are cleaners who have difficulty communicating verbally and a dish washer. Colvin said that the program gives people confidence in their abilities. The goal is to become self-sufficient.
Redmond Things to Do
Redmond has a lot to offer outdoor enthusiasts. We braved snow and ice in order to explore part of the Dry Canyon Trail. The trail features a dog-friendly park at its beginning.
Redmond is a great place to go snow hiking. Photo by Teresa Bergen
The Cline Falls Day-Use Area is located at the head of the Metolius River. We watched hundreds of ducks there.
I wanted to bring this friendly Muscovy home. Teresa Bergen
Smith Rock is the crown jewel of hiking and climbing in the area. Love Bird Yoga, located less than a mile from SCP Redmond, offers everything from vinyasa classes to relaxing yin.