A landmark former U.S. Post Office building in downtown Bend has been converted into an upscale boutique hotel known as The Westman. The adaptive reuse project repositions the historic property, originally constructed in the 1930s and listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1985, as a 23-room hospitality asset in the heart of the city.
The Westman is located at 777 Northwest Wall Street, placing it in a central downtown setting. The building retains its original role as a community touchpoint while now serving overnight guests instead of mail customers. The new hotel identity draws directly on the legacy of Minnie Westman, a pioneering mail carrier west of the Mississippi River, whose name the property now bears.
Oregon-based Embarcadero Hospitality Group collaborated with Emerick Architects, R&H Construction, LRS and a range of local artists and makers to execute the conversion. Their work focused on preserving significant architectural elements while updating the interior for modern hospitality use. The team leveraged the building’s existing fabric to maintain a strong sense of place and continuity with its historic post office past.
The repositioned property demonstrates a clear emphasis on material preservation. The redevelopment incorporates more than 175,000 bricks, 1,900 square feet of terrazzo flooring, 1,000 tons of concrete and 44 original windows, underscoring the project’s commitment to maintaining the building’s character. These elements help anchor the hotel experience in the structure’s 1930s-era design and construction.
Inside, the hotel offers 23 uniquely designed guest rooms, reflecting an effort to differentiate the product within Bend’s lodging market. While specific room layouts and amenities are not detailed, the project is described as combining historic preservation with contemporary comforts, aligning the guest experience with the building’s heritage story.
Sondra Storm of Embarcadero Hospitality Group highlighted that The Westman aims to reflect the bold spirit associated with its namesake, with the team positioning the hotel as willing to approach the asset differently while committing to a high standard of execution. The result is a hospitality use that keeps the former post office in active service to the community, albeit with a new function and guest base.
The transformation of the former federal facility into The Westman underscores the role adaptive reuse can play in maintaining historic structures while aligning them with current market demand. The project preserves a recognized historic asset, retains key architectural materials and features, and introduces a boutique lodging option into downtown Bend without the need for ground-up construction.
