Hotel Prinville and Ochoco Inn
The Grand Hotel That Rose From the Ashes
Few buildings captured Prineville’s spirit quite like the Hotel Prineville and its successor, the Ochoco Inn.
After the original Hotel Prineville was destroyed during the devastating downtown fire of 1922, community leaders set out to build something even greater. Opening in 1923, the Spanish-style Ochoco Inn quickly became one of Central Oregon’s premier hotels, featuring sixty-four guest rooms, elegant dining, indoor plumbing in every room, steam heat, beautiful courtyards, and banquet facilities that welcomed visitors from throughout the region.
For more than forty years, the Ochoco Inn stood as a symbol of hospitality and optimism until another tragic fire destroyed the landmark in 1966. Although the hotel no longer stands, its story continues to remind us that Prineville has always been a community willing to rebuild, dream bigger, and welcome those passing through. The original carved Hotel Prineville stone, recovered after the fire, remains a lasting connection to that remarkable history.
Images generously provided courtesy of the A.R. Bowman Museum
Historical content provided courtesy of Steve Lent and the A.R. Bowman Museum
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Hotel Prineville and Ochoco Inn Extended Audio
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Hotel Prineville and Ochoco Inn Extended Written Transcript
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Welcome to the site of the historic Hotel Prineville and the legendary Ochoco Inn.
The original Hotel Prineville served travelers in downtown Prineville until the devastating fire of 1922 destroyed much of the business district. Rather than simply replacing what had been lost, local business leaders envisioned something extraordinary. In 1923 they built the Ochoco Inn, believing that every growing community deserved a first-class hotel.
Designed in a beautiful Spanish architectural style, the Ochoco Inn quickly became one of Central Oregon’s finest hotels. With sixty-four guest rooms, elegant public spaces, modern amenities, and banquet facilities, it welcomed travelers, business leaders, and community gatherings for more than four decades.
Then, in 1966, tragedy struck once again when a fire consumed the grand hotel.
Although the building is gone, its legacy remains. Today, the original carved “Hotel Prineville” stone still serves as a reminder of the generations who believed Prineville deserved something exceptional.
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The Extended Heritage Story
The Hotel That Reflected a Community’s Confidence
By the early 1920s, the original Hotel Prineville had already become an important part of downtown life. When the devastating fire of 1922 swept through downtown Prineville, the hotel was among the buildings lost. Many communities would have simply rebuilt what had been there before.
Prineville chose a different path.
Local businessmen believed the community’s future depended on having a first-class hotel worthy of a growing Central Oregon. They organized support, raised funding, and commissioned architect John Bennes to design an elegant new hotel unlike anything the region had seen. When the Ochoco Inn opened in 1923, it was celebrated as one of Oregon’s finest hotels.
Guests were welcomed through a beautifully landscaped courtyard featuring a fountain before entering an elegant lobby inspired by Portland’s Imperial Hotel. Every one of the sixty-four guest rooms included indoor plumbing, steam heat, and an outside window—luxuries that were considered exceptional for the time. The hotel also featured a ladies’ parlor, men’s writing room, restaurant, and banquet hall capable of hosting 200 guests, making it the social center of Prineville for decades.
Ironically, the building promoted as nearly “fireproof” met the same fate as its predecessor. In August 1966, a kitchen fire spread through the structure, destroying one of Central Oregon’s most recognizable landmarks. Yet one piece survived—the carved “Hotel Prineville” stone, which was recovered from the rubble and preserved as a tangible reminder of the generations who believed in building something extraordinary.
Today, while the grand hotel has passed into history, its legacy lives on. The story of the Hotel Prineville and the Ochoco Inn is ultimately the story of a community that refused to let tragedy define its future. Every time Prineville faced adversity, it answered with determination, vision, and the courage to build again.