Pronghorn Resort

Such a distinctive, peaceful place outside Bend, surrounded by the beautiful Eastern Oregon high desert in the world’s second largest juniper forest. There’s golf, spa services, and great food and drinks, all with attentive staff. A lovely place to unwind and unplug.

The property and room are clean and beautiful, and the staff were friendly, but that’s where the good parts ended for me. The resort has lovely mountain scenery, gated grounds, fireplaces, artwork, and several bars and restaurants. My fiancé and I got engaged just hours before check-in, and he’d mentioned the proposal when making the reservation. We hoped the stay would feel special, but nobody at check-in congratulated us or asked about it. When I told the bellhop, he said, “oh wow, congrats” in an exasperated way and went back to work. Brad at the Trailhead Grill was the first person who made us feel welcome. He was a lovely bartender and chatted with us. We’d tried two other bars for a glass of champagne, but they redirected us, so third time was the charm. After dinner, we saw the fire pit was still on and sat by it. Less than five minutes later, the night staff member came out and said it only runs from 10-10 and she had to turn it off. I understand the hours, but she could have said it normally shuts off at 10 and given us a little time. Instead, she switched it off and left while we were still there, which felt rude, like we were being shooed away. We weren’t expecting a parade or roses, just a little enthusiasm. I work in customer service, sometimes with wedding and engagement customers, and think the resort could make those moments memorable. Juniper Reserve does weddings, and might have made our list of possible destinations, but I don’t feel like returning.

My sweet wife and I gave Juniper preserve a chance for a little pre-Valentine’s Day getaway, and I’m so glad we did. The customer service was beyond exceptional. Everyone was kind and courteous, and they even brought plates up to our room so we could eat some food we’d brought. The room felt like staying in a house. The bathroom was huge, with a walk-in shower, and the view was beautiful. The king-size bed was phenomenal. They also let us check in a little early, sometime in the 3 o’clock hour, which was a nice extra. We got a great deal for one night, about $97 before tax and $119 after. You really can’t beat that for what you get. I highly recommend staying here, and we’ll definitely be back next year around Valentine’s Day.

The resort itself was stunning, but the front desk experience left us feeling like no one wanted to help beyond the bare minimum. After our four-hour drive to Bend, we arrived around the time I’d communicated through Expedia. The person at the desk didn’t seem very eager to assist. I had to ask about my Gold Rewards status and whether an upgrade might be available. They said there were no Deluxe rooms, though later we found several available for the same dates on the resort’s own website. They did offer us a later checkout, which was kind of them. I’d booked a standard mountain-view room, but we were put on the ground floor right across from the pool and hot tub, with no mountain view. The agent said there was no option to change rooms at check-in. Also, there are no vending machines, and the store closes in the early afternoon, so bring snacks and drinks or drive 10-15 minutes into town for groceries.