In keeping with Moonstone's focus on garden-themed inns on the West Coast, the resort will offer visitors sweeping views of the Willamette Valley and an intimate interaction with the Oregon Gardens.

According to officials at Moonstone, the resort is the only property in the Pacific Northwest located at a botanical garden.

Linda Gill, director of operations with Moonstone, said that it was the garden itself that sets the resort apart from many other vacation destinations.

"We have 80 acres of spectacular garden here," she said. "It is amazing. Even though it is a relatively young garden, it has grown in quite a bit and has a great deal to offer. Every month if you come back you see something new."

She also said there was a symbiosis between the resort and the garden that has created an interesting dynamic.

"The Oregon Garden is still nonprofit. The board has hired Moonstone to manage the garden on their behalf. Moonstone is subsidizing operations at the garden by about $200,000 a year at this time. The reason that we do that is because for the resort to be successful, the garden has to be successful and vice versa."

The garden offers over twenty specialty gardens, the educational Rediscovery Forest, a 25-acre native oak grove that includes the 100-foot high 400-year-old signature oak, the Gordon House, which was designed by legendary American architect Frank Lloyd Wright, and many other attractions.

Guests of the resort will receive complimentary access to the 80 acres of the Oregon Garden. There will be a tram to take visitors back and forth between the two at regular intervals.
Located at 895 W. Main Street in Silverton, the 11-acre resort includes a 22,000-square-foot lodge that has three onsite meeting rooms designed to offer ample space for corporate meetings, family reunions, weddings and receptions, conferences and other gatherings. The largest of these will offer over 3,000 square feet of space.

The main lodge also contains a restaurant that is open to the public with a multi-tiered seating capacity of 160 seats, designed for diners to have a view of the gardens and valley below. The resort has named Jeff Nizlek as the executive chef. Nizlek is the former chef and owner of the Silver Grille in Silverton and plans to offer a menu highlighting fresh and seasonal ingredients that will reflect Oregon flavors.

The lodge features a central fireplace and a lounge that will offer nightly entertainment and local wines. There also will be a day spa with five service rooms and a fitness center, among other amenities.

Guest accommodations are separated into 17 cottages with six rooms apiece. Each room has a patio or deck as well as a fireplace. Each cottage has its own theme and the rooms are decorated accordingly. The resort also offers handicapped accessible rooms as well as pet-friendly arrangements to its guests.

The resort plans to offer multiple getaway pages, as well as workshops and classes. Already plans are in the works for a sculpting workshop in October and a yearly Thanksgiving dinner.
According to Gill, the resort has a lot to offer, but at its heart it is designed to simply be a casual getaway in a beautiful setting.

"I think that in their own backyard local residents have one of Oregon's most spectacular tourist attractions. They are now lucky enough that there will be a resort there where they can come and spend some quality time with their families. We are looking forward to making this the jewel of Oregon."

For reservations or questions, you can contact Moonstone at 1-800-966-6490, or at www.moonstonehotels.com.