Thursday 11th of July 2013 12:52:16 PM

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For those who have never stayed in a McMenamins before, I'll give a quick primer. These guys buy old historic properties (many due to be demolished,) and turn them into hotels, pubs and theaters, trying to keep as much of the old character as possible, while adding strange trippy art and decorations. Small creepy faces look at you from bends in pipes. Odd cheshire cats peek from unexpected areas. Each room in the hotels are named something unique. The Kennedy School was an elementary school from the 1930's and keeps much of its charm. There are multiple bars and pubs within each hotel, each with a different theme and different drinks, including house made beers. Half the fun of staying at one of these places is exploring the nooks and crannies; finding the cool artwork; seeing live music or second run movies; discovering a soaking pool hidden on the grounds; wandering the forested grounds and making your way through a trail to find another hidden and isolated area to relax; and more. These places are also notorious for having grumpy staff and mediocre beers, but we had great service while on this stay.

At one point in our stay, some friends joined us in the Boiler Room bar (located in the basement and incorporating parts of the old boiler and radiators into the design.) We had a couple of those mediocre beers, and then I tried the McMenamins whisky sampler that tasted of rockets in flight. I appreciate them trying their hand at distilling their own spirits, but they could use a bit more refinement. From here we were able to head down the old wood-floored school halls to our room and crash for the night.

On our next night back from exploring we peeked into the Detention bar, where they have a lot of bourbons and Scotches, but also too much cigar smoke. Heading down the hall we settled on the Honors Bar, just big enough for about 6 people. My wife had some sort of cocktail and I had a pint of Ruby (their trusty raspberry ale.) When the bar closed down at 10PM we moved on to the Cyprus Room, a bar specializing in quiet Caribbean tunes and rum drinks. The next morning we had breakfast in the school cafeteria and it was decent but not thrilling.

Overall a great place to stay. The beers were OK, but not great. The Ruby is always worth a try.

Thursday 8th of October 2009 11:06:19 AM

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Going to Kennedy School is like an adventure. Walking in feels like walking into your old elementary school (because it is), except that there is beer and food. The place is large - very large - with several distinct areas. There are many bars, each with a different theme (cigar bar, whiskey bar, some quiet, some not) along with a movie theater, restaurant (in the old courtyard), soaking pool, and guest rooms. First time - stop by 'the office' by the entrance for a map! We spent most of our time in the 'boiler room bar' playing pool and shuffleboard. Besides good beer, they also have liquor and wine made by McMenamins distillery and winery (not located here).

Tuesday 16th of September 2008 02:07:31 PM

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This is one of the best McMenamins to visit. If you ever are going to visit Portland and only can see one McMenamins this has to be the one. Check it all out this place sums all the rest up. An old elementary school made in to a Brewery - Bed and Breakfast. What a great idea. Little bars for “good kids” (No Smoking) and “bad kids” (Smoking) filled with cigars, scotch and great beers. Go see a movie take a dip in the pool. Have a great time eat in the lunch room with some great pub food. Filled with great art, fun and great beers. I will admit the place rocks but the service once again still the same old lame ducks who just are clueless.