McMenamins Kennedy School

A very interesting and welcoming hotel!

This was a random find coming to stay with friends and it met all of our expectations and exceeded them! Such a cool experience and wished we had more time to explore the property and all it has to offer! Definitely staying here next time!

Exceptional

good time

This is a beautiful hotel. The restaurant and the pubs were great. I wish we had more time to enjoy a movie in their theater. As a retired teacher, I also wish we had upgraded to spend the night in an original classroom.

Amazing facility! Theater,Restaurant and soaking pool! Soft comforting jazz playing at breakfast- school hallways with wonderful vintage photos plus a blackboard in the room- this is my favorite place anywhere to stay! My wife is a former elementary teacher and loved everything about the property! NA

Amazing facility! Theater,Restaurant and soaking pool! Soft comforting jazz playing at breakfast- school hallways with wonderful vintage photos plus a blackboard in the room- this is my favorite place anywhere to stay! My wife is a former elementary teacher and loved everything about the property! NA

This place is as dark as a cave so if you stay here bring a headlamp. If you like 'quaint' places, this is for you. If you like well lit places, where you don't have to guess what they may be hiding with dark carpet and holiday bulb lighting, stay somewhere else. Sure the bar and onsite restaurant are convenient but no coffee maker in room and room the size of a broom closet don't make up for that. I applaud repurposing old buildings but please make them a bit more up to date.

The staff was wonderful and hot coffee just down the hall was thoughtful. I don’t know if there are tubs in any of the rooms although I did enjoy the soaking tub. Highly recommend this quirky hotel and restaurants and bars. Don’t miss the activities in the theater.

All the fun places to visit Not very tidy Restaurant was understaffed Tables were not clean Carpets not vacuumed

Not very tidy Restaurant was understaffed Tables were not clean Carpets not vacuumed

This property was so unique. We had a lovely dinner with friends, then enjoyed our lovely themed room. The coffee in the morning was fantastic! The check in and check out was easy and the staff were great.

Very good

Exceptional

Exceptional

Soaking pool was dirty. Bandsids in pool.

Superb

Cool and interesting decor!

the charm, the decor the cleanliness of the pool

the charm, the decor the cleanliness of the pool

I stay at that location because my daughter lives close by. You have a great staff in your bars. I always feel it could be slightly cleaner

I stay at that location because my daughter lives close by. You have a great staff in your bars. I always feel it could be slightly cleaner

The Restaurant and bars were wonderful.

Superb

Fun atmosphere, good food, comfortable and quiet room.

Staff,service, ambiance all were top notch.

Superb

Excellent breakfast! I had never tried butter on a scone before and it was so delicious that way! Staff was attentive as soon as I walked in from soaking pool with low blood sugar. I was drinking down an emergency glass of orange juice within 60 seconds of reporting I needed one. It was followed by the best breakfast I've ever enjoyed ever. That is saying something because I'm 70 years old. It could not have been better. Nothing I didn't enjoy.

So much to do here, always entertaining!

So much to do here, always entertaining!

Restaurant. Good food kids No TV in the room. No amenities in room. No Kleenex no in room coffee. Out dated

Restaurant. Good food kids No TV in the room. No amenities in room. No Kleenex no in room coffee. Out dated

Yes - room lighting was great!

The eclectic style of the hotel, the food and the great bars

We have stayed often and we love this property.

Every single staff member was amazing. My room was both adorable and comfortable. I thought I would be sacrificing a bit of comfort for how cool it looked - and I'm okay with that. But it had it all. The bars were fun and every bartender was lovely. The milkshake I got delivered to my room at 9:30pm with a smile after an amazing pool soak really was the cherry on top. It was a perfect stay. Can't wait to come back with a friend.

I’ve stayed at this location many times with no issues. Actually, it is one of my preferred locations to stay in Portland. McMenamins always has the most unique places to stay. During the stay the boiler was broken, which closed the soaking pool. We were not notified ahead of time and that was the primary reason to stay at this location. They did not offer any compensation. The staff at this location are always amazing. The fan pushes the heat down in the room, so it needs to run the entire time, but this one was loose and knocked the entire night and the rollaway made noise every time we moved shifted positions. I will be coming back to this location, as I am a diehard McMenamins customer, but I am very disappointed that they did not notify us ahead of time, as this is not a cheap place to stay.

everyone is nice and organized, but there is a significant mustiness of the rugs and hallways. My allergies might mean that is our last stay there.

Clean but small King room.

fantastic place!

Such a unique and fun experience. Everything needed is on site. We enjoyed a delicious lunch in the courtyard and a long soak in the soaking pool that evening. There are several bars on site as well as a movie theater.

I really enjoyed my stay at the Kennedy School. It was fun learning the history of the school and walking around enjoying the artwork and unique design. They had a very friendly culture and I especially enjoyed the soaking pool. It is an old building, so does not feature more modern amenities like a mini fridge, tv in rooms, or super updated bathrooms, but the culture and variety of other options like the bars and restaurants more than make up for it. I was also able to check my luggage early before check in, as well as after check out. Would definitely stay there again.

The Kennedy School is a fun environment, and my family and I enjoyed our room very much. It was fun to go to a movie just down the hall! The grounds and community garden behind the parking lot are beautiful.

Also,,, nice that you can roam around and eat and drink right on property.

This is the first time I've stayed, but I have visited the Kennedy School several times before. I love how much there is to do just on the campus. The food is tasty, the room was comfortable, and I loved the soak pool. I also appreciate that the property is in a neighborhood of Portland that I love. Overall, I had a lovely stay!

Great atmosphere and stuff to do. The soak pool is great

Our first experience at a McMenamins hotel. What a special property! All the different bars/restaurants are so adorable. The soaking pool was delightful. Will look for others in the future.

Good location for my family needs. Next time I'll look for something more upscale

Real gem

This is truly a destination hotel. Loved it!

Our second stay in a very different, newer room that was tiny. Wouldn’t go back. This was a huge contrast to our last “schoolroom” room.

We really enjoyed how they remolded the old school and kept it charm.

Cool hotel, very unique. The bars were great and the rooms were comfortable.

Except for when we first checked in, it seemed like all of the other employees were grumpy. The coffee in the hallway was empty and eh tea water was cold. Another guest was helpful and said I could get some ice and coffee at the restaurant. The guy at the bar seemed bothered by my asking for ice and handed me a cup of coffee that was already poured. It too was cold. The mattress had old blood stains on it. The "king" sized bed was two twins pushed together with some kind of padding in the middle making the middle of the mattress. The rug was old and dirty and had a weird smell. There was a soaking pool, not a hot tub as advertised. As advertised they did not have TV in the rooms but they advertise they had WiFi so we could stream our show. The WiFi was very weak and was not always available and our ATT cell phones only had one bar.The doors were very heavy and one shut on me so hard it left a bruise. The bar looked very nice and I'm sorry we did not have time to enjoy it. I like funky, interesting places to stay, but this was too funky for us.

We had a great stay! Charming place.

Great place ... interesting and novel

Fun little place with a lot to do

What a lovely, funky little hotel. We only stayed for one night and I plan to return in the future.

Staff go above and beyond here. This is my favorite hotel in Portland without a doubt.

Beautiful reused building in true McMinamins style. Multiple bars. Restaurant and outdoor seating for pet owners when warmer. I would have given a full 5 stars except the pet friendly room fronted the noisy street. And room service was fast but the hamburger and fries were luke warm.

Great place, food and drinks. A lot of history with building

Great unique place! No TVs so you can unplug and enjoy what they have to offer on-site. Id definitely stay again

It’s a fun spot for dinner and a soak but the hotel is over priced

Just charming and lots to do

Great hotel with great restaurant inside as well as soaking pool

Hard to describe, but it's artwork itself.

Very quirky and unique place. Loved it.

I enjoy having options for restaurants that are open later, as well as easy and safe well lit parking that is close to drive to just about everything I need. Nice to have the extra amenities like the soaking pool. Cool place with lots of personality and history. Always friendly staff! Amazing art everywhere!

We’ve been here many times but this was our first time staying here and we loved it.

It was fantastic

Beautiful salt pool and gardens. Boiler room bar. Close to Alberta rose theater. :) Lyle Hehn artwork! Stage coach and tavern days.

It’s a real destination. And the staff are fantastic. Front desk to gift shop, and in each of the five bars on site!

The Kennedy School Hotel is a work of art. It is chock a block full of interesting things to see and do. The staff are super friendly and accommodating. On the down side, our king bed was a tad less comfortable than some other places we recently stayed at, but certainly not bad enough to affect our sleep too much. We would go stay again especially if rates drop somewhat.

It wasn’t what u expected. No a/c in the room just a fan. Several of the bars were closed. The ones opened wasn’t what I expected.

Great experiences all around! It is a must stay!

The hotel is unique and fun. I'm glad they preserved Kennedy School! I love the cocktails at McMenamins, and the food was good. Only complaint was noisy neighbors on our hallway, but we could see after the second night that a sign was put up to keep partiers out of the hallway.

Excellent experience, pool was delightful and the perfect temperature even though it was raining. Wander the halls for the art and grounds are well cared for.

wonderful!

We had a wonderful time here. Bar options great and staff were all excellent. Room was spacious, room service great. Would definitely return.

One of a kind experience. Perfect for one or two nights, a nostalgia walk or an old American school experience. Very cool and casual.

Always a favorite. Quiet, and chill. Theater on site, large comfy couches. You can walk around with your pint in hand. The people are kind and respectful, and the art everywhere makes Kennedy School a delight to escape to.

We enjoyed the tasteful charm of the decor within the historic building and ate multiple times at the Courtyard Restaurant which was outstanding for all mealss

I stayed here last night and I absolutely love the staff. I started having a panic attack and the person at the bar got me a muffin and some water and asked how I was doing, I’m so grateful for that. Thank you so much!

A very special place to stay during our PNW summer adventure. We are committed to return for a longer stay in three months.

Great experience to stay at this location. Would do it again.

Love the devote and history of the building

A quirky spot : need a tour guide of which they have many. The hotel staff was top notch & helpful. My room was safe and clean — maybe could have been vacuumed better . The main restaurant staff was untrained and clueless. Will try the other locations ! Very cool place

What an absolute treasure of a hotel! So unique! Great staff, fun bar/restaurant/artwork/movie theater/pool/gift shop/coffee bar etc. You really need to experience this beautiful place. I will definitely be back.

We’re return visitors and love the charm and uniqueness of Kennedy School. If you need a tv in the room, this is not the place for you, but we welcomed a break from it. Wifi is good for phones or laptops. Restaurants onsite open until 11 pm for late arrivals and food was good. If you are here earlier, saltwater soaking pool and a small, cozy movie theater are onsite, too. Love finding another comfortable and pet friendly hotel.

Always fun with McMenamins! Room was nice and clean.

It is such a great place to stay!!!

Great hotel, one of the best McMenamin’s

Fun venue!

A great historical school building with lots of options to enjoy yourself while here

The history, soak pool, theater.

My complaints are the 60/40 sheets (should be cotton, at this price point), and that the A/C unit dripped water onto my head.

This place is awesome. Pet friendly. Nice location.

The peace and quiet of the soaking pool is one of the big reasons we have been back here a half dozen times, we felt the hotel is not encouraging respectful voices in the pool or hallways adjacent to guest rooms. We lived near here when the hotel was developed , and raised our kids going to see a movie and take a soak. Unfortunately it’s time to move on.

Great stay! Would go again

Everything.

This property was highly recommended for the soaking pool, fun dining, drinking options and the overall many things to do under one roof. The soaking pool was broken. The room although comfy, was not cleaned properly. Visible dust everywhere. Things left from former guest (a throat lozenge on the floor near the bed). Sadly I’m sure their workforce is still down due to Covid. But we will not be back. Dust is no bueno and it was everywhere. We didn’t want to complain, but we should have. I just dusted myself.

This was a super fun property. We only stayed one night but I’d like to come back and spend a few days just experience the activities and amenities on site. The soaking pool was amazing but word of advice, bring an umbrella if it’s raining. The vibe of the property is fun and there’s something interesting to see in every direction. We didn’t make it to the theater but that will be for next time. We stayed in a king room in the English wing, and though the room was super small, it was cute and cozy. The bed was very comfortable, but the bathroom could have been cleaned better. Staff were really nice and very helpful.

Love the art on the walls and remnants of the old school. Staff was helpful and friendly

The staff was amazing and very accommodating even though we were stuck in an ice storm and they were understaffed. Fantastic group there.

Such a fun place to stay and so convenient because unique restaurants and entertainment are built in. It's in a neighborhood area, so the rooms are quiet. The staff is so friendly and helpful. Highly recommend this location.

Reminded me of an American Hogwarts as the hotel is built in a repurposed vintage school.

Fun.

Love the hot tub!

We have stayed here 3 times. Love the funky vibe, especially the soaking pool. Will be back. Only complaint is the wifi sux.

"Tried" to eat in the Courtyard restaurant. Tried the operative word as wife ordered a soup along with 10 inch pizza (that she could as bread). They delivered her soiup, she ate it, tender checked n said to bring out pizza. After 40 minutes from ordering i said Canc it n left with no dinner. Just an apology for my trouble.

It's a very large facility with a number of entrances. It would be helpful if there were arrows directing guests to the main lobby and check-in. We are senior citizens and had to lug our bags back and forth when coming from parking lot in back, trying to find the front desk and then back again to where our room was located.

I would highly recommend this place

So much character. Beautiful

The property was such a fun experience. Everything was so beautiful and green. I loved all the drink and food options inside the property. The rooms where clean and lovely. I do wish they had a bit more light but honestly it was such a great experience.

Very unique! Comfortable and clean.

We loved our stay!!! Our room was nice, bed was soft, water pressure in the shower was great!!! Will definitely stay again for a longer time so we can see more!

The not-so-good: Hard to find the entry into the facility. I say facility because you cant really tell if its a museum, hotel, public pool, restaurant or bar(s). I had a company offsite and thought it would be good to stay so that I could be fresh...should have not stayed. No TV's in the rooms. Everything is old. Smells like old. And, the whole building smelled of BBQ smoke, including my room. I had to do some work and it was hard to get WIFI to work. My chair was torn up and it snagged my clothes. Good thing it was only me as I only got one towel for my room. Called for room service...no one ever answered. Gave up after 5 tries and went to the restaurant. The hostess said sometimes the phone gets knocked off the hook...uh...ok. The food was ok. Spendy for what you get, or dont get.

I always feel right at home at McMenamin properties.

a1

Incredible unique experience in this hotel / school. It has so much character both the hotel and the bars and event room. highly recommended.

Fantastic quaint antidote for run of the mill hotels. Everything about the hotel was unique with places to be social and places to be quiet.

We are so glad we found The Kennedy School. I am an educator and my better half is a musician. We are both foodies. It couldn’t have been more perfect of a place to stay.

We love staying here- the soaking bath and restaurant are great and the funky vibe is fun.

Unique hotel in a quiet, residential area. There are not many larger rooms that are available to see (ex: library) unless used for conferences, and others (ex: gym, detention room) are available at specific times, but what you can see is distinct and fascinating.

I would stay here again. In a decent part of town, a lot to do onsite... Just a truly unique experience..

The school theme is fun! The place is clean and beautiful and has good food and entertainment on site.

The hotel set-up is quirky and attractive, though our room had very dim lighting. But... my wife and I are allergic to feathers, and asked for foam pillows when we made our reservation. The hotel acknowledged the request by email, but when we arrived we were told, "Oh, we only have feather pillows." The next morning they were out of coffee, then out of milk. So just not very well organized, I guess.

Fun experience.

Ate on site. Food and service was great. My room was clean and comfortable.n

Need to go back to explore more options I didn’t know they had. Pool, theatre…

We had a wonderful time! A truly comfortable and unique hotel experience.

There’s nothing not unique about this property. A converted school house that is quirky and charming. The various rooms were quaint and fun to explore. Enjoyed all of the bars too!

No mini fridge in room. No TV in room. Bed not comfortable. Overall updates are needed for the price they are charging.

The room was clean and the restaurant food and beer were both great. My only dislikes were that it was very dark throughout and not entirely easy to navigate, although a map was supplied! It felt authentic as far as an old school is concerned but it could have been brighter. I also think that coffee and teamaking means should be in the rooms and maybe a television although that would be less essential. Bed was comfortable and the hotel was quiet. Staff were friendly but I think for safety reasons if for no other, it should have more lighting. Still recommended hotel and like I said, as unique in many respects as all the McMenamins properties are. Nice beer selection too.

A very unique and convenient place! Quite fun.

Kind of in the middle of nowhere...

This is one of our favorite locations when coming to Portland as its more or less a one stop with pubs, music, movies, pool, etc. But..I've always come with either one kid or my spouse. This visit I had my two grown sons. Very disappointing to spend over $300/night to be delegated to roll aways. We booked a queen for 3 and in the photos saw a sofa but to find out there is no sofa in the room. We were then offered a king but the room was much smaller and a roll away again. The clerk noted the room would be really jammed and probably not comfortable. So, we went with the option of the queen and 2 roll aways given there really was no other choice and still was jammed in. That's a lot of money to be on a camp cot. We won't come again as a family. So disappointed and my sons got little to no sleep.

This place is a must stay. From being pet friendly to the soaking tub- it’s a one of a kind experience you don’t want to miss. Each room and area in the hotel is unique and so welcoming. Walking distance to some of the best places in Portland as well!

A truly unique experience in a fabulous old building. Cool bars, great patio dining and excellent service. Just be prepared for no TV, no counters around the sink and no coffee maker.

The many features of the building: pool, courtyard cafe, movie theatre...