The last eleven months have brought many new things into our lives, some better than others. One great new addition is the McMenamins Day Pass! This is a new thing for McMenamins, so I have gathered up all of the info you need about the McMenamins Day Pass and dropped it into this super helpful guide!
Please note, Oregon and Washington laws, and reopening plans, change constantly so McMenamins is trying to keep up. I will update this page as much as possible with any new information I learn, but don’t forget to check out McMenamins website before you book or go visit!
The Ultimate Guide to McMenamins Day Passes
What is a McMenamins Day Pass?
McMenamins recently launched a new option – if you don’t want to do an overnight stay at McMenamins hotel, or can’t, you can still enjoy three McMenamins hotels for half a day with a day pass!
The McMenamins Day Passes are available for three (3) McMenamins hotel locations: McMenamins Edgefield; McMenamins Grand Lodge; and McMenamins Anderson School. For a McMenamins Day Pass you basically get to pretend you are staying overnight at the hotel – you will have a room, access to the amenities (pools!), and get a bunch of food and drink credit to use.
There are two Day Pass windows: 10 am to 3 pm and 5 pm to 10 pm.
These are NOT available on Fridays or Saturdays.
For $90 per room (2 person max) you will have a room, pool access (see below regarding reservations), and a $50 food and beverage credit. So you are basically paying $40 for a room for half a day and access to the pool.
You need to call to book these passes and you can only book them seven (7) days ahead of time. There are a limited number of passes per day and you cannot book online!
McMenamins Day Pass Tips
McMenamins all have good WiFi – you can definitely “work from home” during your day-cation. You will have access in both the common areas and hotel rooms. Many even have WiFi that reaches outside seating areas and fire pits.
Bring a spare towel for the pools. You will get towels with your McMenamins Day Pass, but they are tiny so I recommend you bring a towel if you have the luggage or bag space.
If you want to eat at specific restaurant, especially sit down service, make a reservation when you book the day pass.
Below is the full scoop on each McMenamins Day Pass broken down by location:
McMenamins Edgefield Day Pass
With your McMenamins Edgefield Day Pass you will have a room, with a shared bathroom, during your selected window. You will have access to the soaking pool and all other amenities on property. Of course, you’ll need to book a spa visit separately.
You can use your food and beverage credit anywhere on the property. It can be used on alcohol and for room service.
Edgefield is located in a county that will be allowing indoor dining, up to 25% capacity, in the next few days! You will be able to eat indoors and I anticipate some of the smaller bars will reopen. You will also be able to wine taste inside the winery! Of course, this could change at any time!
Since you are technically staying in a room, you will have access to a robe and towels; but, I highly recommend bringing flip flops along with you. See my 17 Best Tips for Staying at McMenamins Edgefield for other must bring items and must do activities for your visit.
McMenamins Edgefield does NOT offer Sunday daytime (10 am to 3 pm) passes and Sunday evening passes are sold on a limited basis. Watch out for three-day weekends, there are no Day Passes on Sundays (at all) or Monday mornings for three day weekends!
McMenamins Grand Lodge Day Pass
With your McMenamins Grand Lodge Day Pass you will have a room, with a shared bathroom, during your selected window. You will have access to the soaking pool and you must reserve your time slot(s) in advance. You need to make your soaking pool reservation separately from the day pass so when you call, be sure to do both!
Again, you will get a robe and towels in your room, but flip flops are a must! McMenamins Grand Lodge has broken the pool down into “zones.” You will be assigned a zone upon arrival and you are asked to stay in your zone. This allows for social distancing.
Three day weekends are tough at McMenamins Grand Lodge too – no Sundays (at all) or Monday morning passes on three day weekends!
You can use your food and beverage credit anywhere on the property that is open. You can also use it for in room dining and it can be used on booze. McMenamins Grand Lodge is one of the best McMenamins hotels so I am so glad to see this one on the Day Pass list!
Grand Lodge is located in a county that will be allowing indoor dining, up to 25% capacity, in the next few days! This means you can also eat inside and many of the bars will likely reopen (at limited capacity)! This could change at any time!
McMenamins Anderson School Day Pass
At McMenamins Anderson School you will get a room, with a private bathroom, during your selected window. You will have access to the pool during your stay. Keep in mind, the North Shore Lagoon Pool is in fact a pool, not a soaking pool. No drinks are allowed and there are people swimming, sometimes even swimming classes, taking place in this pool.
You do not need to make a reservation for the pool during your Day Pass visit at this location!
You get a robe and towels with the room, but flip flops are a good bet, especially to walk to the Lagoon Pool building. This is definitely the most kid-friendly pool as it is much larger so swimming is possible and it is not as much of a quiet or chill soaking pool vibe.
Three day weekends are limited here too – no Sundays (at all) or Monday morning passes on three day weekends!
You can use your food and beverage credit anywhere on property, including for room service. It can be used on alcohol so pick up your favorite 50/50 blend and take a property tour!
Washington currently allows indoor dining up to 25% capacity, so at Anderson School you can eat indoors. This could change at any time!
There is also always a warning about the North Shore Lagoon Pool – since it is half indoor/half outdoor, it can get very foggy and if that happens, they are required to close it for safety. Watch the weather and call ahead to avoid disappointment.
What if You Do Not Want to Leave?
That’s okay! I think McMenamins is hoping for that. If you decide you want to stay, you can stop by the front desk and change your reservation to stay overnight. McMenamins will apply the $90 towards your bill and you will just pay the difference.
What About Masks?!
McMenamins requires masks are worn at all times unless you are actively eating and/or drinking or swimming. You should be doing this anyway or you are a terrible person (I stand behind it!), but please follow the mask rules to keep everyone safe. Want a cooler mask than you have? McMenamins gift shops actually sell super cute reusable masks!
Have you tried out McMenamins Day Passes? What did you think? Let me know in Comments.
