The Ultimate Ranking Of Every McMenamins Hotel!

McMenamins may have started off with its restaurants and pubs, but the McMenamins hotels are what pushes McMenamins into the world of travel! There are currently twelve McMenamins hotels in Oregon and Washington, each with its own very unique atmosphere and style.

McMenamins hotels are one of my favorite parts of the McMenamins world! We have stayed at McMenamins hotels for a wide variety of reasons – a weekend getaway, a romantic night out of the house, a wedding, and even a holiday night! The McMenamins hotels combine McMenamins food and beverages and on-site lodging, beautiful property, and depending on the spot, soaking pools, golf, and so much more!

As we have officially stayed at every McMenamins Hotels – it is finally time for the best ranking of every McMenamins Hotel!

The Ultimate Ranking Of Every McMenamins Hotel

How Many McMenamins Hotels Are There?

There are currently twelve (12) McMenamins hotels.

Where Are The McMenamins Hotels?

All of the McMenamins Hotels are located in Oregon and Washington. The McMenamins hotels can be found from the Anderson School in Bothell, Washington (furthest north) to the Old St. Francis School in Bend, Oregon (furthest south) and from the Old St. Francis School in Bend, Oregon (also the furthest east) to the Gearhart Hotel in Gearhart, Oregon (furthest west).

List and Locations of Every McMenamins Hotel

Anderson School – Bothell, Washington

Crystal Hotel – Portland, Oregon

Edgefield – Troutdale, Oregon

Elks Temple – Tacoma, Washington

Gearhart Hotel – Gearhart, Oregon

Grand Lodge – Forest Grove, Oregon

Hotel Oregon – McMinnville, Oregon

Kalama Harbor Lodge – Kalama, Washington

Kennedy School – Portland, Oregon

Old St. Francis School – Bend, Oregon

Olympic Club – Centralia, Washington

White Eagle Saloon & Hotel – Portland, Oregon

Ranking Factors for The McMenamins Hotels

In order to rank every McMenamins hotel, I evaluated every hotel on a variety of factors. While I did not weigh each factor evenly, I did take every factor into account! Will my biases come through? Probably. Will a few meh experiences have any weight? Most definitely. But I promise I won’t steer you wrong and will give you plenty of fun tips and insight for your next McMenamins hotel experience!

On to the factors! Here are the factors I used to create my ultimate rank of every McMenamins hotel.

Property

My most all encompassing factor when ranking the McMenamins hotels that I took into account was the property. The property factor includes rooms, bars, restaurants, grounds, and amenities! I also took into account accessibility, parking, and maintenance and cleanliness. Some McMenamins hotels have expansive properties with a lot of amenities or multiple bars while some might be a bit smaller but are located in the best locales.

When evaluating the property I took into account how loud the property is, if there are private bathrooms available, and other key property related factors.

Restaurants

There is no question that McMenamins food and drink can be very similar at the various locations – trust me when I say, they are not all alike! One of the big factors I used to create my ultimate ranking of every McMenamins hotels are restaurants! This factor takes into account how many restaurants the hotel has, how good those restaurants are, the variety at the restaurants on property, and the uniqueness of some of the restaurants.

Bars

No one does a bar like McMenamins does a bar! Without question, McMenamins hotels are home to my favorite McMenamins bars. One of the other big factors I used when evaluating each McMenamins hotel – bars! This factor takes into account how many bars are at the hotel, the types of bars, the uniqueness of the bars, the bar menus and bartenders, and the overall bar atmosphere.

On-Site Activities

Not all McMenamins hotels are alike. The most varying factor at the McMenamins hotels are the on-site activities. When ranking the McMenamins hotels I focused heavily on the on-site activities. One of the number one reasons to stay at a McMenamins hotel is to take advantage of all of the on-property fun!

Some McMenamins hotels have soaking pools, golf, spas, and some just have lots of fun bars to play games in. No matter what, they all have something. As a true soaking pool fan, I definitely gave bonus points to hotels with soaking pools and since I love golf, there might be a bit of favoritism for the hotels with courses too! I also took into account secret rooms and secret bars – a true fav!

Rooms

Another factor I took into account when ranking all of the McMenamins hotels were the rooms. When evaluating the rooms I looked at the room options, room and bed size, private bathroom options, and in room amenities. Also, you bet I took into account the creepy wall art in the various rooms!

I did not ignore cleanliness, but I have never had a single issue with cleanliness in a McMenamins hotel room so this did not make much of a difference in my rankings.

Location

While I do not think any of the McMenamins are in “bad” locations, some are better than others. The location of the McMenamins hotel was definitely a factor when ranking them all. Although I live in Portland, I did not discount the Portland locations as being “too close to home” or “too familiar.” I did take into account what else was nearby the hotel and if the location made the hotel even more unique or fun!

Value

McMenamins hotels do vary in price. They vary by hotel and by date so I did take into account the cost and overall value. When it comes to value, I took into account the cost of the stay, what you get for that cost, and how it compares to the surrounding hotels/area.

When it comes to value and cost, don’t let the standard rates at the McMenamins hotels turn you off! McMenamins runs a lot of specials and has quite a few package options, that change throughout the year, so be sure to check those out!

The Ultimate Ranking of Every McMenamins Hotel

12. Olympic Club

There has to be a McMenamins hotel on the bottom of list – sadly for McMenamins Olympic Club is it. The Olympic Club is located in downtown Olympia, which is super cute, but it is also located on top of a freight train. The train goes by all night and it is very loud and even shakes the rooms. You are provided earplugs at check in, but I assure you, it will not be enough.

Olympic Club also has no rooms with a private bath, so you will be required to use the private-but-shared bathrooms in the hallway. Overall Olympic Club is a smaller property with only one bar, one bar/restaurant, one game hall, and a theater – all of which is contained in one super cool historic building.

My favorite spot at the Olympic Club is the New Tourist Bar which was uncovered by the McMenamins while renovating the building. Although this bar is cool, the rest of the property is okay. Olympic Club is one of the least accessible McMenamins hotels as it has no elevator and rooms are all upstairs. You can book a queen, king, or bunk beds at this McMenamins Hotel, but I wouldn’t stay unless you are a really dead sleeper!

Here is a quick list of what you can find at this McMenamins hotel:

McMenamins Passport Holders – Olympic Club has three stamps! It is also a great spot to get your Play a Game stamp.

If you’re looking for the perfect drink for your hotel adventures – check out the 10 Best McMenamis Blends for some inspo!

11. White Eagle Saloon & Hotel

Music fanatics might not agree with this one, but McMenamins White Eagle Saloon & Hotel falls at number 11 on my ultimate ranking of every McMenamins hotel. While located in a great area in Northeast Portland, the hotel rooms are also located above the saloon. Unless you want to party until close, this is not the hotel for you.

White Eagle Saloon & Hotel also does not have any amenities – like at all. This is the perfect hotel if you are seeing live music in the Saloon, want to be up late, and just want a place to crash after. If you want a relaxing evening, I do not recommend it. The hotel recommends all guests are at least 14 years old – trust me, it’s for everyone’s sake.

You can stay in a bunk bed at this spot, making it a great hostel stop, but White Eagle Saloon & Hotel also has queen and full size beds in private rooms. The historical building is the coolest part of White Eagle Saloon & Hotel, and the music history, so be sure to stop by for a show and drink, but the hotel is not my favorite.

McMenamins Passport Holders – White Eagle Saloon & Hotel has two stamps!

10. Kalama Harbor Lodge

Kalama Harbor Lodge is a unique McMenamins hotel because it is not a historical building. McMenamins built this one from the ground up and is all McMenamins. It is also on the water and it is beautiful!

Kalama Harbor Lodge sits on the Columbia River and is inspired by Hawai’i. The view cannot be beat, but the amenities at Kalama Harbor Lodge are a bit limited and it is somewhat isolated so it falls at number 10 on my ranking of the McMenamins Hotels.

The pros – every room at McMenamins Kalama Harbor Lodge is a king room with a TV, private bath, free WiFi, and large balconies! This property also has four bars and restaurants and outdoor fire pits and dining. There is also an active brewery inside the lodge. Unfortunately, there are no other amenities at Kalama Harbor Lodge and the closest town, Kalama, is a five minute drive away.

The coolest parts of Kalama Harbor Lodge are Ahles Point Cabin, a small bar with food, drinks, and indoor and outdoor dining, and the secret rooms! The secret rooms are one of the fun stops at Kalama Harbor Lodge. While I won’t give away the locations in this post, I will give you a hint- don’t miss out on the top floors! Check out Cloud Bar too for a roof top drink while overlooking the boats go by.

Ahles Point Cabin is not connected to the main Lodge and you will need to wander down the beautiful pathway, along the water, through the really nice park. You will find the cabin sitting on the south end of the park!

Here is a quick list of what you can find at McMenamins Kalama Harbor Lodge:

McMenamins Passport Holders – Kalama Harbor Lodge has five stamps!

9. Gearhart Hotel

McMenamins Gearhart Hotel feels like an underdog given it does not have too much by way of McMenamins amenities, but sitting two blocks from the Pacific Ocean and on the oldest links golf course west of the Mississippi, it earns a spot at number 6 on my ultimate ranking of every McMenamins hotel!

McMenamins Gearhart Hotel is now comprised of two buildings, with the annex being the new space. All rooms are queens or kings, have a private bath, and have TV’s, but they do not have AC. Usually this does no matter on the Oregon Coast, but watch for heatwaves. McMenamins also has a gym for guests and offers a discount for green fees at Gearhart Golf Links. McMenamis Gearhart is also home a secret room – always a fun addition!

Make sure you walk over to the Pot Bunker Bar for a drink and some putting practice or a cozy fireside drink and card game.

Here is a quick list of what you can find at Gearhart Hotel:

McMenamins Passport Holders – Gearhart Hotel has four stamps to offer. And if it was not obvious enough, play a round on the stunning course and pick up your play golf stamp too!

8. Hotel Oregon

McMenamins Hotel Oregon is located in downtown McMinnville, in the heart of the Willamette Valley (yay wine!). While Hotel Oregon has minimal amenities, it has the backyard of wine country and the world’s best pinot noir. Hotel Oregon is very small town America, in a historic building on the cutest little main street. It is also very wine friendly.

My favorite parts of Hotel Oregon are the roof top bar and the cellar bar. You can enjoy some outdoor beverages on the roof top or some live music in the cellar almost all year round. Some rooms at Hotel Oregon come with private bathrooms, but others have true shared bathrooms in the hallway. You get super soft robes in your room and they have quite a few pet friendly rooms.

We celebrated New Years Eve here one year and had a great time! While the McMenamins party was not really our jam, we had such a great time with all of the live music, laid back dinner, and a fun day in the valley! I highly recommend checking out the antique stores nearby and walking around downtown.

Here is a quick list of what you can find nestled in Hotel Oregon:

McMenamins Passport Holders – Hotel Oregon has five stamps! May I also recommend picking up your try a a wine flight stamp while there too.

7. Crystal Hotel

McMenamins Crystal Hotel is located in downtown Portland and is surrounded by so many other McMenamins! This is a great place to stay if you aren’t from Portland and want to spend your weekend in the city and jumping around to the other McMenamins properties (maybe filling your passport). That said, the Crystal Hotel is not located in the best part of Portland and it has typical city-downsides (it’s loud).

The Crystal Hotel is associated with, but not physically connected, to the McMenamins Crystal Ballroom. These two properties take up about two city blocks and are full of various McMenamins bars and restaurants. The Crystal Hotel is located in a historic building with very little parking and on Portland’s most traveled throughway. That said, it has a beautiful indoor soaking pool (guests only!).

While all rooms at the Crystal Hotel have sinks, only some rooms have private bathrooms. Other than the soaking pool, the other plus at this McMenamins hotel is the location.

Here is a quick list of what you will find at the Crystal Hotel (and within two Portland city blocks):

McMenamins Passport Holders – The Crystal Hotel building has four stamps! But…two blocks down you will find three more stamps!

6. Anderson School

McMenamins Anderson School is one of two McMenamins renovated school buildings and it is impressive. McMenamins Anderson School is located in Bothell, Washington and it used to be a junior high! Anderson School is one of the larger properties and it has a lot of amenities. It ranks behind McMenamins Kennedy School due to the pool restrictions and location.

McMenamins Anderson School is one of the biggest properties. The coolest part of the property is the North Shore Lagoon – which is home to North Shore Lagoon Swimming Pool and South Seas Pub. In the warmer months, you can also have a drink in Wegner’s Garden adjacent to the pool. While the South Seas Pub is awesome, think Bali-inspired tiki bar, the Swimming Pool leaves a lot to be desired.

Unlike the Oregon properties, you cannot drink in this pool so don’t plan on a relaxing soak or a soak with a cocktail, this pool is more for kids to play around in and take swim lessons. This is a big negative for me. Also, while Bothell is starting to rejuvenate, there is not much in the area and it is not easy that easy to go between Bothell and Seattle.

The rooms at the Anderson School are very nice and much quieter than some of the other McMenamins hotels. Anderson School has rooms with two queens, a king, or a king and a pullout couch. In the middle of the Anderson School is a massive courtyard area with plenty of outdoor space for drinking and dining. Don’t miss stopping by the Principal’s Office while visiting.

Here is a list of all you will find at McMenamins Anderson School:

McMenamins Passport Holders – Anderson School has six stamps! With the Anderson School Brewery onsite, this is also a great spot to get your try a beer flight stamp or take a tour of the brewery and get your brewery tour stamp.

5. Kennedy School

McMenamins Kennedy School was the first McMenamins I ever went to and it holds a special place in my heart! Located on the east side in Portland, this is one of three Portland McMenamins hotels. It is also my favorite Portland McMenamins hotel hands down!

Here is the simple list of why – you sleep in a classroom! in a school! and then you can soak in a pool outside! I feel like I don’t even need to say anymore. McMenamins Kennedy School was an elementary school and McMenamins has done such a great job making sure it feels like one still – the classrooms even have original chalkboards! The Kennedy School also does a great job at it all being super themed – from room titles to bar names.

On the negative side, no private bathrooms. This is because that is now how the school was built and, thankfully, McMenamins didn’t mess it up. That said, this is tough for me to overcome so it did negatively affect its ranking. Parking is also not great, but they tend to keep spots open for guests and it’s free. You can also attend an event in the gymnasium.

McMenamins Kennedy School has a lot of amenities on it’s tiny property. You will find an outdoor soaking pool, movie theater, and multiple bars and restaurants. You get the soaking pool and theater access free when you stay too. But locals – you can soak for a cheap hourly fee (if you can get off the waitlist). So grab a drink at one of the bars, in a plastic cup of course, and go soak off all of your stress!

Be aware – the English Wing has rooms, but those are not classrooms. If you really care about the classroom stay experience, be specific in your booking!

Here is a list of what you can find inside the Kennedy School:

Detention Bar used to be a cigar bar, but, sadly, that is no more. We don’t spend as much time there anymore given the change, but for those who didn’t like the smoke – it is all clear!

McMenamins Passport Holders – You will find seven stamps at the Kennedy School. It is one of the spots to grab your soak in a pool stamp too!

4. Elks Temple

McMenamins Elks Temple is the newest McMenamins hotel and is full of so many great drink stops! Elks Temple is located in downtown Tacoma in a beautifully restored seven story historical building. It sits right next to the Spanish Steps, which were modeled after the Spanish Steps in Rome. This McMenamins hotel has so many drink spots and a music venue, but not too many other amenities. It does have a secret room and a secret bar! Secret bars are probably one of the coolest McMenamins stops so that definitely gets bonus points.

Elks Temple is the perfect place to stay if you just want to drink your way “around the world” without ever going outside. Some rooms have views of the Puget Sound and all of the rooms, which have king size beds, have private bathrooms, WiFi, and TV. Elks Temple is home to the Spanish Ballroom – a live music venue.

A perfect McMenamins weekend would be spending your day wandering around the bars, check out a live show in the Spanish Ballroom, and sleep it off at Elks Temple. Plan for parking to be a bit tough and given the limited amenities, have some day plans in and around Tacoma. Visiting the Spanish Steps is a great start!

What makes McMenamins Elks Temple rank so high on my list is not only the endless world of bars, but the detail! McMenamins Elks Temple was a long project, taking around a decade from purchase to open, and that time allowed McMenamins to make every single tiny detail just beautiful. The art is next level and every inch of this property is unique and stunning. This is really McMenamins crown jewel when it comes to property revitalization and beauty. Don’t forget to look at every pipe, ceiling, corner, and doorframe – you will not be disappointed.

Here is a quick list of what you will find throughout the seven story Elks Temple:

McMenamins Passport Holders – Elks Temple has six stamps! This is also a great spot to get your taste a flight (beer, wine, or cider) stamp.

3. Grand Lodge

McMenamins Grand Lodge, located in Forest Grove, Oregon, is another historic property with a lot to offer! While this McMenamins hotel has fewer amenities than Edgefield, it is much quieter/easier for sleep, has more rooms with private bathrooms, and is located right on the edge of the Willamette Valley.

Grand Lodge is a great staycation spot and the historic property is full of history, amenities, and upgraded rooms! McMenamins Grand Lodge offers king, double, queen, full, and bunk bed rooms and the main floor rooms just got a massive upgrade which resulted in new attached bathrooms for every room. My personal favorite is the new(ish) top floor which is full of fun rooms with attached bathrooms and super comfy beds. It is also quite enough that I can actually sleep!

McMenamins Grand Lodge has a lot to offer as it is one of the few properties with a soaking pool, movie theater, and full service spa. Since this location is a bit smaller than Edgefield, it makes a great place to stay if you want to start your day in the Willamette Valley for some wine tasting and stay outside of the Portland. You can always find a fire pit spot, live music, and in the summer months, outdoor movies at this location!

Here is the quick rundown of all you will find at McMenamins Grand Lodge:

Although much smaller than the Edgefield soaking pool, Grand Lodge has a great outdoor soaking pool. One of the coolest features of this property…it’s haunted! For me, this is a huge perk! I have not yet seen a ghost, but I will continue to stay on the top floor and wait for this free McMenamins experience. Don’t miss out on the secret rooms and secret passages at Grand Lodge either! No spoilers in this post, but trust me – they are worth the hunt!

McMenamins Passport Holders – Grand Lodge has seven (7) stamps. Unlike Edgefield, non-hotel guests and non-spa guests can pick up a pass to the soaking pool so this is a great spot to get your soak stamp!

2. Old St. Francis School

McMenamins Old St. Francis School (yup, another school!) is my top ranked McMenamins school turned hotel! Old St. Francis School is located in Bend, Oregon, just steps from downtown and a quick drive from all of the outdoor beauty Bend has to offer. Old St. Francis School is not only my favorite school turned hotel, but it is also one of the top two McMenamins hotel!

Although located right in Bend, Old St. Francis School has a lot of property and multiple buildings. The most amazing “indoor” but really not indoor soaking pool can be found at this McMenamins hotel along with a movie theater, brewery, and a secret bar!

McMenamins Old St. Francis School is in fact an old school, making this historic property really fun to stay in. I would recommend booking early as in my experience, just like most of Bend, this McMenamins hotel can fill up quickly. All rooms Old St. Francis School have private bathrooms and TV’s. Since there are multiple buildings at this property, many of which contain hotel rooms, your room might vary depending on what building you are in.

Here is the quick list of all you can find at Old St. Francis School:

The Broom Close is is a secret bar so I won’t tell you where to find it in this post! This is my absolute favorite McMenamins secret room and such a fun McMenamins twist on a speak easy!

McMenamins Passport Holders – Old St. Francis School has five (5) stamps!

1. Edgefield

McMenamins Edgefield is one of my favorite properties overall and has so much packed into the 74-acre property. Edgefield is the only McMenamins hotel with every single amenity offered! Here you will find a spa, a massive soaking pool, all the alcohol production you could want, and even two small golf courses. With all that it has to offer, McMenamins Edgefield lands in the top spot on my ultimate ranking of every McMenamins hotel!

Edgefield is located about 20 minutes outside of Portland in what I consider a Portland suburb, right near the Columbia River. Edgefield is a historic property with a really cool backstory. Be sure to do the walking tour when you visit so you can learn all about those who used to call it home. Edgefield is third on my list because of the amazing amenities, there is just so much to do, but be aware – it is a loud property!

So what can you find at Edgefield? The BEST soaking pool, it is huge and for spa and hotel guests only, Ruby’s Spa, two small par 3 golf courses, a winery, a brewery, a distillery, fire pits, multiple stand alone bars, a move theater, a really nice restaurant (looking at you Black Rabbit), an outdoor concert venue, pubs, and a pool hall.

McMenamins Edgefield offers standard McMenamins hotel rooms, very few with private bathrooms, and hostel rooms (no minors allowed). Given that most have shared bathrooms, you should book well in advance if you want a room with a private bath. Also, be careful of concert weekends – the shows sell out fast and so do the rooms. The rooms do not have TV’s or WiFi, but you shouldn’t need either since there is so much to do at this property.

The one reason Edgefield almost lost it’s top spot, the building is really loud! It is a beautiful historic building, but this means little insulation, loud doors, even louder floors, and echoing noise. While this makes this location really tough for me to sleep, the other factors outweigh this negative and it rightfully sits as my number 1 McMenamins hotel!

Here is a quick overview of all you can find at Edgefield:

There are so many things to do at Edgefield and with all of the activities, come a whole lot of insider secrets! Before you check out Edgefield, be sure to check out my 17 Best Tips for Staying at Edgefield!

McMenamins Passport Holders – Edgefield has ten (!) stamps! It is a great place to pick up your golf stamp if you don’t want to splurge on a full round at Gearthart and is also a great location to snag your tour and tasting stamps.

If you plan to stay at a McMenamins hotel be sure to sign up for the McMenamins Frequent Guest Program! If you sign up and book your room through the online system, you get points for each stay. Once you hit 900 points you will see 900 point room rates and can redeem your points for discount and free rooms! Just be sure you book your room through the Frequent Guest portal.

I hope you enjoyed my ultimate ranking of every McMenamins hotel and you are ready go to explore! What is your favorite McMenamins hotel?! What type of McMenamins Hotel tips would you love to see? Let me know in Comments!