I'm so glad I chose the Kennedy School for my first night in Portland! The parking was ample, and the service was good. The hotel itself is unique and historical, really cool decor inside and comfy. The rooms are pretty big and private. I stayed in the ABC room. The decor was old-fashioned, just like it should be in a hotel made from a historic elementary school. The shower was a little small, but the bathroom was average size. Overall, I have no complaints about the room.

I ate dinner and breakfast there at the Courtyard restaurant, and the food was delicious and inexpensive, and service was good too. Their gift shop is so unique and fun, so make sure to go there too! The price for my overnight was quite reasonable compared to other Portland hotels. I plan to stay here again.

We stayed here on the last night of our trip to Portland, OR. The McMenamins compounds are basically the same across OR and WA, with the same food menus, same beers, and same drink menus. (McMenamins makes their own beer and spirits, and uses some of their alcoholic beverages in their mixed drinks.)

The Kennedy School was literally an elementary school back in its day, and the hotel rooms in the original wing are literally the classrooms! We stayed in the new wing, which is a recent addition that was so new it still smelled of fresh paint (not a complaint)! The Kennedy School compound is an artist's dream, as there is something to see everywhere you look. Artistic details range from mixed and matched antique lighting fixtures with amber bulbs, (the amber lighting is a blessing after a night of drinking at the compound), faux painted walls, hand painted scenery and borders, framed photos of the school back when it was actually a school, and art collages, among other creative details to the pubs and restaurants. You can spend an hour or more walking the halls and checking out the artwork, various pubs, and activity rooms. Within the compound are several pubs, a brewery, a main restaurant, a salt water soaking pool, a movie theatre, and places for live music.

Our favorite pub for design style was the Boiler Room, which looks like a steam punk fantasy, but it was very crowded, so we opted for the Honors Bar, which is tiny room, with a pot belly stove in the center, and only plays opera music. We also ate in the main restaurant by sitting at the bar, which is first come, first served. The wait for a table was over an hour, but we got a bar seat within 10 minutes by sheer luck. The food is basic pub food, and not at all greasy. Our favorite item was the Tater Tots, which are light and crispy, and can be ordered in any of the bars as an appetizer! The mixed drinks are fun to try, and they are not strong.

BRING YOUR SWIMSUIT for the soaking pool, and be prepared for it to be crowded. The salty water is therapeutic and worth braving the crowd. Don't worry about being seen in a swimsuit, as the lighting is dim, and all shapes, sizes, and ages are in the pool, and nobody cares what you look like so long as your "parts" are all covered! Also take the minimum amount of stuff with you to the pool, and wear flip flops. When we were there lockers were all full, so we hung our stuff on the fence, and some of it got wet.

We went through the compound in one night, and it was enough for us to get the full experience and have a lot of fun. If I lived locally I'd come here to use the pool, or to see a movie, or hear live music. The movie theater uses old couches strung together as the seating. There was not any live music playing the night we were there, but it would be fun to see a live show here. All in all, this place has a post college party scene feel, and young couples do bring their children with them to enjoy it.

I recently stayed at Kennedy School during a visit to Portland, based on the recommendations of a relative who lives there. I wasn't quite sure what to expect in a hotel that used to be an elementary school (and built in 1915), but was pleasantly surprised.

The room was large, clean and comfortable, with a somewhat simple decor given it's previous "life" as an elementary school. The rooms are fitted with modern electronic card access keys. The heating in the room worked reasonably well, although I had to use the small supplemental heater that was provided to bring the room up to "comfort level" in the mornings (of course that wouldn't be a problem in the warmer months). The bathroom was modern and clean. No television was provided and I DID miss that, although I can appreciate the cost and difficulty of installing cables in an old building. There was good Wi-Fi service in many areas of the hotel, although not in my room. Wi-Fi service was good in the restaurant and many of the other common areas.

it was great fun to explore the many Bars and other facilities in the hotel. My favourite was the Boiler Room, which as the name implies was formerly the school boiler room. The eclectic decor of the upstairs portion was especially interesting, as the railings are made with pieces of pipe and radiators fitted together. The main restaurant was large and the quality of the food was great. A big old pot-bellied stove was provided in one corner, which added to the atmosphere.

Having a movie theatre on the premises is a nice touch, as is the ability to have a beer while watching a movie. It would have been nice if they offered optional butter topping for the popcorn, which wasn't entirely enjoyable when served "dry" (it also seemed overly "salty").

I didn't have time to try the soaking pool, but it seemed to be very popular and was usually full. The hotel has a small gift shop that offers a selection of Mustards and other organic foods that are also made by McMenamin's. I wanted to bring some of these items back to try them, but was travelling with carry-on only, so that wasn't possible. They do offer mail order service though.

The hotel location in the north east part of Portland is very convenient, as it's not far to the downtown area, there are a lot of nice restaurants and other businesses in the area, and it's very convenient and easy to get to the airport. I will definitely try to stay there again on my next visit to Portland.

We always stay here when in Portland altho there are more Mcmennamin's hotels in this city to try. They are super fun places to stay. The art work is fabulous...very art deco. Pretty much a staple at a Mcemennamins. The soaking pool is just that.....a larger than average hot tub to soak in. The rooms are in old classrooms, with chalk boards. We have always staying in the girl's ballroom. Very large and great if you are travelling with kids. St. Patrick's Day festivities are a blast and very busy due to the influx of neighbours from the surrounding residential area. My fave is to grab a drink and meal then go flop in a big comfy couch in the auditorium and watch a movie. Beer, pizza and a good movie in comfort.....so great! The public transport is easy to use to get into the city.