McMenamins Old St. Francis School

Had a delightful stay in the main school building. The room was very comfortable with multiple lighting options, both a ceiling fan and air conditioning, a comfy robe and in-room coffee. If you book here, make sure you pay attention to which building. Our building was quiet but when we visited the Art House to look for the famed "secret" rooms, it was filled with noisy youngsters (and oldsters) who filled the halls as they did the same. The location is great. It's an easy walk to the Riverfront as well as to charming shops and eateries.

If you’re a smoker, this is probably a wonderful place to stay. That said, if you’re not a smoker it is practically impossible to avoid second hand smoke on the property. We stayed in one of the buildings at the back of the property and had to walk off the property to get there from the lobby to avoid smoke. The best little courtyard for hanging out is at the cigar bar, so there’s no great place to hang outside without getting smoked out. Also the buildings facing the cigar courtyard have windows, but you couldn’t open them without getting smoked out. It’s really a shame they allow the property to be wrecked by a minority of the clientele.

I had the Schoolhouse Breakfast - eggs, hashbrowns, toast and bacon. The eggs and hashbrowns were fine, but the toast was barely toasted and bacon was very over-cooked. So crispy it literally broke apart when touched. After I received my food, I never saw the waitress again, even though there were only two table.

The good aspects of the hotel: clean room, reasonable on-site restaurant with above average beer. The poor aspects: parking is a nightmare. The hotel lot is totally inadequate. the lack of signage makes it hard to find the front desk. Once checked in, the hotel map makes it a little easier the lack of a fridge is a big drawback the lack of in-room coffee is annoying there was no comfortable chair, only an office type the front desk staff were not friendly We will not stay here again. It is overpriced.

Looking at the website and reviewing the pricing, I chose McMenamins thinking it would be quaint and memorable. Parking is limited and I had chose it because of the pictures on their website. We did not get to stay in the Main Hotel/school, we stayed in another building which had no elevator as we carted our luggage up two flights of stairs. Let’s just say for the price it was a big disappointment.

We stayed in the main building of the Old St. Francis School for my 60th birthday. What a mistake! Price at over $360 per night, the ground-floor room looked out on a busy public walkway which afforded zero privacy. This wouldn't have been so bad (drapes can be closed), but the rooms themselves seemed to be lacking any soundproof materials; we heard every little sound from the adjacent rooms and were not able to get any sleep as a result. As to the food, it's the same tired fare that McMenamins has been serving for over 25 years. I think the Burger King menu has changed more over the last quarter century. Anyway, the rude staff, "loud" room, and uninspiring food made my 60th birthday one to forget. I suppose if you like to party all night, then the Old St. Francis School would be a good place to stay. The other guests encountered were drunken twenty-somethings, enamoured with the manufactured "charm" of the place. If you want a good meal and some sleep, however, then avoid, avoid, avoid.