The quirkiest hotel in America - rated #1 by TripAdvisor

Photo courtesy of McMenamins

TripAdvisor just released their list of the Quirkiest Hotels in America. Top of the class was McMenamins Kennedy School in Portland, Oregon. Having been there a couple years ago, I can attest to its scholastic achievement.

Built in 1915, it served the Northeast Portland area as Kennedy Elementary School until falling into disrepair and closing in 1975. Just two years later, Mike and Brian McMenamin completed restorations and reopened the facility. It's now Portland's hippest place to grab a beer, grab a meal, grab a movie or grab a room.

Picture in your mind, any large school building you know built prior to World War II. We're talking wide hallways, plaster walls, impressive doorways and archways, and a large cafeteria. Yep, you've got the picture. Now add big, bright, fanciful artwork to all the walls, some fun signage and you're starting to get the picture of this place.

As a hotel, it's small but wonderful. Still have the urge to draw that silly picture of your teacher on the blackboard? Go ahead, there's a blackboard in each of the 35 guest rooms. But now, each classroom has a comfy queen-size bed, private bath and telephone. Hotel guests also have pool passes to use the salt-water soaking pool in the outdoor courtyard, weather permitting.

For the rest of the story and a slide show of images from Kennedy School, please see my full article at Examiner.com  http://tinyurl.com/y8ws2c4