Eclectic. Weird. Exotic.

These are some of the first thoughts that come to mind when staying at a McMenamins Hotel.

I will admit that when I was working full-time I was a Marriott fan. When you travel most of the time – it is nice to have some sameness when you check into your hotel after long flights or drives.

You know the bed will be comfortable, the room will be clean and quiet, and the food at the bar will be fine – not spectacular – but fine.

When you don’t travel all of the time – you start to want something a bit out of the ordinary to give your travel a bit of spice.

I have had several meetings at the McMenamins in Tacoma. I was there primarily for lunch or coffee and was always fascinated by the unique artwork and style of the place. Every time I left after a brief walk-through I would put it on my mental list to “stay” at a McMenamins in the not-too-distant future.

The future turned out to be this month when I found myself in Bend, Oregon for a couple of days.

The McMenamins in Bend is housed in the Old St. Francis Catholic School. Founded in 1936 this location served as a school until 2000 when St. Francis moved to a more modern location elsewhere in Bend. The school property, as well as several bungalow houses, have now been repurposed into a hotel and restaurant complex.

After parking my car, I walked through one of the old school hallways to check in at the front desk. The hallway has a lot of black and white photographs taken throughout the years the location was a Catholic school – including a water fountain (remember those?) with multiple faucets, some wooden lockers (no you cannot open them – I tried), and the distinct feeling of … being back in elementary school!

After getting my key and a map of the property the front desk clerk told me to “watch for the blue lights in the hallways”. It turns out the blue lights throughout the complex signify that there is “something unique to see” – and they encouraged me to explore the property and specifically the blue lighted areas.

As I was walking to my room I found my first blue light. I looked around and could not figure out what I was supposed to find. I pushed on the wall – and a door opened to a cool hallway with pictures and black lights.

I am not sure quite what I was expecting … this clearly was not my normal Marriott experience.

As I continued to my room, I found another couple wandering through the hotel also checking out the blue lights. They were impressed when I showed them the “secret” hallway. Little did they know I had found it about a minute before they started looking.

I made my way up the stairs to the third floor to my room.

All the rooms are named – mine was the Room #1301 – “The Magic Lamp of Art”.

The coolness vibe was off the charts.

The room had a wooden decor and a unique old fashioned style.

It was getting late – so I went to the pub and had a nice dinner and locally brewed smokey flavored beer.

When I checked into the hotel they mentioned that they had a speakeasy bar on property – which I knew I had to find and try.

It was called the Broom Closet Bar and – you guessed it – was marked with a blue light and a tiny sign.

Not knowing any better (and hoping I was not accidentally opening the door to someone’s room) – I opened the first door – and found …

A broom closet.

I listened at each panel in the closet – picked a broom and pulled – and found myself in the speakeasy!

It had seating for about a dozen people and a dedicated bartender. He made me a delicious cocktail as a night cap.

After another day of exploring the hotel between work meetings – it was time to head home to Washington.

If you ever find yourself in Bend, Oregon and need a place to stay – give McMenamins Old Francis School a try.

I promise it will be a memorable and fascinating experience.