Continuing with our Pacific Northwest discoveries, McMenamins was one of our hotel destinations we were really looking forward to. The website was so intriguing and their locations all seemed so idyllic. We chose the Edgefield place for our visit. So let's get on with The Good....front porch rocking chairs everywhere,
large gracious porches and beautiful brick buildings, an absolute gorgeous view from our room in the photo below,
homegrown vegetable and herb gardens for guests to meander through and chefs to be inspired by, sunflowers, apple trees...
old worn and weathered benches for you to sit a spell and gravel paths to wander down at sunset....
and the most charming umbrella filled courtyards to relax in and enjoy a meal with your loved ones...
and I even admired their condiment boxes with the painted table numbers on them...
Lots of Good wouldn't you say? Me too. But...and this is a VERY BIG BUT, our room was horrific! And now, for the first time in my blog history, I am going to write something negative. Truthful but negative. I feel it's my duty to share and I will keep this as condense as possible.
First off, we booked a King Suite with a Private Bath, the very best they have to offer. Didn't want you to think we stayed in their cheapest room. Here's the details on our Very Best Room....dust and dirt in every single corner and table in the room, baseboards with a layer of dirt and grime, Milk Duds under the bed, NO air conditioning yet there was air conditioning in the HALLWAYS, a large box fan either from Walmart or a garage sale to put in your window, grungy old crusty paper thin bath towels that had to be at least 5 years old (I am not exaggerating), an old wooden hospice seat in the shower with what appeared to be white mold on it, No television or phones, No ice machine on any floor-you had to go to the downstairs bar with your mason jar and ask for ice, a flat sheet on the bed with no mattress cover, old dirty bedspread with tears in it, bathroom sink that had not been cleaned and a large chair with stains all over it. I'm afraid I'll have to stop there...the list could go on and on. Just know that The Man, who is used to sleeping on a fishing boat during lobster season said the room was the worst he'd ever been in. Seriously. Why even one of the bartenders said that most of their guests are so drunk they don't care about the rooms. For real, that was his take on their disgusting rooms. I guess they don't consider their sober guests.
Thanks for putting up with my very first rant. Over three years of blogging before I blew my top, pretty good huh? So here's the breakdown, if you'd like to visit one of their establishments, I recommend having lunch or dinner. The grounds and settings are beautiful but never in a million years would I ever, ever sleep there. And to the hotel management at McMenamins....you should be ashamed of yourselves. This is 2009, you can do better.
