McMenamins Anderson School

This is our second time staying here. While our first experience was perfectly fine, we truly enjoyed our experience this second time around. Being able to stay two nights made the stay even more enjoyable. If you can, request a room on the third floor. We had access to fresh coffee in the hall each morning and the ability to pop over to the principal’s office for a night cap. We enjoyed breakfast delivered to our room and dinner at the Tavern. The ambiance and music throughout the grounds is highly enjoyable. We enjoyed the diversity in drink and food options and we were comfortable in our room. Two suggestions for making the room accommodations even better would be upgraded shower heads and a thicker top coverlet for the winter. While the curtains helped keep out both the street noise and cold, and the heaters were more than adequate; a cozy blanket, slippers or robes in the rooms would have made our stay even better! This place is kid friendly. Kids 6 and under can stay for free. They also open the pool to the public for swim hours for a fee.

McMenamins Anderson School has consistently been a great place to visit. We've attended music venues here, watched movies, attended gatherings, and even just dropped into the lounge or restaurant. The place radiates a sense of community that brings you in. The grounds, including the park in the center, are well kept and reflect well on the history of the place. The staff are friendly and welcoming. And of course the food and drink available here are tasty and soothing. I'd recommend this place for events, date night, concerts, and really any reason to get out and enjoy your time.

Mike Green gave the most fun, informative brewery tour I've even had. Having been to over 300 breweries, that is saying something! The beers he brews are wonderful, especially, the bourbon barrel 😋

I had such a wonderful experience at the McMenamins Anderson School! It is such a beautiful and unique hotel, and I cannot wait to stay here again. The atmosphere is amazing, from the constant fire pits in the courtyards, to the delicious food and beer in the attached restaurants and bars. I also loved the market as well! I admirably spent far too much in there. Thank you so much McMenamins!

Incredible vibe, a feast for the eyes, and very comfortable accommodations. All staff were friendly and helpful. Breakfast brought to my room was incredible.

McMenamins Anderson School made our day perfect by hosting an excellent welcome party. They were incredibly easy to work with, and our guests appreciated the convenient location of the hotel. Their service and accommodations set the perfect tone for our wedding celebrations, ensuring our out-of-town guests felt comfortable and welcomed.

Spent a weekend at McMenamins for a birthday. I felt like it was well priced and as always, had a fun atmosphere! I would go back. My only critique is that the majority of the staff seemed discontent. The bartenders at the Tavern and the Principals office seemed super flustered and angry, although I felt like the anger wasn't personal, just seemed like everyone was having a bad day. Night audit on 10/18 was super cheerful and helpful though! He helped me update a room service order error after he had already collected them. Very much appreciated him.

The hotel rooms are quaint and reasonably comfortable. However, there is no coffee machine, fridge or a working safe in the room. There are coffee carafes in the hallway but only on the third floor. The coffee was lukewarm at best. There is very little in the way of security. The front doors of the hotel have a card access but it does not work. It might after hours but when we went up to our room at 9:30 it was open to all. Additionally, no alternate locks on the room doors. Having to go to the restaurant to get ice is a bit of a pain. We stayed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Christmas Eve price was $205 and Christmas Day was $289.

I've been to quite a few McMenamins bars and restaurants over the years, but this was my first time staying in one of their hotel rooms. We stayed one night at the Anderson School in Bothell, Washington. It's a converted junior high school and it definitely has those retro school vibes, which is fun. The hallways are filled with interesting signs and displays about the school and local Bothell history. The grounds are nicely landscaped, and there are a multitude of eateries and bars onsite and nearby. We ate at the Nui Nui bar and restaurant onsite, a great choice. It has Balinese decor and tasty food (I got the vegan Jamaican Rice Bowl which was both sweet and savory and I'd definitely recommend it). The Nui Nui is perched above the hotel's indoor pool, an Olympic-sized pool (which is rare for the area) and has big windows overlooking the pool, adding to the tropical vibes. The other big bar/restaurant onsite is the Tavern on the Square, which is pricier. Next to it is the Woodshed, which has pool tables and shuffleboard as well. Smaller bars include The Shed (outside) and the tiny Principal's Office (inside). There's also a movie theater onsite (extra, not free for hotel guests) and a small gift shop with cute home decor items, McMenamins-branded clothing, and beverages. The reason for the 3 stars instead of 4 or 5 was that the hotel room was grossly overpriced for what it was. We paid $360 for one night. Granted, it was a Saturday night during the Christmas holiday period, and there were tons of people around at all the bars for Christmas parties and get-togethers, so that might be why the price was so high. But it was really not justifiable. The room was dark and a little creepy. The heating didn't seem to work properly, so the room stayed quite cold in spite of our best efforts to get it warmer. (When we arrived, the room was 64 degrees and chilly. We had to set it to 76 just to get it up to about 71, where it seemed to top out, and even then it took a few hours to warm up to that.) The curtains didn't pull fully open either, so the room stayed very dark and unpleasant. Maybe we'd have had a better experience if we were staying on a higher floor with brighter light coming in from the windows, not the bottom/basement floor, and maybe not in winter either. But for the price we paid, we just expected more. Hotel guests don't even get any perks at the onsite restaurants or bars -- no discounts at all. In the morning, no breakfast -- just free coffee and tea outside the Principal's Office upstairs. Just seems like a raw deal for $360 a night. Much better to stay at one of the area chain hotels and visit the McMenamin's properties for a meal or drink instead.

We rented an event room and paid for catering which included a coffee and tea service as well as juice and soda. As planned, we arrived early to set up some personal touches to the room. And the room was freezing cold. You could literally see your breath in the air We were quickly introduced to the person that was in training and told they would be our main point of contact but that they would be supported in the process. Being an actual event, I would hope that a person in training would be 100% supported the entire time so that your event can go down smoothly without the people paying for it having to pay attention that everything that was supposed to happen was in fact happening . They forgot about the coffee and tea service so we had to ask for it. Then later we had to ask for it to be refreshed They had no way of communicating to the people attending that the juice and soda was available. And they didn't communicate this until about halfway through the event. you had to literally leave the event room and walk down the hall to another room. So no one really took advantage of that because they'd have to leave the event. So we paid for juice and soda that we didn't use . And in that room where people would get juice and soda, you would have to wait in line with people that were attending other events since it wasn't just dedicated to our event. This just seems strange and made you feel very disconnected from the event. Plus the line was really long (and again, not with people from our event). The food was amazing. Far better than most catered events . There was maybe seven tall tables that you would stand at to eat and mingle and those were set up nice . But the only chairs available were literally lined up against two walls which makes it really hard to visit and mingle. Even though it was a limited amount of space, I'm sure they could've figured out a couple of creative ways to set those chairs up differently Again, the stuff was nice and happy to accommodate all of our questions and request but should have been more proactive in addressing things rather than us having to pay attention and ask . I personally would not host another event there when I think there are plenty other venues that provide a better experience .

We stayed here during a company onsite meeting. This is a FANTASTIC and very interesting one of a kind hotel converted from a school, so it has all the quintessential layouts and decorations of a high school back in the 1930s. You can get some brochures from the front desk to learn more its history. It said classes were held in the building as late as until 2009! The room itself has high ceiling/windows, feels spacious and has a good vibe of being nostalgic with modern day convenience. Rooms are named after notable figures in the community and decorated with original art and portraits. They have multiple breweries and restaurants on the spot. The service was great and you feel warm welcome by the staff here. They also set up a coffee stand in front of the old Principal's office lol. A very nice touch!

We went to the Woodshed on a busy Saturday night. We waited about 15 minutes to be seated and about the same to see our waiter. Ordering was quick and easy. We ordered the Cajun tots and scooby snacks to share. These were so good and filling! The mini corn dogs were tender and delicious. The tots were fabulous as usual! I enjoyed the blackberry cider as well. Always fun visiting McMenamins!

My boyfriend and I are huge fans of the McMenamins' properties, and we recently celebrated our birthdays at the Anderson School with an overnight stay and exploration of the property. We weren't sure what to expect because the location looked rather small in comparison to the Elks Temple and Edgefield, but we were pleasantly surprised and had just enough to do for 24 hours! The parking is limited, so take that into consideration. We had to park a little ways out from the front door, but it was overall fine. Staff was friendly and we checked to see if our room was ready 30 minutes early and it was! We got one of the standard king rooms and it was great. We preferred this room over the room we had at Edgefield. It was a little bit more updated, still plenty spacious, and the biggest bonus was having an en suite bathroom. IYKYK that it's common for some of their properties to have communal bathrooms, so having our own was a treaaat. There was also a TV, which also isn't common at all locations. We loved every single spot we visited. Our favorites were probably The Principal's Office and The Whiskey Shed. We love all of the quirky, small bars and both of those hit the mark. We visited the Principal's Office twice, even. The restaurants were great too and all of our meals were good. I think my only "complaint" was that it would be nice for there to be a hot tub too as the pool is mostly geared towards families (which is fine) but not as relaxing as other locations. This was such a fun staycation and I'm sure we will definitely be back for future occasions!

Love this eclectic, historical hotel!!! It used to be an art deco Jr High School in 1931. The McMemamins' took it over and did what they do...turn it into a destination hotel. Filled with fun, curiousness, intrigue, and more. I highly recommend it!!!

We always love the dark ambience of McMenaminses. Pro tip: tots are only served in the Wood Shop. The mac and cheese special was delightful (and very large, my friend and I split it). Our waitress was happy to make suggestions.

Visited while in Seattle from a recommendation. Do not let the name deter you. A school turned into a hotel that has restaurants in the same area (walk from hotel). A Tavern with more dinner style format and a Pub with your burgers, etc. The Tavern does not have an extensive menu but varied items. If good weather there is a very nice outside area with wood fire pits for talking and drinks or just being social.

I went to the McMenamins Anderson School for Thanksgiving dinner. I made a reservation a couple of weeks prior. They lost my reservation so when I arrived they did not want to seat me and my family. How embarrassing. Fortunately I had text confirmation of the reservation so they eventually seated us but only after I complained vociferously endured they're foul attitudes and continued brush-offs. The food was really good but it did not make up for a horrible experience. I registered a complaint via the Anderson School website on two separate occasions but they did not respond of course. Clearly they don't give a crap about their pathetic service. If you go there, the food and beverages are always good but the service is usually horrible and it's overpriced.

Get your shit together!! I just paid for a pizza, and had to go pick it up in my pajamas in the restaurant. Room service is non existent and the man at the front desk said, well at least you have good pajamas. Not a fan!

THIS REVIEW IS FOR THE NUI NUI TIKI BAR ONLY. If you've stayed at or visited other McMenamins before, you'll know that they offer a variety of on-site eating, drinking, and entertainment options, and oftentimes not all are created equal. We've had our eye on this tiki bar since we first checked out the hotel grounds a year or so ago. At that time the bar was closed. Not sure if it was the time of day or because they were doing work on the pool which is located in the same building, but we earmarked it for another visit. So glad we returned because we thoroughly enjoyed the vibe here! Upstairs from the pool you have a nice view down to the water action. The bar is appropriately dark and nicely outfitted for the theme. We made a reservation (recommended for a Saturday night if you want to avoid long waits) and lucked out with a private room for the four of us which was very cozy. Our waiter was friendly and never steered us wrong. We ordered snacky foods like Big Wave Brussels Sprouts (nuoc cham, jalapeno, pickled carrot & daikon, sesame seeds) and Tokyo Tots (sadly served with crispy pork belly, so I did not partake). As you can perhaps tell, their menu also embraces the tiki theme. Not a lot of vegetarian options, but there are a couple entrees to choose from. Drinks were all superb. No prices on their cocktail menu which was a little concerning, but it turned out quite reasonable. The check came to about $180 before tip, so working backwards probably like $15 per drink, and well worth it. My personal favorite was the Painkiller (rum, coconut cream, fresh-squeezed orange, pineapple, fresh nutmeg). I could get myself in trouble with those... Looking forward to the next round!

Held a work conference here in June. Shoutout to Jennifer Waters for all of the coordination of our event along with the amazing guy who was our server during the event. Also, the server for the event told me in private that our group was the kindest one he's ever worked with there. Thank you for your feedback, really appreciate it. We had their Sunrise breakfast and the Northshore luau buffet for lunch. The food was fantastic. The conference room had an outdoor patio which we used as well to eat and socialize. Why is this 4 stars and not 5? Because parking here is still a super pain, none of the food items had a label so some people were hesitant to try them and kept asking me and the server what things were and what the ingredients were, and the room was cramped. Needed a much bigger room than what we were given. The soda was served in pitchers and I kept being asked what they were as well.

All I can say is soooooo fun! The rooms are comfortable and super clean. Large space to spread out and enjoy. I was here during the Smokey air week. For one full day I didn't leave the property which was awesome. Love the Woodshop, saw a movie in their theater and had a great breakfast at The Tavern. The employees are amazing and quick to help. Food is typical McMennamins and excellent. Enjoyed the grits and shrimp two days in a row for breakfast. My only regret is staying here during the Smokey week. The vibe here is so cool!

Dog friendly Hotel, with cute tiki bar and restaurants and swimming pool. I love the old school style hotel. Friendly staff and accommodating! Food are pricey though. Would recommend this place to anyone with pet or no pet. We were happy that we get to experienced to stay here.

From the first week Anderson school opened (2015 if I recall correctly) me and my family where there in attendance. With passports in my little girls hands visited the secret room in Bend,OR which they loved to coast to play golf Gearhart was so close to becoming a cosmic tipster just prior to COVID. Loving close by me and my two daughters watched movies their many times and making memories I think even a 5 year wouldn't forget. The tripster ride came to an end for me but am proud to say I tought my daughter how to swim in their pool. It felt like or I think I may have been one of the few guests still going to the pool as i noticed the UV lighting and cuts I the roof of the pool knowing that the UV lighting keeps things sanitary and if strong enough kills viruses, probably not COVID but turned out the risks were were it. I say all this because this structural engineering office manager and father suffered a divorced during those troubling times which caused me to move down to LA LA land (SoCal) and hadn't been back to Anderson. School since the outbreak. I was visiting my aunt for east brunch which I invited her too and going through a sad but happily I used McMenimens hotels for visiting clients and sites in Oregon which tallied up a couple free nights stay. In need of a serious break and visiting relatives back home in the PNW was looking forward to some resolution and close on my 20 year marriage with children in a house we sold in Olympics hills not too far aways.... Well I expected or thought it would be healing as the employees have always been awesome and more friends than wait staff..... That is untill a kid or guy...not sure what to call him but went by the name "Kent" ruined it such that I was going to report fraud as he gave me a shitty bitter attitude over using the points I earned and just a sour melon. I shrugged it off. Next day the same, shirt asshole comments and not the time of day. Shrugged it off and within a half hour of checking out I get fraud alerts from my bank for $200 which locked up my account and messed up me paying for lunch with a client. I quickly moved and secured my money but then the bank put a 1-3 day hold on it. Frustrated I still let it go since he didn't get the money and here the fraudulent behavior, I did receive one call before he tried to start pulling money. NOW! Here's why I am giving my once favorite place and kids favorite place a 3 star given the truly unprofessional and things he's smart talking to a guy with a masters in structural engineering and has idea... Was the young man that worked the night shift. In all honestly he saved possibly calling the police with the fraud as without a call I come to see Kent presume try to charge multiple cards in hand every few hours. I believe the night crew gentlemen was named right. I knew and bumped into him because in bought some cigars from the gift shop and would walk out to the smokers area in the middle of the nice to smoke one. Now cigars can be messy and stink which I never did here from that guys Kent which should never be client facing in my book but when I called Ryan (night crew guy) picked up and he wasn't sirr but heard that Kent assumed I was smoking in the room. So without asking his own staff, giving me a call he locked up my accounts as I was meeting a client of a company which owns most all cell towers in the US and may revenue what I guess and almost invited $20k in during Covid's and would have if the divorce went in motion ...hmmm $180k - $200k in revenue which is alot more than my firm... Anyways, my last name is Grant and I apologize this Kent and king of all that is not customer service took all those years and memories and pissed in them and did so with a bad attitude. I hope someone up the chain reads this and I will have to say, absolutely impressed with the night crew guy Ryan as he talked me down off a ledge and with logic as he saw me walking and out and chatted with him once over the few days, should be in Kent's position if your were going to ask me. That kids smart, open minded and for working night crew which I didn't years in college, has a great attitude. Thanks Ryan! Kent, give me that stank look while silent running all my cards without so much as a word of concern again...and apologize for my French but will knock your dick in the dirt kids. Luckily I was able to have a colleague help me last minute for me meeting downtown. And love you Mcminamin brothers, will always be in support of the family friend magic you guys prisoner to make. James E Grant, PE

Food very good, service is probably the worst I've ever seen. Ordered food at 5pm, 6 food orders, pregame to Friday Night Lights, food took over and hour to come out, 2 people never got their food. When food was ordered, restaurant was mostly empty, though did fill up. Against our better judgment, went back for a beer after the game, and service was even worse. I've never seen anything like it

$18 for 4 tiny pretzel loafs. $25 for a hamburger. $20 for a 12" pepperoni pizza, or $19 appetizer of hummus? And for this high price - was the food outstanding....no. The food was mediocre and the pizza tasted like a frozen pizza. Service and location was fine, but felt out of sync with the prices.

Terrible. We were seated and sat for 20min. No one greeted us. We asked several times if a server was going to come by or if it was best to order inside. They said someone would come by to take our order. Several tables that arrived after us got their drink and food order taken and we didn't even have anyone come by to bring us waters or take our drink order. We walked out.

Another genius McMenamins experience. We loved our two-night stay for these valid reasons: --comfortable room with black out curtains for a deep sleep --lush towels --comfortable bed --beautiful grounds --thoughtful service--the bar tender in The Tavern was pitch perfect. I now identify as a cognac drinker because of this wonderful barkeep. --fire pits and fireplaces at every turn...with beautiful, dry fire wood. The air is scented with campfire smoke. It's not too much, and I loved the campsite / cognac combination. --great food beyond the typical pub offerings. The Brussels and Cauliflower dish is my new favorite McMenamins to-go menu item. --imagination and sheer clever design and implementation of visual delights that invite my relaxation, conversations, celebrations and well-being. Truly, Thank you McMenamins founders, employees and visionaries. Our stay was part of our UW graduation celebration with a beloved cohort. From the 21 year old wait staffer who had never served a Spanish Coffee to that bartender who graduated in kinesiology but fell in love with mixology to the coffee barista who graced us with a latte misstep instead of throwing it away, we had the kind of experience that I imagine the owners and employees work toward. How could I not applaud this Smokey, grand NW icon? Five beautiful stars to you, Rock Stars!

Pro: room was big and clean. Front desk employee was nice. Con: booked here specifically for the pool and it was closed for fog. Guess what? Warm water + cool air = fog. Learned that one in high school. What could be done? Add a fan. Easy peasy fix. Very Disappointed kiddo and mom. Room was on first floor and 1/2 underground with a "view" of what looked like a storage area for chairs. Also had an accesible room (didn't need it) and there is no where to out your stuff in the bathroom. Not sure what someone with a wheelchair would do because the self outside the door was high. There was also a loud bang and a rumble that went in for about 30 seconds that happened every hour or so. Woke me up many times. Disappointed birthday stay for sure.

Eclectic hotel in a historic boarding house to school house. Dim hallways but well building. So many historical artifacts and artwork to satisfy any curious passersby. Lovely campus with multiple areas to venture: pool, two restaurants, theater and nearby school and shops. What a fun getaway. I knocked a star off because I cannot rate the rooms and it is a bit spooky especially for a fall visit.

First time staying overnight at a McMenamins. Large room with a King bed and a pull out sofa for my family. Including two dogs. Awesome. Three places to dine. Tiki bar by the pool. Tavern on Square ( open early. Closes early) and the "Woodshop"( open late. Close late) Regular McMenamins food and beverages throughout. Very friendly staff with exceptional service. Fire pits outside all over. Even in rain. Not as well established in the flora department, though, My dog liked the chickens. And the rabbit. My kids liked it too, because, well , it's McMenamins. Oh yeah, there is a theater here too , as well, Free coffee in the morning. It was a very relaxing stay. Kinda nice to over imbibe and sack out in a comfortable bed for the night.

The Nui Nui bar is such a fun, tiki bar vibe. It overlooks the hotel pool, so if the windows are open there will be a slight chlorine smell. Definitely recommend the Pig and a Poke entree for two people. It has delicious poke, glazed pork belly, tortilla chips, rice and more! We also got the coconut shrimp which made it more of a meal for the two of us. We also ordered two cocktails which were super tasty. Definitely recommend!

I haven't had the experience at a McMenamins that has been 5 stars until here. Our room is clean, comfortable and SO quiet. The shower and bathroom were spotless. The staff here has been totally friendly and great with anything we needed. We didn't eat anything but snacks and have drinks here because they sadly DON'T have McMenamins tots here!! The vegan options are really limited but that's okay because we found plenty of good places to try. The Market does have lattes, loads of coffee drinks with tons of available flavors and plant based milk options. I may have to check them out for coffee tomorrow morning! The pool is great, definitely busy but the kids loved the 89 degree warmth. I didn't love the breeze from the decorative grates on the wall that are just open to the weather but you're warm IN the pool. My least favorite part is that parking is tough. The pool is open to the public and gets packed so unless you're here early, like weekday afternoon, prepare to walk from your spot to the hotel. There is 15 minute parking near the front desk which allows you to unload and check in at least. If you guys can bring some more vegan options for food and some tots I would be even happier!!

I was told what makes this place cool is you can go to any mini restaurant and order food from any restaurant on the campus. The one your at or a different one. It ends up whiskey restaurant is the only one you can do that and it's the smallest one with not many tables. The other big restaurants you can't. I came here for that reason. Whisky place was full so I settled on a place that had a menu I didn't want. Place I wanted was full. Ordered a burger. Most of it was uncooked. Ordered crab artichoke dip. It was disgusting. Never coming back. High prices don't justify their quality/ ambiance.

I came to the Anderson School with a party of 8 for my birthday! We made a reservation for Friday night, a definite must. While it was not too crowded, it is always better to have a guarantee for a larger group. I enjoyed the following: Garlic Fries with Truffle Sauce-enough said here. :) House Bread: they have great bread! It was a good snack to eat while we started with our cocktails. Sunny Day Mango Sour: this was the sweetest sour I have ever tasted in a beer, and very enjoyable. I love how both bright and mellow this beer manages to be. Traditional Creole Gumbo: this gumbo packs quite a punch with the flavor and the spice. The sauce is very peppery, and the shrimp were fresh. In terms of the heat of the spice, it held up on its own, but I enjoyed mine with Tabasco. French 1738: this light cocktail was a bright way to end the evening. Beignets: While the beignet dough was a little thick, the flavors were there. We had a great time, and would come back!

Very cool place. Delicious food. Good service. There was a solid wait for the food but we appreciated the attention to detail in every dish. 8 people in the group and 8 satisfied customers. Campus is unique and seems like it would be fun to stay. I don't know when We'll be back but it was worth the trip.

Don't even think about accidentally leaving something here. They donate so often just consider the items you leave, a donation. Bathrooms/changing rooms are always disgusting. I won't dare let my toddler touch the ground and I stay in shoes. I'm just to pool locker rooms being bad but this is one of the worst I have seen. With this pool only open during the summer you can only get 2 lessons in a year. Maybe they should put glass in their windows so they can stay open year round like all the competing pools. Oh well, tried and it does not work for us and thankfully there are many other options.​

I chose McMenamins Anderson School for a birthday weekend getaway. Situated in the attractive city of Bothell, the Art Deco style school is beautifully decorated and comfortable. McMenamins has taken a great deal of care in honoring the school's history, including the people who made it a great educational experience. I was relieved to discover that the hotel is pet friendly, an additional $20. We were able to take our dog to a few outdoor seating areas and used designated toileting area. I viewed but did not enjoy the swimming pool. It's cool that locals can swim for free, but it makes it a less relaxing experience for paying guests. The large pool was packed with screaming kids who I assumed were not staying on site. Anderson School is not cheap; worth the price for a different experience. The indoor restaurants and bar are beautifully decorated with local history. Dinner on location is not recommended. The food left much to be desired and came with a hefty bill. Do yourself a favor and walk to a nearby business not associated with the hotel. Drinks are delicious and expensive.

tavern and restaurant we great. but the event staff was unbelievably rude and aggressive. I will never come here again for a show.

Nice happy hour in main bar. Good options for appetizers. Truffle fries and sliders were delicious. Cocktails were ok. Great atmosphere.

I have stayed in many McMenamin's hotel in the past and have always been very happy with my stay. However, I recently stayed at the Anderson School on a business trip and my truck was broken into in their parking lot, along with 6 other vehicles. I was very disappointed that I was not offered a discount or refund for my room in light of the circumstances. I will not be staying at a McMenamins in the future.

Food was okay. Service was inattentive. Took a long time to get the check. Beautiful atmosphere. I wish it was a better experience. I don't plan on returning.

Really cool hotel! If you like trendy boutique hotels, this place is for you! It's also a great wedding venue because of the beautiful gardens in the courtyard. So much character in the details! Glad I got to stay here for a night.

Foods mediocre and over priced. The pinball machines were all out of order. The one that was on didn't work and the balls were stuck. Took a dollar to play and didn't work.

This was our first stay for an event . #1 positive = dog friendly ! Staff seemed friendly , food was ok at the catered event and restaurants . We did not use the pool but it was super crowded . Room was clean but I think the rates are way too high for what you get . Parking SUCKED! Loved the fire pits outside but not all have coverage from the weather . Don't know if I would stay here again .

Unfortunately, good business ideas (their tiki restaurant and pool) have to be saddled with the poorly serviced and illogically-ran tavern and brunch spots. For some reason, the front staff in the tavern are woefully discombobulated when it comes to seating patrons as they arrive, even when they have reservations. After we commented that the food was taking a long time to come out, one of the waitresses flatly said "yeah that's normal." Jeez. I did, however, appreciate the waiter who heroically persevered and was literally sweating and running between the kitchen, which seems to be in an entirely other building, and our table to get us our fairly average fare. Shame that he has to work in such a badly run establishment.

I love McMenamins! I've had a wonderful time this year, with trips to Crystal Hotel, Edgefield, Kalama Harbor Lodge, Elks Temple and now Anderson School. Each location has its unique features, and all McMenamins are fun, and relaxing for what you pay, including lodging and refreshments. Last bit: if you're planning to enjoy Anderson's pool like you would at other locations, relaxing and drinking, think again. Anderson's pool is like a ymca where anyone with money can swim, and since the water is shallow, paying hotel guests contend with a pool full of young children. Beyond that, we had a wonderful time, and may return one day!

I LOVE this place for what it is, a unique place to come and explore. First let's get the negatives out of the way...The staff are not the friendliest. Many of them look quiet young and unhappy for some reason. The food is definitely overpriced and not particularly good. They give you a LOT of tots which are crispy, salty and delicious, but service is TERRIBLE and slow. Ok, now all the great things: 1. The location - it's a series of old and uniquely decorated buildings that use to be a school? Now there is a hotel, restaurants, a pool and a movie theatre. 2. The GARDEN!!!! It is my favorite place of all time. It is like a little piece of heaven with unique berries (gooseberries and currants), persimmon trees, artichokes, fig trees, grapes, apple trees, etc...you are not allowed to pick but I love walking through it to see what's growing. They currently also have a chicken coop in the middle of it. There are also huge cacti all through out, such as by the pool. 3. The POOL: Free to Bothell residents and those staying at the hotel. The warm water is steaming when it's cold outside because the ceiling is mostly open. We went in winter so that was a cool experience. 4. The Anderson school movie theatre - got it's own review! This is a place that you come to for exploring and enjoying the unique atmosphere. Eat, drink and be merry with lowered expectations ;)

I will preface this review by saying that if this had been a hotel that didn't present itself as "high end" and wasn't expensive, I may have given it three stars. Maybe. The decoration was done in a quirky, McMenamin's-style way, and that was fine. Our room service was delivered late and kind of cold (lukewarm) and we could tell it had been sitting somewhere for awhile. There is no in-room coffeemaker or microwave or mini-fridge (both low-end and high-end hotels usually have at least one of these if not all), so you have to go to their restaurants or store to get them. There is no way to get water or fill your water bottle without going to the bar. We expected a comfy bed because the decoration was nice, but we both woke up in pain multiple times in the night and just woke up for good at 5am because we didn't want to sleep in the bed anymore. At 6:30, I was told that there was no way to get water until the restaurant opened at 7am. Weird. Not even a vending machine. So yeah, it would have helped if they had the standard hotel stuff. The food is pricey at all of the restaurants, and the breakfast was good, but the burgers were not worth it. Plus there was a weird old-fashioned style painting of 4 old-timey hick looking men with shotguns and pitchforks facing the bed. Sexy.

Not sure why only the 3-star love here, but in my 30 countries of travel + 15 years of living in NYC, this hotel & creative food playground is easily the most Wes Anderson + inventive & creatively re-purposed resort I've been to. It gave me retro Disneyland resort vibes but in the best way (all I needed was Dolewhip) Everyone was really pleasant and inviting, esp Allie Gator, the bartender up in the Lagoon's Tiki Bar. Thanks for being so rad and warm to this tourist. McMenamins is a unique treat, Pacific NW -- you're very lucky you have it.

Awesome food at the tavern. Great people at the counter when I went looking for my cell phone I left at the resturant.

I ate lunch here last week. The service was slow due to staffing issues. (Totally understood, np.) The food--a "bowl", was not very good and was very expensive. Very "canned" tasting - mostly black beans and not very tasty chicken. Over $20.00 for a bowl that was a couple notches below a Chipotle bowl. The facility is overrated. It's really just a bunch of bars and same menu food clutches on one property. It's dated--not charmingly dated, but old and in need of upgrades and remodelling - dated. From what I saw, I wouldn't pick this as a "destination" to stay at.

My new favorite of the McMenamins hotels, dethroning the Kennedy School in Portland due to its spacious and luxurious courtyard, with glittering lights, firepits and fireplace, the Whiskey Shed, the North Shore Lagoon, and plenty of outdoor seating all across the campus. The Anderson School is well-prepared for the COVID shutdown, and reaped the rewards of their efforts: this place was busy all weekend! Everyone flocked here, seeking an oasis of food, drinks and community, and a reprieve from the drudgery of boredom and isolation. The North Shore lagoon is fantastic! Heated to a warm, comfortable level (although my wife felt it could be a tad warmer), this massive indoor swimming pool steams invitingly due to the contrast between the warm water and the cool, winter air wafting in from the massive windows. Open to hotel guests without requiring a reservation (a nice perk!), I was able to swim a few laps and relax, floating serenely, for the first time since COVID began. It's the small pleasures that you don't realize how much you miss them until they are taken away. The Whiskey Shed is a cozy little nook in the interior courtyard, warmed by a sultry fireplace within, and one of my new favorite bars. While the seating area has been gutted due to social distancing restrictions, I can imagine how wonderful it would be to enjoy a straight whiskey here, inhaling the fragrant wood smoke, and sitting tucked into a dim corner adjacent to the hearth. Fortunately, we were able to find a table next to the exterior fireplace, which sufficed for a decent consolation prize. Hard to ask for more in these troubled times! We dined at both the Woodshop and the Tavern on the Square for dinner and next-day breakfast, respectively. I've sung the praises of the Hammerhead BBQ Chicken pizza before, but I will say it again: this is their best pizza, and one that is hard to top anywhere! The Tavern Burger is a solid 9/10 as-is, made perfect with the addition of the in-house Secret Aardvark sauce. The salmon chowder soup is wonderfully thick and creamy, and quite filling, as my wife discovered. For breakfast, the Hole in One sandwich with cottage potatoes kept me going for hours, and my wife's Smoked Salmon Scramble nearly took her breath away (and I concur, it was fan-freaking-tastic)! McMenamins entrees are usually solid 8/10s all around, but we had nothing but five-star hits all weekend! I think we're getting the hang of this. This was a weekend, holiday and COVID escape that we sorely needed, and being able to bring our dogs with us took the stress off having to find a kennel or a house sitter. These days, it is hard to find an oasis where one can forget the seeming collapse of western civilization all around us, but we have been able to reliably count on the McMenamins hotels to provide a fun, exciting and peaceful retreat, even in the midst of the pandemic. That, my friends, is worth more than gold, frankincense or myrrh.

Rooms and beds were old, dirty and felt like bed bugs. Come for drinks and food and don't stay overnight.

This review is for Tavern on the Square only. It took them 30 minutes to take our food order and another 30 minutes to get our food. It was a slow Sunday afternoon, not sure what the problem is. The food, once we got it, was pretty good.

Stayed at Anderson School for two nights, loved the experience. The staff was great all around, we had dinner Friday and spent Saturday afternoon at the Woodshop to watch the Sounders match. Really enjoyed the experience. Would love to say the whole bar was great, but we ended up at the far right side of the Woodshop bar by the service station in two of three stools on that end - I'm confused why stools are here at all. It was the closest to the TV with soccer, but we felt like we were sitting in the walk-up order station. The staff (Bailey, Rob, & Maddi and others) were very accommodating, but the crowds of people ordering drinks and closing out checks was very much in our eating space, not to mention the trays of food flying in from wherever the kitchen is being dropped off next to me. Often I'd have to move myself and my drink just to make space for the food runner. This whole corner would be better suited as directed ordering location. There was even a big bowl of fruit in front of one of the three stools, blocking it entirely. 100% had a lovely time and felt very at home and welcomed by all the staff we interacted with, just get rid of these stools. Please.

Great experience! We dined at Tavern on the Square mid-week with a large party. The Tavern had a cozy feel and we were seated by the fireplace, a great spot for a rainy winter evening. Our group had a couple of appetizers, brussels sprouts and a cheese plate. The Brussels Sprouts were well cooked and portions were plentiful. Hubs and I both ordered the burger and they were able to do lettuce wrap (saving my carbs for dessert). The burger was a good sized patty, served with fresh veggie toppings and was saucy delicious. We ordered a salad with a tangy viniagrette which was delicious. Our table was more of a dessert crowd. Unanimously ordering 4 orders of beignets with chocolate sauce. These fluffy pillows of powdered sugar coated goodness did not dissapoint.

I brought my multi- generational family here- 11 of us. Food was good, service was great. After our meal, we went out to the fire pits. There we encountered a person who had been served too much alcohol, who was at first nice by starting conversation. Then he became belligerent - this was unprovoked, clearly he had been triggered. He threatened my son by standing up, towering over our table, and saying "come get a piece of me". It scared my elderly mom, she has mobility limitations. She jumped up and fell against the table. We got a staff member and asked them to remove this person. Instead, they brought him into the bar and we remained outside, deciding to leave. On our way out we explained what happened, asked to speak with the supervisor, and the bartender said rudely "well I don't know what you want me to do about it". It was very disappointing. We also called the police and they said there was nothing they could do. I will never bring my multigenerational family back here. This situation was completely mishandled by the staff, and it didn't feel safe.