Fodor's Expert Review Old St. Francis School

Part of the eclectic McMenamins chain of pubs, movie theaters, and hotels, this fun outpost in a restored 1936 Catholic schoolhouse has classrooms turned into lodging quarters, restaurant and bars, a brewery, a stage, a mosaic-tile soaking pool, and a movie theater with couches and food service. Enjoy the laid-back and colorful atmosphere as well as the murals and vintage photographs, and be sure to pick up the walking-tour primer, which explains why, for example, one mural depicts Catholic school kids releasing monarch butterflies. Old St. Francis also rents additional guestrooms in nearby cottages.