Kalama Harbor Lodge reservations fill up through summer

KALAMA — It doesn’t open for another three months, but reservations for the new McMenamins Kalama Harbor Lodge already are filling up.

The new Hawaiian-themed restaurant and lodge will open April 20.

“We started reservations on (Jan. 9) and had a full day of people calling and doing online reservations,” said Renee Rank Ignacio, director of marketing for McMenamins. “Our opening weekend has filled up, (and) people are making reservations into the summer.”

On the McMenamins website, a Friday night to Saturday morning stay for two adults doesn’t open up until May 4. To book a Saturday night to Sunday morning stay, would-be guests have to wait until early June.

At the lodge, a king-size room runs $135 to $155 per night.

For $215 to $235, guests receive lodging with dinner and breakfast included.

While the hotel and brewery company operates more than 50 pub and hotel locations around the Northwest, Kalama Harbor Lodge will be only the third location McMenamins has built as an entirely new facility.

Most McMenamins locations are restorations of old or defunct buildings. The foundation and framing of Kalama Harbor Lodge was constructed by the Port of Kalama. McMenamins contractors are completing the design and interior of the hotel. The port will recover its construction costs through its lease with McMenamins.

New construction carries its own advantages and challenges, Rank Ignacio said. Historic structures such as the Old St. Francis School in Bend, Ore., have their own sense of character. But new buildings allow the company to design and plan ahead and be more creative. In addition to the 40-room Kalama hotel and restaurant, for example, there are plans for a second 500 square-foot-pub to be constructed nearby.

“Renovating a property requires you to work around the original bones of the building, which can be limiting,” Rank Ignacio said. “When working on a new building, the space is designed to suit current needs.”