KALAMA — After a decade of talks and nine months of construction, the newest McMenamins site, Kalama Harbor Lodge, opened its doors to the public early Friday morning. Guests and curious Kalama residents were welcomed for a hearty breakfast before the official ribbon-cutting.
About 75 people gathered outside the front doors to hear from the project’s major players, including the McMenamin family, Port of Kalama commissioners and descendants of city founder John Kalama.
“I’m afraid this is kind of the end of Kalama’s quiet, unknown nature. We’ve flown under the radar for a lot of years … and I’m just afraid the secret’s out,” Kalama Chamber of Commerce President Jason Petrillo said with a laugh. “We’re happy with that. Thank you.”
The Port of Kalama had hoped to build a waterfront restaurant since the late 1970s, according to Executive Director Mark Wilson. In 2007 it finally found a partner in McMenamins, a family-owned chain of brewpubs, breweries, music venues, historic hotels, and theater pubs in the Pacific Northwest. Some 11 years later, the Hawaiian-themed Kalama Harbor Lodge has materialized along the water’s edge.
The 30,000-square-foot hotel boasts 40 rooms and a slew of restaurant and bar spaces. Rooms range from $119 to $144 per night. The design is inspired by Maui’s Pioneer Inn, which the McMenamin family visited decades ago, Dan McMenamin said Thursday.
But the Columbia River is the star of the lodge. Between outdoor dining and wrap-around porches, guests have plenty of opportunities to take in views of the West Coast’s greatest river.
“The setting is what drew us to the location,” McMenamin said.
Inside, Kalama’s history takes center stage. Rooms are named after Kalama historical figures such as John Kalama, the town’s Hawaiian namesake, and Shirley Lowman, a prominent member of Kalama’s women’s group, Amalak. Old advertisements from the Doty Fish Co. make up just some of the hotel’s art.
“Our community is full of families that have been here … for many generations, so their stories are told here on the walls and in the rooms,” Wilson said Thursday.
“The sense of place that creates and the history that is built into it is going to be a source of pride for a lot of folks here in this community,” he added.
Kalama-area fire chief Victor Leatzow said he was impressed with the lodge’s craftsmanship and the diverse mix of historical and artistic components.
Danielle Rowley, owner of Bear Country Catering in Kalama, said, “I am very happy to have them here. I think it will be a great addition to Kalama, and I really think a lot of people, staff as well as customers, are going to feel like the lodge is their ‘home.’
“As a business owner and resident, I think the more business here to promote our little town, the better,” she added.
Not everyone agreed, of course.
Resident John Posey said, “the waterfront we enjoy will now be crowded, parking limited and for fishermen a nightmare to find a place for boat trailers during fishing seasons.”
Wilson, however, doesn’t expect parking to be a long-term issue.
“I think over time we’ll see the amount of parking kind of settle into a more normal place. We just finished adding 115 parking spaces on the other side of the park over here … and 75 went just with the hotel and restaurant right here in addition to that,” he said.
Wilson also thinks that the lodge’s guests will include local residents as well as out-of-towners.
The facility will undoubtedly draw some of the 55,000 motorists who pass through Kalama daily on Interstate 5. McMenamins’ passport program also could draw people from around the region.
“I know the locals will be down here and enjoying it, but it’s also an opportunity for the guests to come to town and get to know us a little bit better,” Wilson said.
Those regulars, Dan McMenamin said Thursday, might gravitate to Ahles Point Cabin, a cozy 25-person bar 10 minutes down the trail from the lodge toward the south end of Marine Park. It’s part of the Kalama Harbor Lodge.
That cozy feeling isn’t just present in the Ahles Point Cabin, but also in the lodge itself. Wood paneling, warm colors and muted lighting create a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere.
Though McMenamins pub will certainly become a dining destination in Kalama, city officials believe the town’s businesses will continue to grow.
“When (McMenamins) comes, business comes,” Councilwoman Mary Putka said Thursday night. Already, she said, there was a 30-minute wait at Subway this week because of the influx of visitors.
“Folks that would never stop in Kalama for any other reason will now be coming here (which will) put us on the map from a commercial perspective that we’ve never had in the past,” Wilson said.
