McMenamins Elks Temple, Tacoma
On the west end of downtown Tacoma, Washington, one of the best buildings has always been the beautiful Elks Temple from 1916. Sadly, it had fallen into bad disrepair until the McMenamins corporation renovated it and turned it into a hotel, with the grand reopening May 2019. I was lucky enough to be able to check it out pretty soon after opening and had a delightful experience. The hotel has 45 rooms; some are interior rooms in a large central section, and some are more traditional rooms with windows facing outside. (Our room for instance had a lovely view of Commencement Bay.) Additionally, there are five restaurants and bars, as well as tasting room for the on-site brewery, and a large ballroom for concerts. It’s not a quiet hotel, but rather more a bright, colorful, boisterous temple to fun. And one that’s pretty easy to get turned around and lost in, though I feel that’s absolutely by choice. For example, one of the bars, called the Vault, doesn’t even have a sign and you have to push through a fake wall to access the hallway to it. All part of the adventure!
Nice person in Portland, Oregon, and beyond.
