Kempton Hotel

This place has a new owner and new FRESH menu. Ever go to a place where you order chicken fingers and the cook goes onto pounding the chicken and ten hand breading it before frying? I love this place. Their mixed drinks are a bit pricier for the area so they lost a star on that one but certainly not from the food which is top notch.

Okay cheesesteak for rural PA. Order it with the sauce on the side, and ask for provolone if you prefer. The fries are tasty, and my wife said the bruschetta chicken sandwich was good too. Service isn’t fast, but it wasn’t slow, so we were happy.
They also serve breakfast, which I’ve heard good things about. I saw banana bread french toast.

My wife’s family has been coming here for years and after going once or twice myself I only have one question.
Why?
First all the service can be horribly slow. We’ve gone after taking our children for a ride on the WK&S railroad and even with a dining room that’s not even half full it can turn into a two hour excursion due to an elongated wait for the check and food coming slowly from the kitchen.
The meat quality at times can also be a little sketchy.
I’ve had a few of their chicken dishes/​sandwhiches and the meat is usually fairly fatty and has a tendency to be underdone.
The bar has a cast of regulars and you will be hard pressed to go and not find it filled up.
I imagine that if you find yourself in Kempton you might be compelled to try this place as there really is nothing else around but all in all the quality of the food is not really worth going out of your way for.

My last trip to the Kempton Hotel was not as enjoyable as before (2 wks. ago). I stayed there because I was picking up a furnace 30 min. south of Kempton and bringing it back to NY. I didn’t want to have to drive back to LI, NY and then back to PA twice. The room cost $ 95 for the week with a $ 20 key deposit. I called and spoke to one of the owners (Archie) the day before I arrived to ensure a room with a private bath was available. I told him I needed to say until Sat. am. During my stay 2 weeks ago, I had a very nice conversation with Archie and others I met at the bar. It was still a peaceful, quiet place with the bar right under my room. Everything was a go.
I arrive the next day and the bartender was not authorized to charge me for the 3 days stay and stated I had to pay for the full week. I waited 2 ½ hours for the co-​owner, Jody, who stated «It’s $ 95 for the week or nothing. Fine, I paid it because I didn’t feel like searching for another hotel and I was tired.
Got to the room #5 (the same room I stayed in 2 weeks ago), the heat was not on because I felt the baseboard and it was cold. No one but the co-​owner could turn on the heat in my room. I waited two hours for her to get to the hotel. I also noticed that the linens on the bed looked unchanged. They were the same with sheets, orange blanket and stained comforter with wholes and the first time. Needless to say, I didn’t use their linens. I brought my own.
When Jodi did arrive, she said the heat did not turn on in my room because the temp. reading was already up to 70 deg. and she didn’t want to burn other tenants out. I asked her to turn it up to 75. She turned it up to 71 deg. because she said the furnace would then kick on. Okay, so the furnace kicked on and then shut off because it’s only a one degree difference. I also asked if she could give me a portable space heater. She said, «She didn’t have one.» After feeling the cold air blowing on my face at 4am from the 75-​year old windows that are in desperate need of replacement, I went out the next day and purchased a space heater to heat the room. When I got up the next morning and looked at the thermostat in the hallways, I noticed the heat was turned back down to 70 deg. That says exactly what she’s about. That’s why I’m writing my review so that other people don’t have to waste their time or money coming here.
Not for nothing, upon my first arrival at the Kempton Hotel, the fridge and microwave were dirty and I bought comet cleanser and bleach to clean both. If their housekeeper cleaned this room, I certainly don’t want her cleaning anything for me. I also cleaned the bathroom that had a brown soap scum, stained tub. When I stayed the first time, the room had good heat and it was peaceful. I don’t know what happened. I always bring my cleaning supplies with me when I travel because I don’t fully trust any hotel (no body’s perfect). And it gives me peace of mind when I clean it myself. The room also slopes to the right (they must have foundation problems). It’s very obvious when you sit on the toilet or at the desk. You whole body leans to the right.
I’ve stayed at Motel 6, Hampton Inns, The Enclave in the Hamptons and it’s worth it to know they change the sheets when you leave and you can control your own heat. It’s about $ 50 – 125 per night but you don’t have to deal with the BS that comes with the low-​class managers running dilapidated hotels where they are too cheap to make improvements.
There was at least 3 feet of paint peeling from the ceiling on the 2^nd floor, cracks in the walls of my room, stains on the ceiling tiles (I assume from roof leaks from years past). Parts of the wallpaper were held up by thumbtacks. The furniture was from 1960 (older than I am).
Although there are many beautifully detailed areas in the hotel as far as woodwork, clerestory windows and one of the co-​owners (Archie) made you feel warm and welcomed, Jody is the reason I will never come back. Yes, money is tight, but this is clearly not worth it.
I can’t comment on the food, because I never ate at their restaurant. The coffee was not great. They have no flavored creamers.

My visit to the Kempton Hotel wasnt nearly as cool as nearby Hawk Mountain Sanctuary or the WK&S railroad. We first parked on the street and walked up a great big flight of stairs to reach to top floor of the restaurant. There is a bar with a baseball game on tv on our right when we first walked in. We were seated, along with 3 other couples who followed us later, from the WK&S.
The menu was standard american food. turkey breast, veal sand, cod and haddock sandwiches, pork chops, yams, mashed potatoes, applesauce, lots of traditional items. Most of the entrees came with 2 vegitables and the soup and salad bar (which could be stand alone or added for 5.50 to other items) They also had seafood, steaks, etc.
service was good, the restaurant itself is housed in an 1870’s hotel, and it still looks in very good condition.