While many travelers head to far-flung corners of the globe in search of culturally engaging experiences at remote properties, the Pacific Northwest offers plenty of Indigenous-owned hotels where clients can immerse themselves in other cultures — and in nature.
From sleek wellness retreats in the middle of the forest to wilderness getaways designed to bring guests closer to nature, here are five of the finest Indigenous-owned properties in the Pacific Northwest.
Kah-Nee-Ta Hot Springs Resort
Owned and operated by the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, this hot springs resort was remodeled and relaunched this July after a six-year hiatus. About a two-hour drive from Portland, Oregon, Kah-Nee-Ta Hot Springs Resort’s big draw is its thermal pool complex, which features five pools — two with jets — plus a heated lazy river and a cold plunge. Other property highlights include a sports center, an extensive network of hiking trails and guided horseback rides.
Guests can spend the night in one of 30 revamped rooms — all with plush beds and decorative features inspired by the area’s tribal cultures — or bring a sleeping bag and shack up in one of 20 hand-painted tents, the newest additions to Kah-Nee-Ta’s overnight offerings.
Kah-Nee-Ta’s big draw is its thermal pool complex.
Credit: 2024 Cody RouxSalish Lodge & Spa
Overlooking Snoqualmie Falls on the lands of the Snoqualmie Tribe, this cozy, 86-room boutique property gained fame when it was used as the Great Northern Lodge on the television show “Twin Peaks.” Today, the Seattle-area Salish Lodge & Spa entices travelers who love to be pampered as much as they love spending time in nature. Along with steam and sauna facilities, the award-winning spa features multiple soaking pools — one with a waterfall feature — plus a wide range of treatments, many of which integrate natural ingredients sourced from the Pacific Northwest.
The lodge’s restaurants take a similar approach, crafting decadent meals — including numerous plant-based options — using local ingredients such as foraged fiddlehead ferns and honey produced onsite. After a day of dining, hiking and pampering, guests can retire to spacious rooms, all of which offer gas fireplaces, plush beds with feather bedding, bathrooms with spa-like showers or soaking tubs, and patios or balconies for easy access to fresh forest air.
Salish Lodge overlooks Snoqualmie Falls.
Credit: 2024 Salish Lodge & SpaSpirit Bear Lodge
Since 2001, this Kitasoo Xai'xais First Nation-run lodge has been drawing in eco-minded travelers interested in exploring British Columbia’s remote Great Bear Rainforest. Many people visit with hopes of spotting an elusive “spirit bear,” a renowned subspecies of black bear known for its white fur.
While cozy, sea-facing rooms make spending a day in bed tempting, it’s the wildlife and cultural programming at Spirit Bear Lodge that most draws clients. Guests spend their days whale- and bear-watching and visiting Indigenous sites, and their evenings attending cultural presentations and enjoying communal buffet meals served in the longhouse-inspired lodge. Both four-night and six-night all-inclusive packages are available; all include return airfare from Vancouver, B.C.; boat transfers to the lodge; excursions; meals and snacks; and local beer and wine.
Nemiah Valley Lodge
Surrounded by forests and mountains in British Columbia's Chilcotin region, this off-grid property owned by the Tsilhqot’in Xeni Gwet’in First Nations people — gives curious visitors the chance to immerse themselves in Indigenous culture at every step of their journey. Guestrooms at Nemiah Valley Lodge are spread across seven cozy log cabins with two bedrooms and two bathrooms, which can be split to accommodate two separate parties or joined together to host up to eight people. All come decorated with Indigenous-inspired art by local makers, including dreamcatchers, beadwork and photography.
Outdoor activities are a highlight of the Nemiah Valley Lodge experience.
Credit: 2024 Nemiah Valley LodgeAlthough some rooms have mini-kitchenettes, most guests at this all-inclusive property usually end up taking their meals at the main lodge, where the menu focuses on locally grown and caught ingredients (think: fish, elk and traditional bannock bread). Activities beyond the lodge include visits to a traditional village, guided boat tours, hikes and wild horse-viewing excursions, as well as opportunities to participate in local cultural activities and events.
Top of the World Hotel
A subsidiary of the Indigenous Alaskan-owned Arctic Slope Regional Corporation, the remote Top of the World Hotel attracts intrepid adventurers to Barrow, the northernmost community in the U.S. Simple but cozy rooms sleep three to four guests, and some have ocean views. American-style sandwiches and scrambles are served on-site at Niggivikput restaurant, though most visitors spend the bulk of their time away from the hotel, touring the surrounding area.
Summer season Tundra Tours take guests out to explore the tundra, where they can do a bit of wildlife watching and visit an ancient Inupiat sod house. Then it’s off to Inupiat Heritage Center to interact with Inupiat artists and learn about the history of whaling in the region. Tours wrap up with the opportunity for daring travelers to take the ultimate cold plunge: in the Arctic Ocean’s Chukchi Sea.
