22 Best Hotels in The Kenai Peninsula and Southcentral Alaska, Alaska

This fantastic lodge comprising eight standalone cabins either situated creekside or around a pond feels serene, even when there's live music at the restaurant or a loud concert down the road. Each cabin has a wood stove and an electric heater. Interior walls are chinked logs, beds have colorful quilts, and the lighting fixtures are modeled after gold rush–era styles. The cabins vary in size, but the largest sleeps up to six and has its own bath. A central bathhouse has hot showers and toilets, and all guests have access to the sauna. The excellent Dirty Skillet restaurant offers great food and live music on the weekends.

Twenty miles outside of Palmer, this lodge has spectacular views and can serve as a base camp for hiking, berry picking, and—in fall and winter—skiing. The cabins, some with lofts, are carpeted and have large picture windows with views of Hatcher Pass Valley; most have a queen bed. The cabins' half baths have chemical toilets and water coolers; showers are in the lodge. The restaurant provides good eats, and the bar serves cappuccinos and makes hot buttered rum on chilly nights. In summer there's often live music.

In a valley of spruce trees between the jagged peaks of the Kenai Mountains, this B&B inn offers a stunning backdrop—and bounty of experiences—in every season. Walk (or, in winter, cross-country ski) through the woods to the shore of Tern Lake, soak in the hot tub, practice your tennis or putting (on the landing strip), or just scan the mountainsides for Dall sheep, moose, mountain goats, or bears. The rooms and common areas have antiques and Alaskan artifacts, and the owners will help you book any other adventures.

This converted cannery at the end of the road offers a peek into what life in the region must have been like in the 1880s. Whitewashed boarding rooms overlook the bay where otters and waterfowl abound. In addition to beautiful lodgings and a café that serves excellent freshly caught seafood, Orca offers a long list of adventures, among them fishing, kayaking, river rafting, hiking, bear viewing, and flightseeing. There's also the opportunity to fly out to one of Orca's remote wilderness camps for fishing or just relaxing. An additional perk to staying at this end-of-the-road getaway is the fantastic dining at their on-site restaurant, which serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner seven days a week.

This popular inn is set inside the converted old Fairview Dairy barn, and each of the spacious, log-partitioned rooms is decorated according to a theme. The Denali Room has posters of the mountain, snowshoes, crampons, and other climbing gear. A dogsled and other race paraphernalia mark the Iditarod Room. A rooftop common room has a spectacular 360-degree panorama of the mountains and river valleys. You can also sleep in the stand-alone log cabin—it has its own wood stove but no bathroom.

On the bank of the Susitna River and an easy half-mile walk from downtown Talkeetna, this year-round lodge is idyllic. All four of the two-story cabins have gorgeous river views, and three of the cabins face Denali. Gazebos and firepits are set between every other cabin and in front of the lodge, which holds four suites. One of the suites is handicap accessible and has a private entrance onto the deck. The cabins all have kitchenettes and coffee makers; small TVs and DVDs can be checked out at the office.

Two miles outside Palmer on 15 acres of wooded land, the Hand family's peaceful inn has tremendous views of snowcapped mountains from across a sheep pasture. There are walking trails on the property, and moose are often seen grazing along them. All rooms have a kitchenette that is fully stocked with breakfast foods.

The warmly furnished rooms in this contemporary house on a slight bluff overlooking and directly accessing the trails along Kachemak Bay all have private baths, and most have water views. Guests can mingle and relax at their leisure over continental breakfast in the morning, and common spaces include two living rooms, and a large deck with a grill that faces the bay. The hosts have experience in the commercial fishing industry and are a great source for recommendations about what to see and do in the area. 

Owned and operated by a fifth-generation Kodiak Alaskan, this emerald-isle favorite has sea views and is conveniently located less than 1 mile from downtown Kodiak. Hosts Mary and Ron Doubt are well-known for their hospitality, offering local knowledge and home-cooked breakfasts; there is a self-contained apartment (with kitchen, bath, and deck) as well as a studio, two guest rooms, a shared lounge area, and a lovely dining room with bay windows overlooking the channel.

Perched on Kodiak's rocky coastline, this house contains a suite of three rooms with a common sitting area, private entrance, shared bath, and kitchen facilities, complete with a bottomless jar of homemade granola. The main house has a deluxe room overlooking the water with a private bath and access to the upstairs reading library. Relax on the cliffside deck and enjoy the artwork and organic gardens of hosts Marty and Marion Owen, who also offer wildlife viewing aboard their 42-foot yacht, the Sea Breeze.

All guest rooms in this lovingly restored historic building are tastefully decorated with antiques and quilts. The building was used as a women's dormitory during the farm colonization of the 1930s, and it still has a bit of a dorm vibe to it. Inn reservations and check-in are handled at the Valley Hotel, at 606 South Alaska Street.

With an RV park, four deluxe lodges, two cottages, and a historic inn, the Driftwood accommodates a range of travelers. The inn has "ship's quarters" with cedar walls and a pull-down bed, and "European rooms" with queen-size beds, dining-room tables, microwaves, refrigerators, full private baths, and private outside entrances. Downstairs is a comfortable sitting room with a fireplace, TV, books, and videos. A small eating area has self-service coffee, tea, pastries, and cereal. The lodges all sleep 12 to 14 people total or rent as individual rooms with large luxurious living areas, private bathrooms, king-size beds, and stunning views of the bluffs, the ocean, or the mountains.

Cabins here come in three variations—regular, deluxe, and riverfront, all with private bath, heat, and kitchen. One cabin has a gourmet kitchen and a private hot tub. The resort can arrange remote guided or unguided fishing trips, a backpacking drop-off, or air transportation to one of the Forest Service cabins through the local guides in town. Cabins sleep 8, 10, or 12 guests.

This charming resort offers seven rooms and one cabin along with a shared kitchen and beautiful outdoor areas. It's ideal for folks who can stay awhile and enjoy some peace and quiet while still being a five-minute walk to downtown Glennallen.

One of Alaska's oldest roadhouses, Gwin's is the epicenter of much activity on the peninsula and a one-stop shop providing food, lodging, and fishing tackle. The lodge becomes an anglers' headquarters during the annual salmon runs on the nearby Russian and Kenai rivers. Accommodations vary from dry fisherman's cabins to chalets with lofts, vaulted ceilings, and full kitchens. The restaurant serves fresh fish when available, sandwiches, steaks, and hearty breakfasts. Book directly with the lodge and they'll give you a $20 credit toward the restaurant.

Along with a fabulous view of the ocean, this waterfront boutique inn offers six guest rooms, all decorated with local art and character. All rooms have ocean views, private decks, adjustable king beds, spa showers, and personal hot tubs. Pamper yourself further in the day spa with massage and stress therapy, or in the Relax Massage Center with its fully customizable 4D-Massage-Chair and heated Zero-Gravity-Chair with Air-Compression-Massage and Revitalize O2 Therapy.

Commanding a dramatic view of Orca Inlet a few blocks from downtown Cordova, this turn-of-the-20th-century inn has three roomy suites and one "sleeping room" furnished with antiques. Owner Becky Chapek transports guests to and from the airport, where she operates Chinook Auto Rentals. If she doesn't have room for you, she'll suggest other places to stay.

In the oldest commercial building in Homer, this bright and cozy B&B offers peace, convenience, and sweeping views of the bay and mountains. It's in an excellent location, and not just because it's in Old Town—it's also above the Bunnell Street Art Gallery and Wild Honey Bistro—a fine cheese shop and deli. The stairs up have shifted with time and now have a slight lean, giving visitors the sense that they've had far too much to drink. In contrast though, the rooms are beautifully decorated with art and elegantly appointed with period furnishings and fixtures. The art gallery hosts occasional evening music, poetry, or arts programs.

In view of the harbor and just a short walk away, the Sea Parrot Inn is hard to miss. The proprietors, Tim and Mary, have painted the rooms in comforting colors such as blueberry, pine, cranberry, and cappuccino. All rooms have private bathrooms, and one room was designed specifically for guests with limited mobility while the Sea Otter Room is for travelers with dogs. The daily rate includes a selection of complimentary breakfast items from Perry's Cafe, which serves food all day.

Six miles out of Seward, sandwiched between two streams—one glacial, the other salmon-spawning—this tranquil inn offers respite from the summer buzz. Detox in the sauna or soak in the wooded streamside hot tub and watch the salmon migrate. An indoor common area has games and books, and there's an outdoor picnic pavilion with a fireplace. Groups can rent the three-bedroom, two-bathroom guest house next door that comes with a fully equipped kitchen, living room, and deck with a gas grill.

Family-run since 1976, this rustic-style property is well-known among those who come to fish in the Talkeetna, Susitna, and Chulitna rivers. All rooms have private baths (tub-shower combo) and TVs, and the property has Wi-Fi. Two rooms have whirlpool tubs. The café offers breakfast, which includes the owner's secret-recipe Swiss-style French toast.

This circa-1917 log roadhouse has a common sitting area and rooms of varying sizes. The accommodations include bunks, private rooms, a rustic cabin, a suite, and an apartment over the museum. Expect just the basics—bed, table, and window—and all the personality in the way the space creates a community centered on mountain life. Sizable breakfasts featuring sourdough pancakes from a 1902 starter and famous cinnamon rolls are served at the communal-seating restaurant. This is a popular place with locals and with climbers who use Talkeetna's air taxis to reach Denali. In winter, the café is open only on weekends and evenings.