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

In a small cove 9 nautical miles from Homer Spit (boat transportation is included in the room rates), this resort co-owned by renowned chef Kirsten Dixon offers the incredible luxury, amazing food, and utter relaxation—albeit at a steep price. Deluxe modern cabins adjacent to Kachemak Bay State Park have private baths, comfortable beds, and amenities that include a cozy main lodge, beachfront outdoor hot tub, steam room, yoga classes, complimentary massage, daily wine tasting, and daily adventure activities. Dixon, who also conducts cooking classes for locals and guests, handpicks her award-winning culinary team to ensure that all three daily meals are divine. Guests can hike into the park from the lodge for day trips, kayak in the bay, and watch eagles and otters just offshore. Fly-out bear-viewing and glacier exploration trips, and deep-sea fishing are included in the five-day stays.

On a private parcel of land on Resurrection Bay's Fox Island, this beautiful retreat with expansive bay and mountain views is only a 45-minute boat ride from Seward and consists of cabins constructed of local wood and outfitted with two beds and private baths. Some rooms have additional views of the small lake right behind them. Meals are served in the lodge, which has a vaulted ceiling and two-story windows that overlook Halibut Cove. The rate includes meals, use of a wood-fired sauna, transportation, and a tour of Resurrection Bay. Kayaks are available for rent.

The five modern cabins here each offer a million-dollar view from a hilltop on the west side of Homer. Each cabin contains two queen beds, a kitchenette, full bathrooms, and a gas barbecue grill on the deck. Every cabin is also equipped with a 42-inch flat-screen TV with DVD, satellite connections, and surround sound. Guests can soak in a large hot tub with Kachemak Bay, mountains, glaciers, and three volcanoes as the backdrop.

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 lodge is conveniently located along the Sterling Highway, with quick and easy access to trailheads and fishing holes. It's the perfect place to kick off your wrangling boots and relax. All rooms include a bathroom, kitchen, Wi-Fi, television, and complimentary frozen storage for your fresh catch. Most rooms comfortably accommodate four to six people.

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.

Rooms here at this hotel just a couple of blocks from the Alaska SeaLife Center and close to the hiking at Mount Marathon overlook Resurrection Bay, and on clear days you can take in the panorama of mountains and glaciers. Continental breakfast is served in the lobby, with a three-story atrium complete with a small waterfall, many plants, a baby grand piano, and plush seating. A side room has a fireplace, and works by local artists hang on the walls. Rooms are decorated with warm colors, artwork, and wooden crown moldings that complement the cabinetry. 

At the top of the historic Begich Towers, June Miller rents out five attractively renovated condo suites that offer fantastic views of either the mountains and waterfalls or the bay (and more mountains). Each one or two-bedroom suite sleeps six and has a full kitchen and good Wi-Fi. At the ground level is a laundry room and a market. June is the consummate host, and is happy to help you find everything you need to ensure you (and your entire family) have a fantastic stay in Whittier. 

Across Kachemak Bay from Homer, this family-run lodge provides five-night stays with wildlife-viewing opportunities and panoramic mountain and bay vistas in an intimate setting for up to 12 guests. The main lodge has a piano and a big stone fireplace to warm you after a day of hiking, fishing, kayaking, or touring in one of the five guided boats (some of the guided fly-out trips may cost extra). Scattered through the woods, the rustic cabins—all with electricity, full baths, and decks—are decorated with antiques, original artwork, and homemade quilts. Cabin layouts differ slightly; some are best suited for couples, others for groups or families. Included are use of the sauna, hot tub, transportation from Homer, and three gourmet meals per day. Dinners focus on seafood—clams, mussels, and fish—caught in the bay. Shorter stays of two to four nights are available at in spring, at the very start of the season.

Getting off the road and the beaten track is the most authentic way to experience Alaska, and Kenai Backcountry Lodge is about as true as it gets, with access only by boat across Skilak Lake. Once there, you will stay in a log cabin, taking all your meals (included in the price) at the main lodge. All cabins are equipped with running water, bathrooms, and electricity. The company stresses a low-impact, environmentally friendly ethos, and is fully run off solar and hydropower. The trip cost includes two nights at Backcountry, one night at the Riverside Lodge in Cooper Landing, transportation, and all guided activities such as hiking, kayaking, a Kenai River canyon raft trip, motorboat tours, and wildlife viewing. With all the moose, caribou, wolves, bears, eagles, and spawning salmon, chances are you'll see more animals than people during your stay.

Located in Aialik Bay, this is the only wilderness lodge within the 700,000 acres of Kenai Fjords National Park. To get to this all-inclusive lodge within the Alaska Native-owned wildlife sanctuary, you will depart via water taxi from Seward. Set against the backdrop of the Pederson Glacier, you can enjoy a number of activities here, including kayaking, hiking, beachcombing, or just plain relaxation on the lodge's large deck or in their cedar sauna.

"Elegantly rustic" might best describe this sprawling complex approximately 45 miles from Seward. Paths lead from the main lodge to bungalows, each containing four spacious units. Buildings higher on the bluff house eight units. Each unit has the look and feel of a mountain cabin and has a king or two double beds, a wood-burning fireplace, a comfortable sitting area, and a porch. Staffers can arrange for fishing, flightseeing, horseback riding, and river rafting. There's also a nature trail. The Rod & Reel Restaurant serves Alaskan fare, including seafood, and the Rafter's Lounge offers a menu of bar food and Alaska beers that can be enjoyed on the spacious deck.

Run by Alaska Wildland Adventures, this collection of cabins on the bank of the Kenai River offers a "roughing it in authentic comfort" all-inclusive, two-night package, with cabins that have private baths. Whether you choose to hike, raft, attend a naturalist program, or stroll the nature trail, in the evening your most difficult decision is whether to venture into the wood-fired sauna or pour yourself into a rocking chair on the deck overlooking the Kenai River. Fishing excursions are offered for an additional fee.

Immerse yourself in the world of angling at this upscale lodge that delivers both tranquil beauty and a flurry of fishing activity. Amid 4 acres of forest, the handcrafted spruce lodge's compound includes cabins that can sleep from 4 to 12 people. Some accommodations have Jacuzzis and fireplaces, and all have private bathrooms and full kitchens. There’s a full-service restaurant serving all three meals, as well as a 20-person sauna, gym, and massage chairs. "Build your own adventure" packages range from five to seven nights of lodging with four to six full days of fishing.

In a thickly forested setting near the bank of the Resurrection River, this lodging 2 miles north of Seward has the feel of a mountain upscale cabin. The rooms and balcony suites are decorated in warm plaids, pine furniture, and Alaskan prints. The lodge has hiking trails and offers hourly shuttle rides to the train and walking tours of Exit Glacier.

This expansive modern hotel sits on a choice spot with great hiking trails, and it affords splendid views of Denali from the enormous outdoor dining deck, the café, and the fine-dining restaurant as well as the large lobby, mountainside rooms in the main lodge, and third-story suites. Other rooms in the main building and neighboring units are modern and simple, if a bit cookie-cutter. The lobby has comfortable seating, a huge river-rock fireplace, and an espresso bar. The tour desk can arrange flightseeing, river trips, or any other Alaskan adventure you can imagine.

This hotel is one of the newer lodgings in Valdez and looks the part, with its sleek corrugated metal siding and slick rectangular lines. The lodge boasts a heated pool and exercise room while rooms are spacious, comfortable, and include microwaves and mini-fridges. There are also 10 small cabins on the property that include full kitchens, bathrooms, and both a queen and sofa bed. The location offers views of the mountains and the harbor, has a small market on-site, and is within easy walking distance to the town's main drag where you'll find a number of eateries and shops.