6 Best Hotels in Homer, The Kenai Peninsula and Southcentral Alaska

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.

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. 

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.

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.

Spread across the best real estate on the Spit, Land's End offers splendid bay views from variously styled rooms and suites. The resort also has three-bedroom condos—a good deal groups of up to 10 people—that come with full kitchens, balconies, and access to a private beach. The Chart Room Restaurant specializes in seafood but also serves burgers and steaks. Call in advance to reserve a table with a window view of Kachemak Bay—or on a sunny day, dine on an enormous deck that perches over the water. In winter, when the deck is closed, guests can partake of the chef's monthly wine-paired, themed dinner.

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.