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

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.

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.

A sole, beautifully decorated cabin nestled in the woods across from Kenai Lake, Teddy's is surrounded by mountains and hiking trails. The cabin sleeps up to four comfortably. The grounds are superbly manicured and convey a sense of a magical forest. The inn is 6 miles from Moose Pass and 23 miles from Seward.

This Soldotna hotel sits on a bluff overlooking the Kenai River, and if you get a river-view room you'll have a front-row seat for the fishing action during salmon runs. In addition to regular rooms, the Aspen also offers two family suites with bunk beds and several executive suites as well as a swimming pool and a gym.

Large rooms, including some with kitchenettes, make this well-kept motel a great option for families. If you're traveling by RV, you can take advantage of the on-site park, which has full hookups.

Across the street from the small-boat harbor, this modern 100-room hotel is very convenient if you're planning an early-morning fishing trip. One wing has four suites with jetted tubs, and an annex building has two suites overlooking the harbor. On the first floor is the popular restaurant. It's open year-round.

Consisting of two cabins and four guest rooms right above the town's market and liquor store, plus a few yurts, this is a charming and affordable place to spend your time in Hope. Both cabins sleep three to four people and have full kitchens and bathrooms. The location is convenient for enjoying coffee in the morning (at Turnagain Kayak Coffee) and dinner at night (at Dirty Skillet).

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.

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.

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. 

Originally built in the 1940s and billed then as the "best and most beautiful hotel in town," Hotel Seward is conveniently located downtown near a number of eateries, shopping, and the Alaska SeaLife Center. All of the historic wing rooms are on the second floor—11 of those rooms have four shared bathrooms, and they cost less than those in the newer wing. There's also a high-end restaurant, Fifth Ave. Bistro & Bar.

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.

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.

The refuge's public-use cabins are in remote areas accessible only by air or boat. If you're willing to overcome these hurdles, you'll find tranquility and true wilderness, and you won't have to worry about your tent springing a leak.

Built in 1916 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Van Gilder is steeped in local history. Early 20th-century photos of Seward adorn the walls, beds are brass or carved wood, and the common rooms foster a cozy B&B feel. This is definitely not a mass-market chain hotel, and the extremely friendly staff gives tours of the property, pointing out interesting historical information. Spend time in the sitting room with books of local interest or by the piano player in the lobby.