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- We stayed at the Kah-Nee-Ta Hot Springs Resort in Oregon for my husband’s 40th birthday.
- Our lodgings cost us about $300 for the whole weekend, and the room didn’t feel very upscale to me.
- Even though some amenities were closed for the winter, my family stayed warm and entertained.
For my husband’s 40th birthday in December, we visited the newly renovated Kah-Nee-Ta Hot Spring Resort on the Warm Springs Reservation in Oregon.
The resort closed in 2018 but reopened in the summer of 2024 after a remodel. It’s about two hours southeast of Portland.
A party of close family and friends met us at Kah-Nee-Ta so we could spend the weekend soaking in natural mineral water outdoors together.
Luckily, we almost had the whole property to ourselves during the snowy Pacific Northwest weekend. Here’s what our stay was like.
Our room felt basic but did the trick.
My husband and I paid $109 a night for a two-night stay in a room with a king bed. I booked about five months in advance to secure that price.
To me, our accommodations resembled ones I’d find at an affordable motel. Still, it was nice we could park our SUV right outside our room and conveniently unload our duffels and pets.
After a $21 lodging tax, our stay cost $239. I also paid $50 to bring our two cats with us and added travel insurance for $24 just in case there was a severe winter storm.
There are more lodging options in the warmer seasons.
The resort felt more like an elevated campground than a luxury hotel, though I guess it kind of is the former.
Although we slept indoors, guests can also reserve RV spots for camping by the river or book a teepee (they seemed empty during our snowy visit).
The amenities were great.
There were numerous amenities and activities on the property.
We could rent private cabanas, check out the multiple heated pools pumping in mineral water from natural hot springs at different temperatures, and dine at a nice cafeteria where the resort also hosted craft nights.
Some summer offerings weren’t available to us in December, such as horseback riding, hiking, and playing mini golf or disc golf. There are also food trucks on the property during some months, but we didn’t see any during our visit.
Although we were bummed to miss out on a few activites by visiting in the winter, it was cool to have the resort mostly to ourselves.
We ate well all weekend.
We ordered breakfast and snacks throughout the trip and even had dinner at the restaurant-style cafeteria — everything was delicious, especially the huckleberry fry bread.
In the afternoons, staff brought our snacks out to us at the pool. We ordered nachos, wine, burgers with fries, seasonal salads, and more.
Plus, we’d packed plenty of picnic foods we could snack on for free throughout the day.
We ventured off the property for the second day of the trip.
On our second day, we visited the nearby Museum at Warm Springs, about 15 minutes south of the resort. The admission prices were great — $7 for adults and $6 for seniors — so it cost just $40 for our group of six to enter.
We loved learning about the local Indigenous history of the land and people while seeing historical exhibits and local art, from beaded crafts to waterproof woven baskets.
I bought a hand-felted Pendleton baby blanket as a souvenir for my kittens from the museum gift shop, which had an amazing selection that also included a variety of locally made huckleberry candies.
I can’t wait to come back.
The overall vibe of the resort and the staff were amazing.
I loved soaking in the water from the springs, and I especially appreciated the peaceful vibes of central Oregon during the winter.
I can imagine the resort is far more crowded in the summer, so it felt especially relaxing to be on the property with very few other guests.
Although I was disappointed we missed some activities by visiting in winter, that just means we’ll have to return to the resort during other seasons to experience them all.
I’m definitely excited to come back.
