A provided photo of the splashpad at the newly renovated and reopened Kah-Nee-Ta Hot Springs Resort in Warm Springs, Ore., June 26, 2024.
Courtesy of Jeff Grant / Soul Impulse Digital Media
Kah-Nee-Ta Hot Springs Resort on the Warm Springs reservation in central Oregon reopens to the public Thursday after a long-awaited multimillion-dollar renovation.
The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs partnered with the owners of Mt. Hood Skibowl to relaunch the resort, a beloved destination and important economic engine on the reservation that closed for six years amid financial difficulties.
Marketing materials for the updated resort show off 30 pools, including hot springs mineral pools, cold plunges and soaking tubs in addition to 30 motel rooms, 20 tipis and 70 overnight RV parking spots. Infrastructure updates include “all underground utilities, water, sewer, storm, irrigation, electrical and propane,” according to an announcement this week.
The tribes remain sole owners of the resort, said Starla Green, a member of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, and Kah-Nee-Ta’s kitchen manager.
The resort closed in 2018: “It was sad but we never gave up hope, " Green said.
Under her leadership, the resort kitchen will bring back old favorites like fry bread, huckleberry jams and baked salmon. She hopes to offer a seasonal winter menu as well.
Kirk Hanna, owner of Mt. Hood Skibowl, Collins Lake Resort and Lake Simtustus Resort partnered with the Warm Springs Economic Development Corporation to redevelop the property, according to a press release. His brother, Derek Hanna, is the resort’s general manager.
“Thanks to the commitment and dedication of our partners, project teams and the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs, we are thrilled to be welcoming guests this summer,” Warm Springs Economic Development Corporation CEO Jim Soeur said in the press release.
Kah-Nee-Ta opened last week to Warm Springs tribal members only.
The resort will offer discounted rates to members of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs and members of other tribes, said Green, but people must present official tribal identification.
Green said the resort will return jobs to the area and provide economic growth for the community and the region, but it’s also bringing back good sounds she missed, like the flow of water and kids playing.
“It’s a happy place,” Green said.
A provided aerial photo of the pool at the Kah-Nee-Ta Hot Springs Resort in Warm Springs, Ore., June 26, 2024.
Courtesy of Jeff Grant/Soul Impulse Digital Media