Chena Hot Springs Resort

What Chena Hot Springs Resort does

Chena Hot Springs Resort is a 120-year-old year-round destination resort located 60 miles northeast of Fairbanks, Alaska, operating 365 days a year as a direct-to-consumer leisure and adventure property. The resort offers geothermal hot springs soaking (a 106°F outdoor Rock Lake for adults 18+ and a 90°F indoor Pool House), Northern Lights viewing from on-property and the Charlie Dome summit, wilderness accommodations (lodges, private cabins, yurts), and a portfolio of 15+ paid adventure activities including electric snowmobile tours ($150/rider), dog sledding, ice fishing, ATV tours, horseback riding, and a $500-per-person aurora photography workshop. Revenue is generated through unit-priced transactional sales across lodging, hot springs day passes ($15–$20), activities, on-site restaurant and Aurora Café dining, massage therapy, the year-round Fairbanks shuttle ($90 one-way / $180 round trip), and the Aurora Ice Museum — the world's largest year-round ice environment.\n\nThe resort's underlying technology platform is unusually industrial for a hospitality business: a proprietary low-temperature geothermal power generation system (developed with the U.S. Department of Energy and United Technologies using R134A refrigerant across a closed loop running 10+ years) produces approximately 85% of the resort's electricity from 165°F water at 1,580 feet — the lowest-temperature geothermal resource used for commercial power production in the world. The same geothermal heat powers three year-round hydroponic greenhouses producing ~1,920 heads of lettuce and ~9,000 lbs of tomatoes annually for the on-site restaurant, a Dutch Basket System with perlite substrate, and an Aurora Ice Museum cooling system that uses hot geothermal water for cold exchange.\n\nThe business is 100% employee-owned via an ESOP established in 2016 and is privately held with no parent company and no disclosed institutional investors. The company has no mobile app, no public API, and no disclosed digital product surface beyond the ihotelier.com booking engine integrated on chenahotsprings.com. Distribution is overwhelmingly direct — first-party website, walk-in day visitors, and the resort-operated shuttle — with earned media exposure (Condé Nast Traveler, National Geographic, Discovery Channel, Travel Channel, Lonely Planet, Brand USA) driving top-of-funnel awareness. Strategic positioning is anchored in the combination of natural-resource uniqueness (aurora + hot springs + remote wilderness), the 85% renewable energy footprint, and 12 decades of continuous brand history.

Name

Chena Hot Springs Resort

Legal name

Chena Hot Springs Resort

Website

https://chenahotsprings.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1905

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Chena Hot Springs Resort is a 120-year-old, 100% employee-owned Alaskan destination resort offering year-round geothermal hot springs, Northern Lights viewing, wilderness lodging, and adventure activities to leisure travelers, with on-site renewable geothermal power and hydroponic greenhouses.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

NAICS

Hotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (72111), Steam and Air-Conditioning Supply (221330)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Thermal Springs, Hot Springs & Thalassotherapy Resorts (THAGAMAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hot Springs & Nature Wellness Lodges (THAAAHAH), Thermal Baths, Hot Springs & Saunas (Onsen, Hammams, Banya, Sauna Worlds) (THAJAHAD), Geothermal Direct Use Heat Projects (District Heating, Greenhouses, Aquaculture, Industrial Heat) (EUAMAEAG)

Keywords

• Hot springs resort
• Wilderness lodging
• Northern lights tours
• Adventure tourism
• Geothermal hospitality

Headquarters

HQ city

Fairbanks

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Lodging / Accommodations: The resort offers a range of accommodations including lodges, private cabins, and yurts set deep in the Alaskan wilderness. Bookings are made through the resort's own booking engine (chenahotspringsresort.ihotelier.com). This is a primary revenue driver for multi-day stays.
2. Hot Springs / Pool House Access: Day passes and entry fees for the outdoor natural hot springs lake (adults 18+), indoor heated pool, and hot tubs. The Pool House operates from 7 AM to 11:45 PM daily, 365 days a year. Adults (18-59) pay $20, seniors (60+) pay $18, children (6-17) pay $15, and children 5 and under are free. Family passes covering 10 visits are also available.
3. Adventure Activities and Tours: A wide range of year-round adventure activities generate per-person fees. Activities include Electric Snowmobile Tours ($150/rider), Aurora Viewing Tours ($125/person), Aurora Photography Workshops ($500/person), Dog Sledding ($75/person or $150 for guests over 250lbs), Ice Fishing ($205/person), ATV Tours ($80/rider), Dog ATV Tours ($65/person), Side x Side ATV Tours ($75/person), Horseback Riding (starting at $90), and the Geothermal Tour (free).
4. Massage Therapy: Professional massage therapy services offered at the Pool House. Five treatment types available (Swedish, Deep Tissue, Hot Stone, Reflexology, Therapeutic) in 30, 60, or 90-minute sessions ranging from $85 to $220. Add-ons include aromatherapy (+$15) and reflexology (+$50).
5. Shuttle Transportation: The resort operates a year-round shuttle service between Fairbanks and the resort (approximately 60 miles). Fares are $90 one-way or $180 round trip per person. Shuttle picks up from Fairbanks Airport, hotels, and designated stops throughout Fairbanks.
6. Food and Beverage / Restaurant: On-site restaurant serving breakfast (7:00–11:30 AM), lunch (11:30 AM–4:30 PM), and dinner (5:00–10:00 PM). No reservations taken; first-come, first-served seating. Features produce grown in the resort's own geothermal greenhouses. Aurora Café in the Activities Center serves specialty coffee, snacks, ice cream, soup, sandwiches, and salads.
7. Aurora Ice Museum: Guided tours of the world's largest year-round ice museum (built from over 1,000 tons of ice and snow). Adults pay $20, children (6-11) pay $15. Optional Appletini in a hand-carved ice glass is a $20 add-on.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Chena Hot Springs Resort operates a year-round destination resort in Interior Alaska offering geothermal hot springs soaking (Rock Lake and Pool House), Northern Lights viewing, wilderness lodging (lodges, cabins, yurts), and a portfolio of guided adventure activities (dog sledding, electric snowmobiling, ATV tours, ice fishing, horseback riding, aurora photography). The property is largely powered by an on-site low-temperature geothermal power plant and supplies its own restaurant via year-round hydroponic greenhouses.

Product overview

Chena Hot Springs Resort is a year-round wilderness destination resort offering a unified portfolio of natural hot springs experiences, Aurora Borealis viewing, wilderness accommodations, and guided Alaskan adventures. The core experience centers on geothermal hot springs (Rock Lake and Pool House) and Northern Lights viewing from the resort grounds and Charlie Dome summit. The resort provides diverse activity modules including aurora tours (viewing, photography), winter adventures (electric snowmobile, dog sledding, ice fishing), summer activities (ATV tours, horseback riding), wellness services (massage therapy, hot springs soaking), sustainable agriculture experiences (geothermal tour, greenhouse visits), and dining. Accommodations include lodges, cabins, and yurts. Transportation shuttle service connects the resort to Fairbanks. The resort operates on renewable geothermal energy with three greenhouses supplying produce to the restaurant.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 85% of resort electricity generated from geothermal energy, reducing reliance on diesel generators
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ounalashka CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture partner with Chena Power in the Makushin Geothermal Project to develop a 36MW geothermal power plant in Dutch Harbor, Alaska. Represents a significant expansion of Chena's geothermal energy development capabilities beyond the resort's own operations.
• U.S. Department of EnergycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-funded the development of the low-temperature geothermal power generation technology used at Chena Hot Springs. Partnered with United Technologies to develop the novel R134A-based system that enables electricity generation from 165°F geothermal water — the lowest temperature geothermal resource used for commercial power production in the world. Also co-funding a $1.4 million geothermal exploration project to locate and characterize the geothermal resource underlying Chena Hot Springs.
• United TechnologiescoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnered with Chena Hot Springs and the U.S. Department of Energy to develop the technology that enables electricity generation from low-temperature geothermal water (165°F) using R134A refrigerant. This proprietary technology was instrumental in creating the world's lowest-temperature commercial geothermal power production system.
• Explore FairbanksminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial Fairbanks region tourism marketing organization that features Chena Hot Springs Resort as a top destination in Interior Alaska. The resort is featured on the Explore Fairbanks website and marketing materials, driving awareness among Fairbanks-area visitors.
• Travel AlaskaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial Alaska state tourism board that features Chena Hot Springs Resort as a featured destination on its platform. Part of the resort's earned media and destination marketing strategy.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Denali Backcountry Lodge: Remote, all-inclusive wilderness lodge inside Denali National Park operated by Alaska Wildland Adventures. Comparable remote Alaska destination-resort model with curated adventure activities and limited outside access.
• Ten Thousand Waves: Japanese-inspired hot springs resort and spa in Santa Fe, New Mexico, offering private soaking tubs, lodging, and massage. Directly comparable on the hot springs + wellness + lodging product mix, though at lower geographic isolation.
• Glenwood Hot Springs Resort: Large historic hot springs resort in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, with a giant thermal pool, lodging, and F&B. Closest U.S. analog to Chena's combination of natural thermal springs as the anchor attraction plus integrated lodging and activities.
• Dunton Hot Springs: Luxury remote hot springs resort in a restored 19th-century mining town in the Colorado Rockies. Comparable to Chena in marrying a remote, story-driven setting with hot springs soaking and high-end pricing.
• Kenai Fjords Wilderness Lodge: Remote wilderness lodge on Fox Island in Resurrection Bay, Alaska, operated by Alaska Wildland Adventures. Comparable remote Alaska lodging + guided activities + F&B product and similar low-distribution, high-experience model.
• Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs Resort & Spa: New Mexico hot springs resort with multiple mineral pools, lodging, spa treatments, and on-site agriculture. Comparable wellness-focused positioning and similar diversified revenue model (lodging + soaking + spa + food).

Regional players

• Blue Lagoon Iceland: Iconic geothermal spa and destination resort in Iceland, with on-site lodging, restaurants, and a wellness-focused brand built around geothermal water. Comparable geothermal-as-anchor concept and similar aurora-adjacent positioning, but operating in a different geography.

Broad incumbents

• Alyeska Resort: Year-round destination resort in Girdwood, Alaska, with ski operations, spa, and lodging. Larger and broader in scope than Chena (ski-focused, not hot springs), but competing for the same Alaska leisure-travel demand and Aurora/Overnight itineraries.
• Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge: Princess-branded riverside hotel in Fairbanks serving cruise passengers and Interior Alaska visitors. Direct regional competitor in the Fairbanks gateway market, with stronger third-party distribution than Chena.
• Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge: Princess Cruises Lodges property near Denali, offering wilderness lodging and tour packages. Competes with Chena for the Interior Alaska tourist flow, with much larger distribution via the Princess cruise ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ChenaHotSprings
• Instagraminstagram.com/ChenaHotSprings

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Chena Hot Springs Resort