Kettle Falls Hotel

As a fellow bed and breakfast owner, I can’t help but admire what you’ve created at Kettle Falls Hotel. Nestled within the heart of Voyageurs National Park, this historic hotel offers a unique blend of rustic charm and modern comfort. Accessible only by water, it provides a peaceful retreat with cozy rooms, a welcoming dining area, and the renowned Tiltin’ Hilton bar. Guests appreciate the warm hospitality and the opportunity to disconnect in such a serene setting.

It’s over a hundred years old, and has been owned by locals father (Rick) and son (Sean) for 20 years. It can only be accessed by boat, and part of the fun is getting there. Rick picked us up at Ash River visitor center and took us to the hotel dock, about a 30 minute ride. Once docked, Rick loaded us into a golf cart and took us to check in. The hotel is a real throw back, with a large screened porch, a dining room with tables inside and out on the porch, and a communal room where guests can gather. Rooms are what you would expect from an old hotel, smallish, with a dresser, bed and nightstand. Bathrooms are shared. Our view looked down the dirt road to the lake. It was perfect. We spent the afternoon walking around the grounds and down to the dam. We rented kayaks and attempted to paddle for a few hours, but a storm was coming in and the wind kicked up. We were worried that we would have a difficult time getting back to the hotel between the wind and current from the dam, so we cut the paddle short. On the way back an eagle swooped down in front of us, and landed on a nearby rock. Magical! Kevin, the cook, made us an outstanding dinner (Walleye) and equally outstanding breakfast (loaded hash browns … my husband and I split this order and Kevin individually plated it for us). Treenie, our waitstaff was a delight. This place is lively during the day, with Sean portaging boats between lakes, anglers coming in for some outstanding food, and tour groups stopping by, in addition to the regular hotel guests. We met people visiting from many places, and one couple from Australia told us some people they had met at lunch the day before invited them out on their boat for the afternoon. It’s that kind of place! For a unique adventure full of peace, solitude and wonderful people, I recommend Kettle Falls hotel!

We loved Voyagers National Park and the Kettle Falls Hotel was so much fun to visit. We ate a delicious lunch, toured the interesting bar, enjoyed the dam waterfall overlook and just generally had a lovely time.

The bartender could not care less about you trying to get his attention, but the place is super cool and nostalgic. Definitely worth your time to visit of you're nearby.

Such a great experience staying at this lodge! You need to take a boat out to the property from the Ash River Visitor Center, and the boat ride out is part of the magic. The rooms are incredibly clean, as are the shared bathrooms (never a wait!). The staff couldn’t be more helpful (I didn’t go to the bar and sad that some reviewers are giving a one star review for one just staff member - the bartender). The people at the front desk and in the restaurant went out of their way for me. The expansive front porch - especially in an evening rain storm - is particularly charming. If you have the chance, stay here! :)

I LOVED this place! It was so peaceful and cozy and warm. If I just need to relax and escape, I would go back in a heartbeat. It felt like home. (I stayed in a single room in the lodge.)

A great place in Voyageurs National Park! I came for a lunch, having a berry type rhubarb pie. Delicious pie and friendly staff!

If you want an amazing rare experience of being surrounded by thousands of acres of vast wilderness , in a historic 1913 setting,you will love Kettle Falls Hotel. To me the unique placement of this hotel is what makes it a one of a kind place!|Kevin’s Walleye Dinner is so tasty! | Rick, Craig,Shawn are amazing hosts and make you feel at home. |Some of the furnishings are well loved but very clean. |We loved sitting on the screen porch in the evening. |Ask about a (there is a charge) boat ride to see the scenery from the hotel, it was lovely!||DO NOT schedule a voyagers National Park boat tour while you are at the hotel, that leaves from Rainy Lake Visitor Center. The shuttle boat times will not correspond with the tour times. ||The boat shuttle ride is 30 minutes to get from the Ash River Visitor center(where you leave your car) to the Kettle Falls Hotel. ||Bring a good book, a deck of cards, and a fishing pole. ||We worried about the shared bathrooms but it was no problem, convenient to our room and one was always available. ||The Frozen pink lemonade and Voda is great. |Make the little walk to the trading post and the overlook. With bug spray on. |Relax and enjoy the scenery!|We can’t wait to return!!!!!

Everyone recommended we travel to Kettle Falls since it was our first time visiting Voyageurs National Park. We're happy we did. It was neat to see the historic hotel and "Tiltin' Hilton" bar. We came during prime lunchtime and the restaurant was busy with just one waitress taking orders, running food, and managing the cash register. We weren't in a rush and knew she was working hard so we didn't mind the slower pace of service but some others near us seemed to be more pressed for time. Might just be something to consider if you're on a timed tour! The food menu is basic but what we got (a Philly Cheesesteak and chicken tenders and fries) were cooked to our liking. You're definitely here more for the experience than the food but we had a great time.

Beautiful country. Great people and outstanding service! My whole family went and loved it! We went in July and there were lots of mosquitoes, but we used Thermacell mosquito repeller and insect repellent with deet and were fine. No TV or video games, so the kids played tag, swam, went canoeing and hiking and had a great time!

Just spent 2 nights in the hotel. Loved it. It's more like an old time resort. Rooms are small with bathroom down the hall. Only 12 rooms with 3 bathrooms so waiting was never an issue. Hotel is old and no elevator but everything was very clean and well taken care of. Staff was unbelievably friendly and helpful especially Sean. The boat ride out is fun and the canoeing was fantastic. Very beautiful location. Ate one lunch and one dinner in the restaurant. Food was very good and reasonably priced. There's a large screened porch all across the front of building. Wonderful for just sitting and talking. A few trails for hiking near the hotel but take BUG SPRAY and a net for your head.

No trip up north would be complete without a day spent boating to Kettle Falls to have lunch at the hotel, a drink in the slanty-floored bar, and a little walk to check out the dam and falls. The food isn't fancy, but it's always excellent. There isn't a ton to see here besides gorgeous unspoiled nature (isn't that enough?), though it's always fun to poke around in the lobby, give the bear pelt a pat, and thumb through the guest registers from years past.

Rick, Sean and all the staff do an amazing job. Everyone goes out of their way to make your stay wonderful. We've been coming to Kettle Falls for nearly 15 years and look forward to many more. Be sure to stop in the bar to see Ryan and Chad and get one pink slushy drink! The park service should not make anymore changes to the decor. I understand that they are trying to restore history from some point in time but it is really hard to tell....not to mention history and memories will continue throughout the years.

Rustic charm in Voyageur's National Park & the only access available is by water! I enjoyed our brief visit, but the rooms were uncomfortably hot in August with no air conditioning in the rooms. Also, multiple hotel rooms share 1 bathroom & shower, which was a surprise for us and a bit of a drawback. Take time to do a quick walk down to the damn. One of the few places in the nation where you can be on American soil and look south on Canada. The wild rice soup was fitting for a traditional Minnesota dish & the burger's weren't bad either! I would love to go back, but next time it will be a day trip!