Canada is home to over 630 First Nation communities, each with its own customs and stories. More than 70 different Indigenous languages are spoken by the Indigenous Peoples of Canada, which includes First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples.
There are a wide range of Indigenous-owned accommodations across the country, which range from cozy bed-and-breakfasts to luxury resorts. Staying at an Indigenous-owned lodging can be one of the best ways for travelers to fully immerse themselves in the diversity of Indigenous culture in Canada.
Here are seven Indigenous-owned hotels in Canada to consider for your next trip to the Great White North:
The construction of the Hôtel-Musée Premières Nations was inspired by First Nations tepee and longhouse architecture.
Courtesy of Hôtel-Musée Premières Nations
1. Hôtel-Musée Premières Nations
- Location: 5 Pl. de la Rencontre, Wendake, Québec | Find on Google Maps
- Book now: From $120 per night. hotelpremieresnations.ca
The Huron-Wendat reserve and Hôtel-Musée Premières Nations are a 14-minute drive from Old Québec City, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Indigenous art adorns the walls of the 79-room boutique resort, and at the foot of every bed is a beaver pelt. The on-site Huron-Wendat Museum and the Ekionkiestha’ National Longhouse offer well-curated exhibits about the history and culture of the Wendat People. La Traite, the renowned in-house restaurant, offers high-end Indigenous-inspired cuisine with dishes like seal tataki poached with milk and smoked thyme, as well as duck breast served with a blueberry and honey sauce. Sunday brunch is presented to the rhythm of a drum.
Cultural experiences: Visitors can take part in a guided tour of the Huron-Wendat Museum and enjoy a Myths and Legends experience in the Ekionkiestha’ National Longhouse, showcasing the ancient traditions of the Wendat People. Nearby, travelers can tour a reconstructed historical Wendat village at Huron Traditional Site Onhoüa Chetek8e and experience Onhwa’Lumina, a .75-mile night walk that celebrates the Huron-Wendat Nation through music and light.
The Manitoulin Hotel is a four-minute walk from Little Current Lighthouse, which was once used to guide ships on Lake Huron.
Courtesy of Manitoulin Hotel
2. Manitoulin Hotel & Conference Centre
- Location: 66 Meredith St. E., Little Current, Ontario | Find on Google Maps
- Book now: $145 per night. manitoulinhotel.com
Manitoulin Hotel & Conference Centre is owned by the six First Nation communities of Mnidoo Mnising (Manitoulin Island), the largest freshwater island in the world, located in Lake Huron. The conical lobby area is the signature feature of this 58-room hotel. It was designed to resemble a traditional tepee and to reflect the seven sacred Grandfather Teachings in Anishinaabe culture. Located in the community of Little Current, the hotel and its signature North46 Restaurant offer memorable views of the north channel of the Georgian Bay. The menu includes pan-seared Manitoulin whitefish, bison steaks, and other Indigenous-inspired dishes.
Cultural experiences: Wikwemikong Tourism offers a wide variety of guided tours that can help introduce visitors to Anishinaabe culture; experiences include everything from guided hikes and paddling tours to culinary tastings. The annual Wiikwemkoong Cultural Festival and Pow Wow (which usually takes place in late summer) is one of the most popular events on the island, and features drumming, dancing, traditional foods, arts and crafts booths, and a variety of cultural experiences. For those who like to explore at their own pace, the Ojibwe Cultural Foundation and several interpretive trails are good options.
Métis Crossing is the first major Métis cultural destination in Alberta.
Courtesy of the Lodge at Métis Crossing
3. The Lodge at Métis Crossing
- Location: 17339 Victoria Trail, Smoky Lake, Alberta | Find on Google Maps
- Book now: From $165 per night. thelodgeatmetiscrossing.com
Opened in January 2022, the Lodge at Métis Crossing is a 40-room boutique lodge on historical Métis River lots about 75 miles northeast of Edmonton. (Since the 18th century, the French word métis has described individuals in Canada with mixed Indigenous and European ancestry.) The lodge and the adjacent Cultural Gathering Centre were designed by Métis architect Tiffany Shaw to convey Métis culture and historical character, suggesting the area’s original buildings. The buildings’ wood features are reminiscent of river lot properties that were traditionally owned by Métis families. Inside the lodge is a large fireplace, a taxidermied white bison, and a café. Métis-style patchwork quilts adorn the beds in guest rooms. There is a restaurant and a gift shop inside the Cultural Gathering Centre. There’s also a campground, sky-watching domes, cross-country ski trails, and a skating rink.
Cultural experiences: Visitors can explore the adjacent Cultural Gathering Centre, which offers cultural experiences year-round. These include traditional art workshops, star viewing, and voyageur canoe tours, with the large canoes that men known as voyageurs used to transport furs during Canada’s fur trade era in the 18th and 19th centuries. At Visions, Hopes, and Dreams at Métis Crossing Wildlife Park near the lodge, guests can see rare white bison, wood bison, plains bison, elk, and Percheron horses, a breed of French draft horse.
Read more: Discover a Side of Indigenous Canada at Métis Crossing, Newly Expanding in 2022
Wyndham Garden Winnipeg Airport Hotel is owned by the Long Plain First Nation and is the first Indigenous-owned hotel under the Wyndham Garden group brand.
Courtesy of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts
4. Wyndham Garden Winnipeg Airport Hotel in Winnpeg
- Location: Long Plain First Nation, 460 Madison St., Winnipeg, Manitoba | Find on Google Maps
- Book now: From $95 per night. wyndhamhotels.com
The Wyndham Garden Winnipeg Airport Hotel opened in October 2022 as one of the newest Indigenous-owned hotels in Canada. The 132-room hotel is owned by the Long Plain First Nation, which is located on Treaty One Territory on Long Plain Madison Reserve, Winnipeg’s first urban reserve. The hotel has an east-facing main entrance and a curved design, which reflects Indigenous traditions. Unique art created by Long Plain artists appears in every guest room, and there’s a large focal piece on each floor near the elevator. The 5,800 square feet of meeting space includes a Knowledge Keepers’ area where Elders and Indigenous leaders can gather. There’s bilingual signage throughout the hotel in English and Ojibway. A gift shop called Kookum’s Korner sells authentic Indigenous products. The on-site restaurant is Manoomin, which means “wild rice” in Ojibway. It features an Indigenous-inspired menu created by a First Nations Red Seal Chef, a rigorous certification program in Canada that distinguishes a chef for having a high standard of qualification.
Cultural experiences: The Manitoba Museum and the Canadian Museum for Human Rights are good places to explore Indigenous culture and history in Canada. Winnipeg Art Gallery-Qaumajuq is home to the world’s largest public collection of contemporary Inuit art. Lower Fort Garry National Historic Site is where Treaty No. 1 was signed by the seven chiefs of the Ojibwe and Swampy Cree First Nations. Riel House National Historic Site shares Métis history and culture.
The Dakota Dunes Resort is only 20 minutes from downtown Saskatoon.
Courtesy of Dakota Dunes
5. Dakota Dunes Resort
- Location: 203 Dakota Dunes Way, Whitecap, Saskatchewan | Find on Google Maps
- Book now: From $130 per night. dakotadunesresort.com
Located just outside Saskatoon in traditional Whitecap Dakota First Nation territory, Dakota Dunes Resort (managed by Atlific Hotels) has 155 guest rooms and a myriad of amenities, including a casino, golf course, a swimming pool, a restaurant, and multiple conference rooms. The expansive lobby has gathering spaces centered around fires, and Indigenous art is spotlighted throughout the property—each guest room features a bold graphic that was made using a photograph of chief Darcy Bear’s headdress.
Cultural experiences: A variety of cultural experiences are available on the property through Dakota Dunes Adventures. These include Pow Wow dance presentations, making bannock (a quick bread), and reconciliation workshops designed to increase understanding and strengthen relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. In nearby Saskatoon, Wanuskewin Heritage Park is a national historic site and Canada’s longest running archaeological dig site. It has trails to explore, a visitor center with artifacts, a restaurant, and unique programming like Han Wi Moon Indigenous culinary experiences that include a walking tour, an Indigenous-inspired dinner at the tepee village, and dessert and storytelling on a spectacular bluff overlooking the South Saskatchewan River and the opimihāw Valley.
St. Eugene Mission once operated as a residential school for Indigenous children. In 2003, the Ktunaxa Nation opened St. Eugene Resort and reclaimed the mission as a place that could economically serve the community.
Courtesy of St. Eugene Resort
6. St. Eugene Resort
- Location: 7777 Mission Road, Cranbrook, British Columbia | Find on Google Maps
- Book now: From $100 per night. steugene.ca
St. Eugene Resort near Cranbrook has a history unlike any hotel in the world. From 1912 to 1970, St. Eugene Mission was one of 130 residential schools for Indigenous children that operated in Canada between 1831 and 1996 by certain churches and religious organizations. They were designed to systematically erase the Indigenous way of life and replace it with Western culture and values. Canadians are still contending with the dark history of abuse; about 5,000 Indigenous children from British Columbia and Alberta came through the school and some did not survive. After the school was closed, local Indigenous Peoples decided to turn the painful legacy into something positive for future generations—by transforming the structure into a hotel, they could provide income and jobs for the community. The 125-room resort has a health club, a casino, restaurants, an award-wining golf course, an RV park, and an interpretive center designed to promote and share Ktunaxa culture.
Cultural experiences: Guests can take a tour of the former school with a residential school survivor, see historical artifacts, watch a film, or participate in Indigenous Cultural Awareness Training programs at the on-site Ktunaxa Interpretive Centre.
Klahoose Wilderness Resort is completely Indigenous owned and operated.
Photo courtesy of Destination Canada
7. Klahoose Wilderness Resort
Location: qathet Regional District, British Colombia| Find on Google Maps
Book now: From $2,100 for a three-night package. klahooseresort.com
One thing about Klahoose Wilderness Resort is that it’s remote—beautifully so. Located on 2,500 acres of Klahoose territory that the community has protected for centuries, the property can also be accessed via a 60-minute seaplane ride from Vancouver or 45-minute boat transfer from Lund, B.C. . Here, glacial waterfalls plummet down snow-capped mountains and evergreens line the Homfray Channel. The resort has just four lodge rooms and three cedar cabins, which all face the sea. Keep your eyes peeled for humpbacks breaching at sunrise. Activities include Indigenous-led grizzly bear tours, wood-carving lessons from Klahoose interpreter Klemkwateki Randy Louie, as well as a participatory smudging and brushing ceremony around a fire.
Additional reporting provided by Kathryn Romeyn.
