National Ovation for Luxury Escapes

Dixon has a theory for the lodge’s higher-than-average profile. “We do have a lot of writers stay with us; maybe two or three writers a month from various publications,” she says. “While those stays don’t necessarily convert into stories, they often do. Being generous with the opportunity for media to visit us has always been a strategy we’ve had in terms of marketing. We don’t pay for any advertising or marketing, but we do love earned media.”

Destinations may get noticed in different ways, depending on the media outlet. For Travel + Leisure, for example, guests can nominate their favorite places. Other publications encourage nominations by industry peers, and sometimes lodges can submit their own information to a publication as a way to seek coverage.

“Part of our marketing toolkit is to shine the light on Tutka Bay Lodge in interesting ways,” says Dixon.

While media coverage is helpful, Tutka Bay lodge reaches guests mostly through travel agents who are uniquely positioned to serve the luxury tourism market. The lodge only has five guest cabins and is more expensive because of its size and very private setting, as well as the twenty-member staff that caters to cabin guests.

“It’s a pretty rarified market niche, which is why we work with travel agents who are experts in that upscale adventure travel/boutique hotel variety of tourism,” says Dixon. “And they love seeing us mentioned in Travel + Leisure, Condé Nast, and other publications.”

Arctic Hive was also surprised by the award and found out from an email “out of the blue,” according to Busby. “The magazine contacted us a month prior to inquire about photos and a few details to consider us for an award, but we weren’t sure how it would play out,” she says. “The actual feature was much bigger than we imagined. We felt really honored.”

As with Tutka Bay Lodge, Arctic Hive prefers earned media coverage. “We put most of our marketing budget toward making contacts with journalists and influencers who share our same values of adventure and wellness and a desire to preserve the wild places we’re lucky to call home,” she adds. “We offer multi-night retreat experiences instead of one-night stays, so we love providing journalists the opportunity to experience our retreats exactly as our clients do, start to finish.”

Busby adds that Explore Fairbanks and the Alaska Travel Industry Association (ATIA) have been invaluable partners. “We’ve been proactive about collaborating with Explore Fairbanks and ATIA whenever possible. These partnerships have been so beneficial in getting the word out about Arctic Hive and meeting others in the tourism and travel industry,” says Busby. “Alaska is a huge place—and given the distance for us to get literally anywhere, there isn’t a lot of time to meet our peers. The relationships we’ve developed at these events and media networking opportunities are priceless.”

What Sets Them Apart?

While both lodges are known for exceptional experiences, each has its own unique niche. The Tutka Bay Lodge is renowned for its cuisine and includes five chefs on staff.

“I’ve always loved to cook, and my grandmothers on both sides of the family were cooks,” says Dixon. “I studied cuisine and am still studying it forty years later. The subject is so vast and creative and varied; I never tire of it.”

One of Dixon’s daughters, Mandy, went to culinary school to become a chef and now works as the manager of the lodge. “Through the culinary world, we tell our story about who we are, why we live the way we live, and what we find so interesting about Alaska cuisine; it’s an important part of our creative expression,” says Dixon. “I am so proud of our team because the food is really remarkable. It is a passion and interest for all of us, versus just something we do for guests.”

Dixon also believes that nature heals and that everyone deserves to be in the natural world, which is why the lodge’s wellness program is designed around the lodge’s surroundings. “Before COVID, we had a traditional model of wellness, with a massage therapist and yoga classes, but we had to stop because of the pandemic,” says Dixon. “During that time, we started to think a lot about wellness and began thinking of wellness in terms of being outside.”

That interval of study led to alternative pathways. “We did a lot of learning about sound healing, forest nature walks, forest medication, and about bringing people into the wild,” she says about programs that take advantage of the lodge’s 40-acre property, including yoga outside on the big deck. “We have five naturalist guides with incredible interpretive skills who take our guests into remarkable places around Kachemak Bay to inspire them to respect the natural world in terms of wildlife, water, forest, et cetera. We want to provide them with that pristine experience that they won’t find anywhere else.”

According to Dixon, remaining extremely mission-driven and grounded in a sense of place has helped the lodge garner accolades and attract more guests and committed staff.

“We have a really good sense of who we are, which allows us to articulate who we are to others,” Dixon says. “We have such a strong team—a beautiful group of people working very hard to provide remarkable experiences for our guests. While it’s wonderful to be successful and to be rewarded and recognized, living with deep authenticity isn’t a business strategy to us; it’s who we really are.”

To the Limit

Arctic Hive attracts a unique clientele made up of adventurers who are willing to overcome obstacles to make it to the off-grid facility, which is hike-in only.

“We live a true off-grid, subsistence lifestyle, not just during tourist season but year-round,” says Busby, who lives with her husband on-site. “Our goal has always been to give guests an inside view of what our life is like here.” At the far end of Wiseman’s airstrip, Arctic Hive is remote even for a settlement with barely a double-digit population, a 3-mile drive away from a Dalton Highway turnoff 271.5 miles north of Fairbanks.

“While some folks tell us they could never survive without running water or flushing toilets, the guests who make it to Arctic Hive don’t even flinch at these lifestyle adjustments,” she continues. “Once they see the views, watch the aurora with zero light pollution, or drive a dogsled into Gates of the Arctic National Park, they agree that our off-grid amenities are the perfect complement to the down-to-earth wilderness experience they receive.”

Arctic Hive was chosen in the “places that test mental and physical limits” category in the O-wards, which Busby feels is even more of an honor than inclusion alone. “This felt really special to us because it is a rite of passage to fly to Fairbanks, ride across the Arctic Circle in a chartered vehicle with strangers who quickly become friends, and then hike into the property,” she says.

Because the lodge sits underneath the aurora oval at 67° north latitude, guests are almost guaranteed to see the northern lights when the sky is clear. Visitors can also take advantage of daily yoga classes with Busby, who has trained extensively in India and offers yoga teacher trainings twice annually. She says, “Over half our guests have never practiced yoga before in a studio setting, so experiencing their first yoga class or sound immersion in our ‘Yoga Hive’ dome with panoramic views of the Brooks Range can be life-changing.”

Depending on the retreat package, the Busbys also take guests dog mushing, snowshoeing, and hiking, as well as backcountry and cross-country skiing.

“Sean and I find a lot of healing and spiritual connection to the land, and a lot of our guests are seeking that same type of spiritual experience,” says Busby. “The common thread among our guests is they’re searching for a connection to something bigger than themselves. The pure awe we feel while bundled up in winter—hours and hours away from the nearest streetlight, watching the northern lights dance overhead—is a really specific brand of magic that you can’t get anywhere else.”

The challenge of getting to the lodge is well worth the effort, as the couple has ensured that the destination is both comfortable and welcoming, from its plush beds to its home-cooked vegetarian meals.

“Even though we live off the grid, we didn’t skimp on any of the amenities that we could offer,” says Busby. “Guests experience a deep rest when they’re with us and they feel taken care of; we provide a good mix of adventures and time to simply breathe and be.”

Rare Honor

“Our clients get such a sense of accomplishment visiting us,” Busby adds. “There are a lot of happy tears, which is just further evidence that this place, this wilderness, and this lifestyle can truly open people’s hearts.”

While both destinations are pleased about making the O-wards list, they are even more proud that visitors take home authentic Alaska experiences and once-in-a-lifetime memories.

“We are super honored to be on the list, and it’s a rarified space to be able to say you’re on Oprah’s radar in any regard,” says Dixon. “But what’s really special is when our guests allow themselves to relax, to get out of their own heads, and to leave the hard burdens of the world behind and just take in where they are.”