Hotels on Screen: Relive ‘Twin Peaks’ at Salish Lodge and Spa

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·3 min read

Have you ever dreamed of traveling to destinations seen in your favorite movies and TV shows? Many filming locations have become pilgrimage sites for fans. In fact, one in four travelers polled in Expedia’s 2024 Unpack travel trend report stated that screen inspirations influenced their travel decisions more than social media and podcasts.

Among those set-jetters was influencer Juju Green, popularly known as Straw Hat Goofy on social media, who enjoys recommending films and television shows and reaches an enormous audience by reviewing, analyzing and promoting movies. Green partnered with Variety and Hotels.com to explore the Salish Lodge and Spa in Snoqualmie, Wash., most recognizable to “Twin Peaks” fans as the Great Northern Hotel, which served as the home base for Agent Dale Cooper.

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The exteriors of Salish Lodge were first used for the pilot episode, which made its network debut in April 1990. Though interior scenes were filmed at a different Washington hotel and on a set in California, the Salish Lodge continued to be used as an exterior location throughout the show’s three seasons.

The cult mystery serial’s opening credits, among the most beloved in TV history, not only highlighted the property but also spotlighted the spectacular Snoqualmie Falls, which was fictitiously called White Tail Falls. The 270-foot-tall waterfall is just to the right of the Salish Lodge and can be viewed from an observation deck, which has become a tourist destination.

Green says his favorite part of the hotel was the unbelievable views. “Specifically, the one on my balcony that got a direct look at the trees and the Snoqualmie Falls,” he shares. “It looked like what peace feels like.” Salish Lodge’s guestroom accommodations include a balcony, patio or chaise lounge to enjoy the waterfall sounds or to take in the natural views.

When not in his room, Green headed upstairs to The Attic restaurant where there’s a specialty gin cocktail called the Dale Cooper. Every Feb. 24, the Salish Lodge does a “Twin Peaks”-themed brunch. “With something as culturally significant as ‘Twin Peaks,’ it’s easy to think that the locations in shows and film aren’t real. But walking on the bridge and having a bite in The Attic transported me right into an episode,” he says. “I felt like a main character for sure.”

The venue also provides “Twin Peaks” fans with the “Great Northern Escape” package, which includes house-made cherry pie and a “damn fine cup of coffee” in guestrooms along with a map to visit filming locations and a room 315 keychain. (The protagonist stayed in room 315 at the Great Northern.)

As for his recommendation of the Salish Lodge and Spa, Green says, “Do this in order: Go for a walk on the bridge, take a bath, get a window seat at either restaurant during lunch, hit the spa and then go back to your room to kick back in your robe with the fireplace going while you watch a movie. Room service is your friend!”

On Jan. 27, Green will be launching his new podcast, “Get Rec’d with Straw Hat Goofy,” where he recommends and breaks down movies and TV, from favorite classics to the hottest new releases. Green will also chat with celebrities and film fans about the movies they’ve made and the movies that made them.

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Variety and Hotels.com launched the new “Hotels on Screen” video series to spotlight fictional worlds where real-life hotels were used as locations and sets. Watch the “Twin Peaks” episode from the “Hotels on Screen” series here.

For more information on how to stay at the real-life properties featured in “Hotels on Screen,” visit this link.

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