The Harkness Hotel — Hotel in McCammon

“Hotel” seems like too simple of a word to describe this hidden and unassuming wonder of Southeast Idaho. The Harkness is a true treasure of so many intersecting elements; it is a synthesis of an artist’s unwavering vision to tell a story of finding beauty in a road-less-traveled.

Located in McCammon, Idaho, the name of the town escapes the realm of Idaho buzz-words like “Ketchum” and “Sun Valley” that have been seemingly beaten to death by social media platforms. It is hard to find a place that hasn’t been gobbled-up and spit-out by the likes of influencers competing to get the best reach and engagement by capturing their Stetson Hat with justtheright~angle. McCammon is a welcome respite from all of that. The town gives you a sweet exhale from effort, allowing you to envelop yourself in the cozy comforts of a quietly charming and undisturbed corner of the universe.

The exterior of the Harkness Hotel humanely blends into the historic era of wild-western centuries past. It sits along a central block of the town’s Main Street, sporting the elegance of a dignifiedly-restored 1906 Investment Bank Building. Upon opening the lobby door, one is catapulted into a space of humble, intelligent, and unexpected luxury.

The lobby is a blend of calming neutrals and pops of glimmer. Stepping into the space overcomes one with a welcoming feeling of time travel and chronological contrast. However, the other immediate sense that hits one upon entry is the scent. Potent-yet-understated, notes of honey, amber, and oak-moss provide an inviting olfactory hearth.

My profession requires 75% travel, so I’ve stayed in a lotttttt of hotels. Boutique luxury, boutique economy, Ritz-Carltons, Montages, and the attention to detail at the scaled luxury of The Harkness, affords something that huge brands can’t deliver. This gem knows exactly what it needs to be, with nothing more, and not a thing less. What I mean by this is, that the entire hospitality process is extremely self-aware in its bandwidth. Upon check-in, there is one attendant that provides physical metal keys to your rooms. After business hours, it is upon the guest to unlock the lobby side-door and gain entry. Again… this detail is not an inconvenience, but rather a reminder of simpler times, and lends to the coziness of one’s solitude while staying there. We live in a world with demand for 24/7 concierge access, mobile keys, and a general consumer capriciousness that— quite honestly— nauseates me. Getting to hold an actual metal key, and undertaking a share of responsibility and trust to unlock a door into this beautiful building, felt oddly refreshing, quaint, and something I didn’t even realize I missed.

Now that we’ve covered the experience of entering the common area of The Harkness, let’s dive into the experience of unlocking one’s portal to privacy. I had access to two units: The Copper Suite and The Indigo. Point blank, they were both breath-taking. I’ll focus mostly on the artistry, rather than quantifying the rooms’ space/function. Being a design “snob,” I get easily fatigued by what seems like every interior designer’s plunge into a neutral abyss. Grey laminate on everything, white cabinets only, farmhouse-style rolling cabinet doors, and random pops of industrial black or gold hardware. So overdone. As if color has become a crime? The Copper and Indigo suites blend neutrality with just the right amount of saturation, creating a mindful marriage of the two elements.

They say that pictures are worth a thousand words, and I feel like I’ve already written close to that…. So, I’ll let the images tell the rest of story. Swipe through and enjoy. To the hotel owners (you’re story-artists, really) and lovely front desk Goddess, thank you for restoring and creating this space. See...

We absolutely love love love this hotel!! By far the nicest hotel in the area... by leaps and bounds. Lava Hot Springs is less then a 10 minute drive away, and trust me, its totally worth the drive to stay here over anywhere in Lava!! The hotel is family owned and operated and the owners are wonderful. They will take time to speak to you if asked, tell you about the history of the hotel, give you a tour, and tell you how they came to this tiny town and decided to turn this old building into a beautiful boutique hotel! I can not say enough good things about this place. I wanted to move in permanently!! They have turned this old building into the most beautiful structure again, while keeping so much of its original charm and features. And they have done an amazing job! Since moving to UT in 2012 I have been searching for a non-chain hotel as nice as this one, and I finally found it in Idaho! The hotel has been opened less then 2 years, so there is still a lot of renovating going on, but it is not in the area of any of the guest rooms and/or the lobby, you could say the changes are going on behind the scenes, so they in no way effect your stay at all. The building is so quiet that even on the weekend while we were there, and the hotel was completely booked, we felt like we had the whole building to ourselves because it was that quiet. Which was wonderful, especially being the parents of toddlers and this being our 1st weekend away! Our room was super comfortable. We stayed in the Pearl Suite. It came with a full kitchen, little dinning area, living room with a gas fireplace, bedroom, and bathroom. It was very spacious.... it was HUGE! The kitchen had everything we needed to make our breakfast and our lunch in the room and we ate out for dinner. Everything was super clean too!! The lobby is so beautiful and has a wonderful Italian made Super Automatic Espresso Machine which makes hot chocolate, chi tea, coffee, lattes, and of course espresso. They were so delicious, I tried almost all of them. They also keep a mini fridge in the lobby full of cold bottled waters, all complimentary. We are looking forward to our next stay at The Harkness Hotel and seeing the upcoming changes as this hotel continues its renovations and growth. We are also recommending this hotel to anyone that will listen!! Thank you for a...

If you're visiting Lava Hot Springs and looking for a great room to stay in, seriously look no further. Your search should end here. Get on their site and book right now. We stayed as a family of six. 2 adults and 4 children. We booked the Ruby Suite. We had plenty of room for all of us. The bunk beds were so exciting for the kids! The master suite was perfect for two adults. The attention to detail with these rooms and the entire hotel is unmatched. It's an old building, so that gives it a special feel. But as soon as you walk in, there's not an inch of the place that has not been updated. There's still special remnants of the old building. The restained wood and framed newspaper articles from the 40's remind you about the history. But the lighting, chandeliers, and every amenity has been professionally and thoughtfully put together to leave the guest feeling like their somewhere special. The owner himself remodeled the place. You still get actual keys to your room rather than cards to swipe. I liked that quite a bit. The customer service was very personal. I received a text from an actual human about check-in times, and they accommodated us coming a bit early. The rooms are so nice I didn't want to leave. You do not feel like you're in a hotel. It's like staying in a luxurious upscale high-rise condo. The water pressure was amazing. The sinks were so nice. The range and stove top Gordon Ramsay would approve of. The lighting above the fireplace and the fireplace itself was amazing. The chandeliers sit above your head and reflect the light, reminding you that you're somewhere different. This place deserves a much higher rating than 5 stars! I'd give it ten or more if I could! We will be staying...