‘Twin Peaks’: Is the Great Northern Hotel Real?
Locations in TV shows play a vital role in the show’s development and fan reception. Shows such as Gossip Girl took viewers through some scenic spots that remain great places to visit thanks to the show. Twin Peaks is one such show that has created a scenic and symbolic landmark that fans can’t help but gush over. While the Great Northern Hotel is a marvel to behold from the series, is it real? Find this out and more.
The premise of ‘Twin Peaks’
Twin Peaks debuted in 1990 and almost instantly became a TV sensation. Over the years of its airing, the show grew into a cultural phenomenon and maintained its symbolic status even after its abrupt ending. The show is set in a fictional town in Washington called Twin Peaks. It follows an eccentric FBI agent named Dale Cooper as he investigates the murder of a high school student called Laura Palmer.
Cooper conducted a quick examination of the victim’s body to find the letter R inserted under her fingernail. He informs the community that Laura’s death had the same MO as another killer who murdered another girl and that all evidence pointed that the killer resided in Twin Peaks. The authorities also discovered that Laura had lived a double life involving having an affair and prostituting herself.
As Cooper continues with his investigations, the town’s dark secrets come to light, and interestingly, Laura’s death is revealed to have had a mysterious connection to an alternate dimension. In Twin Peaks: The Return, Cooper tries to escape from the alternate dimension called the Black Lodge. He also attempts to prevent his evil look-alike, who goes by the name Mr. C from continuing with his reign of terror in the U.S.
The Great Northern Hotel is symbolic, but is it real?
The Great Northern Hotel is a fictional hotel featured in the show Twin Peaks and is where much of the series occurs. The lead character of the show, Cooper, stays at the hotel throughout the series. The Great Northern Hotel was owned by Ben Horne, Leland Palmer’s business associate whose daughter Laura’s death forms the show’s storyline.
The Kiana Lodge inspired the Great Northern hotel. The Lodge was built in the late ’20s, and its furnishings are made from aider bentwood pieces from that era. Although the Great Northern Hotel is an essential piece of Twin Peaks, it isn’t an actual hotel. Producers used shots taken from the Salish Lodge and Spa for the hotels’ exterior. The Salish Lodge overlooks Snoqualmie Falls.
If you want to visit the Lodge, it only takes you 30 minutes to get there from Seattle. The Lodge also has the ‘Twin Peaks Experience,’ which includes a cocktail named after the series lead character Dale Cooper. You can enjoy the Dale Cooper Cocktail In The Attic, Damn Fine Coffee, and Cherry Pie-inspired spa treatments and Twin Peaks souvenirs in the Country Store for the authentic ‘Twin Peaks experience.’
Is Twin Peaks returning?
When a show returns, fans usually start wondering if the revival would live up to the original. Despite the chaotic ending of Twin Peaks: The Return, many fans have wondered if the showrunners could make a fourth season. Original cast member Grace Zabriskie weighed in on the potentiality of the show’s fourth season.
The actor noted that the show’s co-creator David Lynch was tight-lipped about another season. She, however, admitted that she didn’t know if he was up to it. Lynch spoke on the possibility of other seasons shutting down any rumors. His sentiments in the 2020 interview with The Hollywood Reporter backtracked his 2018 statement where he seemed more open to the idea.