Northern Quest Resort & Casino is a Kalispel tribal casino resort in Airway Heights, Washington, west of Spokane and near Spokane International Airport. Its main draw is substantial gaming, a 442-room hotel, restaurants, and live entertainment in one property. I see it as a better fit for a casino weekend or concert getaway than a downtown Spokane vacation. The biggest limitation is smoking: hotel rooms and the separate poker and gaming room are smoke-free, but the casino is not entirely smoke-free.
Northern Quest quick facts
| Address | 100 North Hayford Road, Airway Heights, WA 99001 |
|---|---|
| Property type | Tribal casino resort |
| Casino hours | 24 hours daily; individual venues have separate schedules |
| Minimum gambling age | 21 |
| Gaming floor | More than 59,000 square feet advertised |
| Slot machines | More than 1,500 advertised |
| Live tables | 39 advertised; not necessarily all staffed at once |
| Poker room | Yes, seven tables |
| Sportsbook | Yes, Turf Club Sports Book |
| Hotel | 442 rooms and suites in Canoe Tower and River Tower |
| Self-parking | Free garage and surface parking |
| Smoking | Designated casino smoking areas; smoke-free poker and gaming room; non-smoking hotel rooms |
| Rewards program | Camas Rewards |
| General information | 877-871-6772 |
| Official website | Northern Quest |
| Information collected | October 12, 2026 |
What kind of casino is Northern Quest?
This is a destination-style resort, not a small gambling stop with a snack counter. The hotel, spa, dining, and entertainment let you build a weekend around the property rather than around the drive there and back.
The Washington State Gambling Commission’s property listing identifies Northern Quest with the Kalispel Tribe and lists sports wagering. Its tribal identity also carries into the hotel design: River Tower’s connected forms draw inspiration from the Kalispel fish weir.
Location is the practical catch. Airway Heights works well for an airport-centered or resort-centered trip, but it is not downtown Spokane. If most of your plans involve central Spokane restaurants and attractions, I would compare downtown hotels before booking here. For alternatives, see our guide to Washington casinos.
Casino floor and games
Northern Quest advertises more than 59,000 square feet of gaming. Its official casino overview lists more than 1,500 slot machines, 39 live tables, and a smoke-free poker and gaming room. These are published inventory figures, not a promise that every machine or table will be available when you visit.
The useful distinction is variety. A group can split among slots, blackjack, poker, and sports betting without moving to another casino. That matters more to me than a long list of machine titles that may change before you arrive.
Smoke-sensitive visitors should ask about routes between their room, restaurants, and preferred gaming area. A non-smoking hotel and a separate smoke-free gaming room do not make the entire resort smoke-free.
Slots and video poker
The property lists slots and progressives across denominations from pennies through higher-denomination machines, along with high-limit gaming. Video poker is another option, although choosing a game should start with its pay table rather than the cabinet’s appearance.
My usual advice applies: check the total wager before pressing the button. A penny denomination is not necessarily a penny spin. Set a loss limit, and do not mistake an attractive progressive display for better odds.
No theoretical payout percentage guarantees money back during a particular session. A machine’s long-term return is not a refund policy for your afternoon.
Table games
The official resort directory lists blackjack, craps, roulette, Pai Gow, Spanish 21, Three-Card Poker, and Ultimate Texas Hold’em. It also identifies high-limit gaming in the Riverbank Taphouse space, with slots and two blackjack tables. Do not plan a restaurant visit around that old taphouse name.
Check posted minimums and rules before buying chips. Table availability and limits can change with staffing and demand. For blackjack, I would ask about the blackjack payout before getting distracted by the side bets.
Poker room
Northern Quest has a dedicated seven-table player-versus-player poker room in its non-smoking gaming room. The property advertises daily tournaments and live Texas Hold’em and Omaha games.
That is separate from Three-Card Poker, Ultimate Texas Hold’em, and Pai Gow at the casino tables. If poker is the reason for your trip, call about the day’s games, limits, tournaments, and waiting list. Seven tables do not guarantee that your preferred game is running.
Turf Club Sports Book
Turf Club is an on-property retail sportsbook with seating, televisions, self-service betting kiosks, and an app advertised for wagering on Northern Quest property. It also offers off-track horse-racing betting.
The staffed betting counter’s published hours are 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, unlike the 24-hour casino. The nearby Turf Club Lounge is smoking-friendly, which may matter if watching sports is a major part of your visit.
Understand ticket-redemption procedures before leaving, and keep paper tickets secure. The app’s advertised on-property use is not permission to keep wagering from home or a hotel elsewhere.
Hotel: towers, check-in, and costs
The hotel’s published information lists 442 rooms and suites across Canoe Tower and River Tower. All hotel rooms are non-smoking. Check-in begins at 4 p.m., subject to room availability, and check-out is before 11 a.m.
The strongest argument for staying here is straightforward: no drive after dinner, drinks, or a late show. Companions can also keep different schedules without arranging separate rides.
The River Tower room lineup includes Signature King and Queen rooms, Luxe King Suites, and Regal King Suites, with skybridge access to the resort. There is a useful fitness-center difference: River Tower’s is open 24 hours, while Canoe Tower’s published hours are 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Both are for guests 16 and older.
A tower room is not the only lodging option to ask about. The January 2024 venue-booking guide describes cottage rentals at the RV resort. Confirm current availability, rates, and the walking route if you prefer separate accommodations near the casino.
What to budget beyond the nightly rate
Compare the final booking total, including taxes and applicable fees, rather than treating the headline rate as the cost of the stay. The first night’s room rental is charged immediately when booking. At check-in, the property authorizes remaining room and fee charges plus $50.00 per day for incidentals.
For the illustrative stays below, the incidental authorization is $50.00 for one night and $150.00 for three nights. Those are holds for incidentals, not a nightly resort fee or a requirement to spend that amount. Leave enough available card balance for the hold and accommodation charges.
Breakfast room service adds a published 20% service charge. An illustrative $25.00 breakfast subtotal produces a $5.00 charge, while a $50.00 subtotal produces a $10.00 charge, excluding any tax. These are budgeting examples, not menu prices or purchases made by Gamboool.
Gamboool original analysis
We assembled the comparison below from published information and our calculations. These are selected examples, rather than measured gambling sessions or a representative survey.
| Detail | Published information |
|---|---|
| Northern Quest casino: Published operating schedule and gaming selection | The official casino overview advertises round-the-clock operation, more than 1,500 slots, 39 live table games, and a smoke-free poker and gaming room. |
| Turf Club Sports Book: App wagering location restriction | The free Turf Club app is advertised for wagering on Northern Quest property, not for unrestricted remote wagering. |
| Turf Club Sports Book: Staffed betting counter hours | The betting counter operates from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, unlike the round-the-clock casino. |
| Northern Quest poker room: Room size, games, and smoke policy | The seven-table poker room advertises daily tournaments and live Texas Hold’em and Omaha games in a nonsmoking gaming room. These listings do not establish which games are running at a particular visit. |
| Northern Quest resort: Hotel versus casino smoking policy | The hotel is nonsmoking, but designated smoking areas exist outside the hotel and in the casino; a nonsmoking hotel does not mean a wholly smoke-free resort. |
| Northern Quest hotel: Guest-room smoking fee | Smoking detected in a guest room triggers a published $250.00 fee. |
| Northern Quest hotel: Full-refund cancellation deadline | The hotel publishes a cancellation deadline of 48 hours before the arrival day for a full refund. |
| Northern Quest hotel: Advance payment | The first night’s room rental is charged immediately to the booking credit or debit card. |
| Northern Quest hotel: Check-in authorization versus payment | At check-in, the card is authorized for remaining room and fee charges plus $50.00 per day for incidentals. The room bill can be settled with cash at check-out. |
| Northern Quest hotel: Minimum reservation and check-in age | Guests must be at least 21 to reserve or check into a room; this is a hotel policy, not evidence of the gambling-age rule. |
| Northern Quest pool and hot tub: Family versus adult access | Family hours run from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; adults-only hours are 6–9 a.m. and 9 p.m.–midnight. A room key is required, and children under 16 need an accompanying adult. |
| Northern Quest fitness centers: Tower-specific access hours | The Canoe Tower fitness center opens from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., while the River Tower fitness center opens around the clock. Both are available to guests age 16 or older. |
| Northern Quest parking: Garage versus surface-lot cost | Both garage parking and the listed paved surface lots are free, including the listed outdoor concert parking. |
| Northern Quest EV charging: Charging locations and published cost | Free Level 2 charging is listed in the River Tower lot and on the garage’s second floor; a Level 3 fast charger is separately listed at Kalispel Market without an explicit price. |
| Northern Quest RV parking: Designated overnight parking cost | Designated lots offer free overnight RV parking. This statement does not establish that an RV resort site or hookups are included. |
| Northern Quest hotel: Airport-trip parking benefit | The hotel advertises free airport shuttle service and two weeks of on-site parking with a one-night stay, making this a benefit worth confirming for an airport-centered trip. |
| Northern Quest breakfast room service: Ordering window and service charge | Breakfast room service is offered daily from 7–10 a.m. and adds a 20% service charge for tip distribution. |
| Northern Quest late-night dining: Neon Pizza dine-in hours | Neon Pizza lists dine-in service from noon to 2 a.m. daily, offering a late-night option without promising all-night food service. |
| La Rive Spa: Included amenities and cancellation deadline | A spa service includes private spa amenities, relaxation lounges, the dry cedar warming room, and the locker room. Avoiding a cancellation fee requires notification by 4 p.m. the day before the appointment. |
| Calculation | Result | Takeaway |
|---|---|---|
| Incidental authorization for an illustrative one-night stay | $50.00 authorized for incidentals | Keep room in your card balance for the incidental authorization in addition to remaining room and fee charges. This authorization is not a published mandatory spending charge. |
| Incidental authorization for an illustrative three-night stay | $150.00 authorized for incidentals | A longer stay requires more available card balance for incidentals, even before accounting for remaining room and fee charges. |
| Breakfast room-service charge on an illustrative $25.00 order | $5.00 in breakfast service charge, excluding any tax | Budget for the published service charge rather than treating the menu subtotal as the final room-service cost. |
| Breakfast room-service charge on an illustrative $50.00 order | $10.00 in breakfast service charge, excluding any tax | The service charge scales with the order subtotal; larger room-service orders carry a larger added charge. |
Research references: northernquest.com 1, northernquest.com 2, northernquest.com 3, northernquest.com 4.
Method: Published inputs collected 2026-10-12. Illustrative assumptions are labeled, and the full calculation inputs remain in the saved research record. These examples support planning; they do not predict a particular session.
Guests must be 21 or older to reserve or check into a room. The hotel requires a valid payment card and matching identification, with advance arrangements if the cardholder will not be present. Its published full-refund cancellation deadline is 48 hours before the arrival day. Check the terms attached to your reservation rather than assuming every offer is interchangeable.
Restaurants and bars
The dining lineup lets you make dinner an event or simply take a break from the casino.
- Masselow’s Steakhouse: Fine dining with Prime steaks, seafood, and house-made pasta. I would reserve ahead if dinner is central to the visit. Its published dinner schedule excludes Mondays and Tuesdays.
- East Pan Asian Cuisine: Hibachi-style entrées, sushi, and shareable dishes offer an alternative to steakhouse and pub meals.
- EPIC Sports Bar: Burgers, sandwiches, wings, nachos, beer, and cocktails in a sports-focused setting.
- Neon Pizza: Counter-service New York-style pizza, with published dine-in hours from noon to 2 a.m. daily.
- Other quick-service options: Fatburger, Qdoba, and Buffalo’s World Famous Wings provide additional casual choices.
Highball is the cocktail-and-live-entertainment option, while the Non-Smoking Bar sits in the smoke-free gaming room. Check individual schedules before making either part of your evening.
A 24-hour casino does not mean every kitchen serves around the clock. Neon Pizza’s late closing is useful after a show, but it is not all-night service.
For a 2026 visit, the property’s anniversary offers page lists a $2.50 pepperoni slice at Neon Pizza, limited to four slices per guest per day. Confirm that the promotion remains available before planning around it.
Entertainment, pool, and spa
Pend Oreille Pavilion hosts indoor entertainment and events, while BECU LIVE is the outdoor concert venue. Highball adds another live-entertainment setting. For outdoor shows, plan for the weather at the end of the performance, not just when you leave home.
The hotel’s indoor pool and hot tub have family hours from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Adults-only hours, for guests 18 and older, are 6 to 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. to midnight. A room key is required, and children under 16 must have an accompanying adult.
La Rive Spa services include access to private spa amenities, relaxation lounges, a cedar warming room, and the locker room. A hotel room and spa appointment are separate purchases unless your package states otherwise. The spa’s cancellation deadline differs from the hotel’s: notify it by 4 p.m. the day before the appointment to avoid a cancellation fee.
Kids Quest, Cyber Quest, shopping, and the neighboring B&B Theatres give non-gamblers other options. Families should ask about age restrictions, supervision, and routes that avoid gaming areas.
Parking, airport shuttle, and accessibility
Northern Quest is at 100 North Hayford Road in Airway Heights. The official parking information lists free garage parking and paved surface lots, including outdoor concert parking. Free designated overnight RV parking is also offered, but that is not the same as booking an RV resort site with hookups.
Free Level 2 EV charging is listed in the River Tower lot and on the garage’s second floor. A Level 3 fast charger is separately listed at Kalispel Market on Hayford Road; do not assume the same free pricing applies.
The resort offers a free Spokane International Airport shuttle. The hotel also advertises two weeks of on-site parking with a one-night stay. That combination is worth comparing with alternative hotel and parking arrangements, but confirm eligibility, shuttle scheduling, and parking procedures before booking.
Do not assume the airport shuttle includes downtown trips. If a show is your main attraction, arrange return transportation before the departing audience starts looking for rides.
Visit Spokane’s listing describes the property as ADA accessible, and the resort lists TDD telephones on request. For particular mobility or sensory needs, ask directly about room features, walking distances, event seating, and smoke exposure.
Camas Rewards
Camas Rewards is free to join at the hotel front desk or a Camas Club location. The property advertises points and comps across eligible gaming and resort spending, including dining, hotel stays, shopping, and spa services.
I would join before eligible spending, compare member room offers with the ordinary booking total, and ask how table play is tracked. What I would not do is increase a gambling budget to chase a complimentary dinner. Rewards are a benefit of planned spending, not a reason to manufacture more of it.
Strengths and practical limitations
Northern Quest’s strength is breadth, but its value depends on what you will use. Here is how I would weigh the trip:
- Casino or concert weekend: Staying on-site buys convenience and removes the post-event drive. Weigh the room cost against that benefit, not just against the cheapest bed nearby.
- Downtown Spokane sightseeing: Compare downtown hotels if most activities are there. Resort amenities will not save transportation costs on an itinerary spent elsewhere.
- Airport departure: The advertised shuttle and extended parking benefit may make an overnight stay useful even when gambling is secondary.
- Strictly smoke-free getaway: Choose another property. Non-smoking rooms and a separate gaming area do not eliminate designated casino smoking.
For a concert evening, I would allow extra time for parking, dinner, and departure. That is trip-planning advice based on the event setup, not a claim that every busy night produces poor service. Likewise, restaurant choice and hotel facilities are reasons to consider the resort, not proof that every guest will find it good value.
Who Northern Quest is best for
Northern Quest suits couples and groups who want a resort-centered casino getaway, especially when dinner or a concert makes staying overnight more convenient than driving home. Its broad game selection, two hotel towers, pool, and varied dining let companions follow different plans, while free parking and the airport shuttle simplify arrival. I would choose another property for an entirely smoke-free stay or a downtown-focused Spokane itinerary, because Northern Quest’s convenience is strongest once you are on-site.
Frequently asked questions
Is Northern Quest in Spokane?
Northern Quest is in Airway Heights, west of Spokane and near Spokane International Airport. It is not downtown Spokane.
How old do you have to be to gamble at Northern Quest?
You must be at least 21. Bring valid government-issued identification. The hotel separately requires guests to be 21 or older to reserve or check into a room.
Does Northern Quest have a poker room?
Yes. Its seven-table player-versus-player poker room advertises live Texas Hold’em and Omaha games, plus daily tournaments. Confirm the current games and schedule before traveling specifically for poker.
Does Northern Quest have a sportsbook?
Yes. Turf Club Sports Book offers on-property retail sports betting. Its staffed counter’s published hours are 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, separate from the 24-hour casino.
Is Northern Quest smoke-free?
Not entirely. Hotel rooms and the separate poker and gaming room are smoke-free, but designated casino areas permit smoking. Smoking detected in a guest room carries a published $250.00 fee.
Is parking free?
Yes, garage and listed surface-lot self-parking are free. The property also lists free overnight RV parking in designated lots.
Does Northern Quest have an airport shuttle?
Yes, it advertises a free shuttle to and from Spokane International Airport. Confirm scheduling and arrangements before your trip.
Are pets allowed?
The hotel’s published policy says pets are not allowed within the resort. Service animals are welcome.
Does the hotel have a pool?
Yes, an indoor pool and hot tub with separate family and adults-only hours. Hotel guests use their room keys for access.
Sources and information date
This guide uses the property pages and public listings linked in the relevant sections, with information collected October 12, 2026. Published inventories and schedules can change. Confirm your room’s final price, restaurant availability, poker action, shuttle arrangements, and event requirements for your travel dates.