The upscale Alaska Legends Adventure Resort features 11 rooms and custom tour packages featuring trips and fishing across the Kenai Peninsula.

"Our reservations have been fairly strong for our first year," said Marnie Nelson, president of facility operator Legends Lodge Inc. "Obviously, we hope to increase reservations in the future."

Lodge operators have decided to run Alaska Legends year-round based on response from peninsula residents and other Alaskans, said Nelson, who handles reservations and marketing.

"We're getting a lot of calls for corporate retreats and incentive packages," she said.

However, the lodge won't be open during the Christmas season, she said.

Also, some Kenai Peninsula residents have queried lodge operators to offer Alaska Legends cuisine prepared by its chef for public dinner service.

"We contemplating offering dinner one night a week on a limited menu by reservation only," Nelson said.

Accessed via a 20-minute drive from Soldotna down Funny River Road, Alaska Legends sits 50 feet from the Kenai River and features 300 feet of river front property.

"We feel like we've put together a really nice product," she said.

First guests arrived May 28 at the newly built lodge, she said.

Each guest room, including one handicap-accessible room, is decorated differently and features sleigh beds, four-poster beds or log furniture, she said.

"We wanted people to have a unique feel to their rooms," Nelson said.

Lodge operators Nelson and her mother, Linda Heath, who is chief executive for the facility, developed Alaska Legends to be unique to the area.

"We really want to cater to people and show them what activities are available," Nelson said.

Alaska Legends offers custom tours including trips with its own Kenai River guide, but the company also has contracts with other companies for activities like halibut charters or Kenai Fjords tours.

One five-night package for $2,695 per person features round-trip air transportation from Anchorage to Kenai, food and beverage service at the lodge, two days of guided Kenai River fishing, a Kenai Fjords tour, clam digging at Ninilchik or Clam Gulch plus a midnight champagne river float trip. Gratuities and a 2 percent borough tax are not included.

Guests can alter their tour package, Nelson noted. "We have a lot of guys come up who trade the Kenai Fjords tour out for a halibut charter," she said.

Alaska Legends employs eight people including the owners plus a housekeeper, guide and chef, Nelson said.