Richard Arlin Walker
Special to ICT
Singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett lived some 3,200 miles from the homelands of the Coquille Tribe in southwestern Oregon, but he likely would have felt at home there.
There’s the vibe. Buffett, the multiplatinum-selling artist and creator of the Margaritaville business enterprise who died Sept. 1 from a rare form of skin cancer, would have fit right in with the Rogue River, the valley wineries, and the music and live theater scene.
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Buffett performed six times in the last 25 years in Portland, a four-hour drive north, and a three-hour drive west would have gotten him to the rugged shorelines, beach towns and lighthouses of the Oregon Coast.
And there are the values he shared with the Coquille people — the sharing of wealth, an entrepreneurial spirit and environmental stewardship.
So when the opportunity presented itself for the tribe to partner with Buffett’s brand, Margaritaville, in building a hotel here – Compass Hotel by Margaritaville – Coquille Tribe leaders saw the project as a good fit.
“One of our folks was at a conference and got talking [to a Margaritaville representative] and a little light bulb went on,” said Ray Doering, director of public affairs for the tribe’s Mith-ih-Kwuh Economic Development Corporation, also known as Tribal One.
“The Tribal Council thought a brand-name hotel would work well here, but they appreciated Buffett’s and Margaritaville’s values. And they saw the benefits of building a hotel in partnership with them.”
Compass Hotel by Margaritaville, which is part of the Coquille Tribe’s Bear Creek entertainment and hospitality complex, opened in June 2022.
It is one of 31 hotel and resort developments built by Margaritaville, and is the one in the Pacific Northwest and the only one built with a tribal partner. The Muscogee (Creek) Nation in Oklahoma teamed with Margaritaville in 2014 to build a Margaritaville Casino and Restaurant as part of the tribe’s River Spirit Casino Resort.
While Buffett never visited the Oregon site, his death felt personal to Coquille Tribe Chair Brenda Meade.
In a statement released by her office after Buffett’s death, Meade spoke about the shared values that brought the Coquille people and Margaritaville together.
“Welcoming guests and sharing our good fortune with others defines the spirit of the potlatch that is at the heart of our tribal values – values that align with Jimmy’s vision for Margaritaville,” Meade said. “He saw Margaritaville as a way to bring fun, enjoyment and a vacation state of mind to as many people as possible. In Jimmy’s world, guests are welcomed, encouraged to leave their cares behind and made to feel at home – indeed, the spirit of the potlatch.”
The potlatch is a Northwest Indigenous event that takes place to mark a significant life event. Gift-giving to those in attendance is an important part of the event; the host often gains prestige based on the amount of wealth he or she gives away. The potlatch was historically a means of redistributing wealth within a community.
Meade was unavailable for comment with ICT after Buffett’s death; she was busy assisting her tribe’s response to wildfires on Coquille lands. But she said in a subsequent statement the tribe is mourning his loss.
“Jimmy’s life is remembered for how he cared for those around him and his desire to bring others ‘along for the ride,’” she said in the statement. “In turn, our Coquille culture and values encourage us to demonstrate that same care toward our guests and our employees.”
She added, “As we mourn Jimmy’s passing and celebrate his life, we are reminded of our responsibility to share the joys of life wherever we can.”
Centerpiece of Cedars at Bear Creek
The Compass Hotel by Margaritaville in Medford is part of the Coquille Tribe’s Cedars at Bear Creek entertainment and recreation complex, which includes Bear Creek Golf Course and a 24-lane bowling alley. Buffett doesn’t own the hotels and resorts but owns the brand’s intellectual rights.
The hotel is located near the Rogue River, wineries, theaters, golf courses, and Crater Lake National Park. It features, as do all the Compass Hotels by Margaritaville, the laid-back, coastal vibe embodied in Buffett’s life and music.
“You walk in that front door and you can feel a change in attitude, like in the Jimmy Buffett song [‘Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes’],” Doering said. “The colors, the schemes, the big windows, all the touches — you forget where you are for a minute.”
The hotel has a Welcome Cabana with complimentary light snacks and refreshments, a bar and grill, a gift shop and a pool. Each of the 111 guest rooms features beachy decor and color palettes, mid-century style furnishings, and rainfall showers.
The Coquille influence is present as well: There is Native art in every room, a traditional salmon barbecue pit on the grounds, and large windows that bring natural lighting and the nearby natural landscape into the hotel.
Coquille also commissioned muralist and sculptor Kirk Seese to create an island vibe-inspired mural on the side of the bowling alley, which faces the hotel.
More importantly, however, officials said, the development met the values considered important to the tribe.
First is sharing of wealth: The Coquille Tribe has gifted more than $855,000 so far this year to local nonprofits and community service organizations. Buffett’s Singing for Change foundation has donated $650,000 this year to organizations that are helping people build affordable homes, plant community gardens, protect the environment, provide medical services, and support education. In addition, Buffett performed benefit concerts and sent private planes with supplies to hurricane-stricken areas.
Second, the entrepreneurial spirit: The Coquille Tribe has investments in administrative and financial services, construction, economic development, and technology. Buffett, too, was entrepreneurial, with his name attached to apparel, casinos, cruise experiences, food and beverages, home goods, hotels, and restaurants.
Third, the environmental stewardship: The Coquille people have been caretakers since time immemorial of the natural resources, wildlife habitat, and the diverse and productive landscape that sustains them. Likewise, the man known as Florida’s Favorite Son was a caretaker of the environment where he lived. He co-founded the Save the Manatee Club, a nonprofit that works to protect the large, herbivorous marine mammals common to Florida. And he lobbied for reauthorization of the Endangered Species Act of 1973.
‘Joyous approach to life’
Buffett sold more than 20 million albums in his 50-year career, with hit singles that included “Margaritaville,” “Come Monday,” “Son of a Son of a Sailor,” “A Pirate Looks at Forty,” and “Fins.”
Buffett was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2006 and received a star on the Mohegan Sun Walk of Fame in August 2007. One of his last concerts was performed on Feb. 15 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida.
In the statement released by her office, Meade said the Coquille Tribe “offers its sincere condolences to the family and friends of Jimmy Buffett and joins with the millions around the world who are remembering his spirit and his commitment to sharing a joyous approach to life with everyone.
“It was that commitment, expressed through his Margaritaville business ventures, that spawned a partnership between the Coquille Tribe and Margaritaville. Although it may seem odd to pair a Pacific Northwest tribe with a company associated with warm southern beaches, our shared values brought us together.”
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