Whatcom County ownership reshapes future of Glacier dome vacation rental
After years of developer promises to build a “luxury lodging” resort in Glacier that featured more than two dozen private domes, the property of the failed Oculis Lodge project is in new hands.
Now called the Skyview Dome, the single unit that was built on the 2.16-acre parcel in rural Whatcom County is being operated under new, local ownership as an Airbnb vacation rental.
“We checked it out and thought it would be a really fun Airbnb to have — different than anything else in Whatcom County really,” property owner Anna Van Ry told The Bellingham Herald.
The dome was originally built with funding from an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign that branded the proposed resort as “ultimate luxury lodging in the Cascade Mountains.”
The project earned the title of “most funded lodging in Indiegogo history,” according to the Indiegogo website, after more than 1,700 backers helped fund the project in 2022 with more than $1.2 million.
Local residents quickly expressed concerns about the feasibility of the project as construction delays and cost constraints hampered development and drew added frustration from backers expecting to cash in on their investment by staying at the property.
While some project backers said they were able to stay at the dome, others threatened legal action if they didn’t receive refunds. Project developer Youri Benoiston ultimately sold the property at auction in the fall of 2025 for $425,000.
An update posted by Benoiston on the Indiegogo page said refunds would be processed when developers gathered “the necessary resources.” He has not responded to multiple requests for comment from The Bellingham Herald about whether those refunds have been offered.
Van Ry said she and her husband had heard about the property’s history before deciding to purchase it. She said she understands why people were concerned about the proposed development and feels for the campaign backers who lost money.
“I’m sure a lot of people thought it would be a really fun, amazing experience for them, and then it never came to fruition. I do have a lot of empathy for them,” Van Ry told The Herald.
As somebody who was born and raised in Whatcom County — and is now raising her three kids in the area — Van Ry said her goal is to operate the property with positivity and local values in mind. She said she made it a point to personally meet all the neighbors and keep an open line of communication.
“At this point we’re just trying to make sure the Airbnb is successful and that we’re respectful of the neighbors,” Van Ry said.
Van Ry told The Herald they’re working to be as transparent as possible with the type of lodging visitors can expect at the dome, adding that they are keeping operations limited. While the dome is certainly unique, she said, Van Ry is not advertising the space as “luxury lodging.”
“We don’t know what our plans are for the future of the property and whether we plan to do anything more with the rest of the land. But we don’t plan to come in here and build 10 more of these domes. I know a lot of the community’s concern was that — so much development of the land,” Van Ry said.
Van Ry said the dome was in good shape when they purchased the property. But they opted to give the dome’s interior a “glow up,” with new flooring, wall coverings and decor.
They also decided to reduce the dome’s visitor capacity from six people to four as a way of enhancing the comfort of the stay for visitors, honoring the quiet nature of the surrounding neighborhood and being good stewards of the property.
“I think there are a lot of rumors about the property and what it is,” Van Ry said. “We just want to make sure it aligns with the local community — what they want and what they need.”
Van Ry said the unique nature of the dome encourages people to want to visit the area, which she hopes will support sustainable tourism and local businesses.
“People staying here didn’t necessarily say, ‘Let’s go to Mount Baker. Let’s choose where to stay.’ They saw this and chose to come here,” Van Ry said.
She said she expects to make more updates to the outside of the dome, come this summer. Its current outside features include a sauna, covered fireplace, seating area and hot tub.
This story was originally published March 15, 2026 at 5:15 AM.
