As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 17, 1996
                                             Registration No. 333-_________

                     SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                           Washington, D.C. 20549

                              ---------------

                                  FORM S-8
                           REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                   Under
                         THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                              ---------------

                           RED LION HOTELS, INC.
           (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

                              ---------------


         DELAWARE                                                91-1634199
(State or other jurisdiction                                   (IRS Employer
of incorporation or organization)                            Identification No.)

    4001 Main Street
  Vancouver, Washington                                            98663
  (Address of Principal                                          (Zip Code)
   Executive Offices)

                              ---------------

               RED LION SUPPLEMENTAL EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT PLAN
                            (Full title of plan)

                             C. MICHAEL VERNON
                          Chief Financial Officer
                           Red Lion Hotels, Inc.
                              4001 Main Street
                        Vancouver, Washington 98663
                  (Name and address of agent for service)

 Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service: (360) 696-0001

                                  Copy to:

                              STUART CHESTLER
                              Stoel Rives LLP
                      900 SW Fifth Avenue, Suite 2300
                        Portland, Oregon 97204-1268
<PAGE>
<TABLE>
                      CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
<CAPTION>
============================================================================================
                                             Proposed          Proposed
                             Amount          Maximum           Maximum           Amount of
 Title of Securities         to Be           Offering          Aggregate        Registration
  to Be Registered         Registered     Price Per Share    Offering Price         Fee
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                        <C>                  <C>            <C>                 <C>   
Deferred Compensation
Obligations                $5,000,000           N/A            $5,000,000          $1,725
============================================================================================
</TABLE>
<PAGE>
                                  PART II

             INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3.  Incorporation of Documents By Reference.
         ---------------------------------------

      The following documents filed by Red Lion Hotels, Inc. (the
"Company") with the Securities and Exchange Commission are incorporated
herein by reference:

            (a) The Company's latest annual report filed pursuant to
      Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or the
      latest prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities
      Act of 1933 that contains audited financial statements for the
      Company's latest fiscal year for which such statements have been
      filed.

            (b) All other reports filed pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d)
      of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 since the end of the fiscal
      year covered by the annual report or prospectus referred to in (a)
      above.

            (c) The description of the authorized capital stock of the
      Company contained in the Company's registration statement filed under
      Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, including any
      amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating such
      description.

      All reports and other documents subsequently filed by the Company
pursuant to Sections 13(a) and (c), 14 and 15(d) of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, as amended, prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment
which indicates that all securities offered hereby have been sold or which
deregisters all securities remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be
incorporated by reference herein and to be a part hereof from the date of
the filing of such reports and documents.

Item 4.  Description of Securities.
         -------------------------

      The securities registered hereby are deferred compensation
obligations of the Company under the Red Lion Supplemental Employee
Retirement Plan (the "Plan"). These securities represent the contractual
obligation of the Company to pay or distribute when due to participants in
the Plan cash with respect to amounts deferred in accordance with the terms
of the Plan. The right of each participant in the Plan is that of a
general, unsecured creditor of the Company. A participant's interest under
the Plan may not be sold, assigned, transferred, pledged or otherwise
encumbered.

Item 5.  Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.
         --------------------------------------

      Not applicable.


                                    II-1
<PAGE>
Item 6.  Indemnification of Directors and Officers.
         -----------------------------------------

      The Company's Bylaws and Certificate of Incorporation provide that
the Company shall, to the full extent permitted by the General Corporation
Law of the State of Delaware, as amended from time to time, indemnify all
directors and officers of the Company. In addition, the Company's
Certificate of Incorporation contains a provision eliminating the personal
liability of directors to the Company or its stockholders for monetary
damages arising out of a breach of fiduciary duty. Under Delaware law, this
provision eliminates the liability of a director for breach of fiduciary
duty but does not eliminate the personal liability of any director based
upon breach of the duty of loyalty to the Company or to its stockholders,
acts or omissions not in good faith or that involve intentional misconduct
or a knowing violation of law, any violation of Section 174 of the General
Corporation Law (relating to the declaration of dividends and the purchase
or redemption of shares in violation of the General Corporation Law), or
any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal
benefit.

      The Board of Directors may, by a vote of a majority of a quorum of
the Board of Directors, authorize the Company to purchase and maintain
insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director, officer,
employee or agent of the Company, or is or was serving at the request of
the Company as a director, officer, employee or agent of another
corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against
any liability asserted against the person and incurred by the person in any
such capacity, or arising out of the person's status as such, whether or
not the Company would have the power to indemnify the person against such
liability under the Bylaws. The Company has purchased and maintains
appropriate policies of insurance on behalf of the Company's directors and
officers against liabilities asserted against them arising out their
services to the Company in these capacities.

      The Board of Directors may also authorize the Company to enter into a
contract with any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or
agent of the Company or is or was serving at the request of the Company as
a director, officer, employee or agent of another partnership, joint
venture, trust or other enterprise providing for indemnification rights
equivalent to or, if the Board of Directors so determines, greater than
those provided for in the Bylaws. The Company has entered into contracts
with its current officers and directors providing for indemnification.

Item 7.  Exemption From Registration Claimed.
         -----------------------------------

      Not applicable.

Item 8.  Exhibits.
         --------

     4.1  Certificate of Incorporation of the Company (incorporated by
          reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Company's Registration Statement
          on Form S-1, File No. 33-90306 (the "1995 S-1")).


                                    II-2
<PAGE>
     4.2  Bylaws of the Company (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2
          to the 1995 S-1).

     5.1  Opinion of Counsel.

     23.1 Consent of Deloitte & Touche LLP.

     23.2 Consent of Arthur Andersen LLP.

     23.3 Consent of Counsel (included in Exhibit 5.1).

     24.1 Powers of Attorney.

Item 9.  Undertakings.
         ------------

      (a) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

            (1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are
      being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration
      statement:

                  (i) To include any prospectus required by Section
            10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;

                  (ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events
            arising after the effective date of the registration statement
            (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which,
            individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental
            change in the information set forth in the registration
            statement;

                  (iii) To include any material information with respect to
            the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the
            registration statement or any material change to such
            information in the registration statement;

      Provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) do not
      apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective
      amendment by those paragraphs is contained in periodic reports filed
      by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the
      Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in
      the registration statement.

            (2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under
      the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall
      be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the
      securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at
      that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering
      thereof.


                                    II-3
<PAGE>
            (3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective
      amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold
      at the termination of the offering.

      (b) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes
of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing
of the registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section
15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that is incorporated by
reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new
registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial
bona fide offering thereof.

      (c) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the
Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and
controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions,
or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the
Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public
policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the
event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than
the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director,
officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense
of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or
controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the
registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been
settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate
jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against
public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by
the final adjudication of such issue.


                                    II-4
<PAGE>
                                  SIGNATURES

      Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the
Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it
meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused
this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned,
thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Vancouver, State of Washington,
on July 10, 1996.

                                  RED LION HOTELS, INC.


                                  By  DAVID J. JOHNSON
                                      --------------------------------------
                                      David J. Johnson,
                                      President, Chief Executive Officer and
                                      Chairman of the Board

      Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the
capacities indicated on July 10, 1996.

         Signature                                 Title
         ---------                                 -----

 DAVID J. JOHNSON                      President, Chief Executive Officer
- ----------------------------------     and Chairman of the Board
 David J. Johnson                      (Principal Executive Officer)


*C. MICHAEL VERNON                     Chief Financial Officer
- ----------------------------------     (Principal Financial and
 C. Michael Vernon                     Accounting Officer)


*MICHAEL W. MICHELSON                  Director
- ----------------------------------
 Michael W. Michelson


*EDWARD A. GILHULY                     Director
- ----------------------------------
 Edward A. Gilhuly


*TODD A. FISHER                        Director
- ----------------------------------
 Todd A. Fisher


  *By  DAVID J. JOHNSON
- -----------------------------------------
       David J. Johnson, Attorney-in-Fact


                                    II-5
<PAGE>
                               EXHIBIT INDEX


Exhibit
Number             Document Description
- -------            --------------------

4.1      Certificate of Incorporation of the Company (incorporated by
         reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Company's Registration Statement on
         Form S-1, File No. 33-90306 (the "1995 S-1")).

4.2      Bylaws of the Company (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to
         the 1995 S-1).

5.1      Opinion of Counsel.

23.1     Consent of Deloitte & Touche LLP.

23.2     Consent of Arthur Andersen LLP.

23.3     Consent of Counsel (included in Exhibit 5.1).

24.1     Powers of Attorney.
[{"type": "S-8", "sequence": "1", "description": "FORM S-8", "secsgml_size_bytes": 15233}]
{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "RED LION HOTELS INC", "cik": "0000941557", "assigned-sic": "7011", "irs-number": "911634199", "state-of-incorporation": "DE", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "S-8", "act": "33", "file-number": "333-08237", "film-number": "96595719"}, "business-address": {"street1": "4001 MAIN ST", "city": "VANCOUVER", "state": "WA", "zip": "98663", "phone": "3606960001"}}
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 17, 1996
                                             Registration No. 333-_________

                     SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                           Washington, D.C. 20549

                              ---------------

                                  FORM S-8
                           REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                   Under
                         THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                              ---------------

                           RED LION HOTELS, INC.
           (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

                              ---------------

         DELAWARE                                                91-1634199
(State or other jurisdiction                                   (IRS Employer
of incorporation or organization)                            Identification No.)

    4001 Main Street
  Vancouver, Washington                                            98663
  (Address of Principal                                          (Zip Code)
   Executive Offices)

                              ---------------

               RED LION SUPPLEMENTAL EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT PLAN
                            (Full title of plan)

                             C. MICHAEL VERNON
                          Chief Financial Officer
                           Red Lion Hotels, Inc.
                              4001 Main Street
                        Vancouver, Washington 98663
                  (Name and address of agent for service)

 Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service: (360) 696-0001

                                  Copy to:

                              STUART CHESTLER
                              Stoel Rives LLP
                      900 SW Fifth Avenue, Suite 2300
                        Portland, Oregon 97204-1268
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
============================================================================================
                                             Proposed          Proposed
                             Amount          Maximum           Maximum           Amount of
 Title of Securities         to Be           Offering          Aggregate        Registration
  to Be Registered         Registered     Price Per Share    Offering Price         Fee
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Deferred Compensation
Obligations                $5,000,000           N/A            $5,000,000          $1,725
============================================================================================
PART II

             INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3.  Incorporation of Documents By Reference.
         ---------------------------------------

      The following documents filed by Red Lion Hotels, Inc. (the
"Company") with the Securities and Exchange Commission are incorporated
herein by reference:

            (a) The Company's latest annual report filed pursuant to
      Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or the
      latest prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities
      Act of 1933 that contains audited financial statements for the
      Company's latest fiscal year for which such statements have been
      filed.

            (b) All other reports filed pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d)
      of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 since the end of the fiscal
      year covered by the annual report or prospectus referred to in (a)
      above.

            (c) The description of the authorized capital stock of the
      Company contained in the Company's registration statement filed under
      Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, including any
      amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating such
      description.

      All reports and other documents subsequently filed by the Company
pursuant to Sections 13(a) and (c), 14 and 15(d) of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934, as amended, prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment
which indicates that all securities offered hereby have been sold or which
deregisters all securities remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be
incorporated by reference herein and to be a part hereof from the date of
the filing of such reports and documents.

Item 4.  Description of Securities.
         -------------------------

      The securities registered hereby are deferred compensation
obligations of the Company under the Red Lion Supplemental Employee
Retirement Plan (the "Plan"). These securities represent the contractual
obligation of the Company to pay or distribute when due to participants in
the Plan cash with respect to amounts deferred in accordance with the terms
of the Plan. The right of each participant in the Plan is that of a
general, unsecured creditor of the Company. A participant's interest under
the Plan may not be sold, assigned, transferred, pledged or otherwise
encumbered.

Item 5.  Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.
         --------------------------------------

      Not applicable.

                                    II-1
Item 6.  Indemnification of Directors and Officers.
         -----------------------------------------

      The Company's Bylaws and Certificate of Incorporation provide that
the Company shall, to the full extent permitted by the General Corporation
Law of the State of Delaware, as amended from time to time, indemnify all
directors and officers of the Company. In addition, the Company's
Certificate of Incorporation contains a provision eliminating the personal
liability of directors to the Company or its stockholders for monetary
damages arising out of a breach of fiduciary duty. Under Delaware law, this
provision eliminates the liability of a director for breach of fiduciary
duty but does not eliminate the personal liability of any director based
upon breach of the duty of loyalty to the Company or to its stockholders,
acts or omissions not in good faith or that involve intentional misconduct
or a knowing violation of law, any violation of Section 174 of the General
Corporation Law (relating to the declaration of dividends and the purchase
or redemption of shares in violation of the General Corporation Law), or
any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal
benefit.

      The Board of Directors may, by a vote of a majority of a quorum of
the Board of Directors, authorize the Company to purchase and maintain
insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director, officer,
employee or agent of the Company, or is or was serving at the request of
the Company as a director, officer, employee or agent of another
corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against
any liability asserted against the person and incurred by the person in any
such capacity, or arising out of the person's status as such, whether or
not the Company would have the power to indemnify the person against such
liability under the Bylaws. The Company has purchased and maintains
appropriate policies of insurance on behalf of the Company's directors and
officers against liabilities asserted against them arising out their
services to the Company in these capacities.

      The Board of Directors may also authorize the Company to enter into a
contract with any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or
agent of the Company or is or was serving at the request of the Company as
a director, officer, employee or agent of another partnership, joint
venture, trust or other enterprise providing for indemnification rights
equivalent to or, if the Board of Directors so determines, greater than
those provided for in the Bylaws. The Company has entered into contracts
with its current officers and directors providing for indemnification.

Item 7.  Exemption From Registration Claimed.
         -----------------------------------

      Not applicable.

Item 8.  Exhibits.
         --------

     4.1  Certificate of Incorporation of the Company (incorporated by
          reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Company's Registration Statement
          on Form S-1, File No. 33-90306 (the "1995 S-1")).

                                    II-2
4.2  Bylaws of the Company (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2
          to the 1995 S-1).

     5.1  Opinion of Counsel.

     23.1 Consent of Deloitte & Touche LLP.

     23.2 Consent of Arthur Andersen LLP.

     23.3 Consent of Counsel (included in Exhibit 5.1).

     24.1 Powers of Attorney.

Item 9.  Undertakings.
         ------------

      (a) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

            (1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are
      being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration
      statement:

                  (i) To include any prospectus required by Section
            10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;

                  (ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events
            arising after the effective date of the registration statement
            (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which,
            individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental
            change in the information set forth in the registration
            statement;

                  (iii) To include any material information with respect to
            the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the
            registration statement or any material change to such
            information in the registration statement;

      Provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) do not
      apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective
      amendment by those paragraphs is contained in periodic reports filed
      by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the
      Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in
      the registration statement.

            (2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under
      the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall
      be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the
      securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at
      that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering
      thereof.

                                    II-3
(3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective
      amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold
      at the termination of the offering.

      (b) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes
of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing
of the registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section
15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that is incorporated by
reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new
registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial
bona fide offering thereof.

      (c) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the
Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and
controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions,
or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the
Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public
policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the
event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than
the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director,
officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense
of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or
controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the
registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been
settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate
jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against
public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by
the final adjudication of such issue.

                                    II-4
SIGNATURES

      Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the
Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it
meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused
this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned,
thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Vancouver, State of Washington,
on July 10, 1996.

                                  RED LION HOTELS, INC.

                                  By  DAVID J. JOHNSON
                                      --------------------------------------
                                      David J. Johnson,
                                      President, Chief Executive Officer and
                                      Chairman of the Board

      Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the
capacities indicated on July 10, 1996.

         Signature                                 Title
         ---------                                 -----

 DAVID J. JOHNSON                      President, Chief Executive Officer
- ----------------------------------     and Chairman of the Board
 David J. Johnson                      (Principal Executive Officer)

*C. MICHAEL VERNON                     Chief Financial Officer
- ----------------------------------     (Principal Financial and
 C. Michael Vernon                     Accounting Officer)

*MICHAEL W. MICHELSON                  Director
- ----------------------------------
 Michael W. Michelson

*EDWARD A. GILHULY                     Director
- ----------------------------------
 Edward A. Gilhuly

*TODD A. FISHER                        Director
- ----------------------------------
 Todd A. Fisher

  *By  DAVID J. JOHNSON
- -----------------------------------------
       David J. Johnson, Attorney-in-Fact

                                    II-5
EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit
Number             Document Description
- -------            --------------------

4.1      Certificate of Incorporation of the Company (incorporated by
         reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Company's Registration Statement on
         Form S-1, File No. 33-90306 (the "1995 S-1")).

4.2      Bylaws of the Company (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to
         the 1995 S-1).

5.1      Opinion of Counsel.

23.1     Consent of Deloitte & Touche LLP.

23.2     Consent of Arthur Andersen LLP.

23.3     Consent of Counsel (included in Exhibit 5.1).

24.1     Powers of Attorney.