annk

Any lodging recommendations for Fairbanks, Denali N.P. and Seward? Expect to be staying a couple of nights at each location. Interested in at least 3 star hotels/lodges. Will be traveling by train from Fairbanks to Anchorage, then will pick up a car for the Anchorage to Seward part. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

tcapp

I can only give advice for Seward, since I've not been to the other places. In Seward we stayed at the Harborview Inn's off-property duplexes. They were wonderful, beautifully decorated, and were right across the street from the Bay. We'd definatly stay there again.

OaktownTraveler

Annk:

My trip report on ALaska may be helpful.

Skip my Fairbanks one for sure.

Click my name for the trip report.
Also do a search on this website by typing in Alaska and a whole bunch will come up.

The train is awesome!

Happy Research and Planning,
Oaktown Travler

MileKing

I'm not sure that any of the cities you are inquiring about have 3 star hotels. In Seward, we stayed at the Hotel Edgewater. Fairly new and very nice, it would probably rate 2.5 stars. Would stay there again. Denali N.P. itself does not have any real lodging options, but there are a number of places just outside the park. We stayed at Denali Bluffs Hotel and enjoyed it. Nothing fancy, but clean. Would give this 2 to 2.5 stars. They have since constructed the Denali Grande which is probably closer to a 3 star type property.

TimS

The Lonely Planet Alaska guidebook has some strongly opinionated recommendations. Here are some quotes:

"Kantishna, on private property at the Park Rd's end, provides the ultimate lodging location....Several lodges lie out here. All but one are definitely in the splurge category, and one of them--the unique and magic Camp Denali--provides guests with an experience they'll likely remember for a lifetime. In contrast...is Glitter gulch, which holds the mangy lion's share of park lodgings. This area's only redeeming feature is convenience, and that can't begin to make up for its total lack of compatibility with the spectacular world surrounding it."

For information on Camp Denali, the affiliated North Face Lodge, and the affiliated Hawk's Nest, visit www.campdenali.com. One other upscale place mentioned in the guidebook is Kantishna Roadhouse (www.kantishnaroadhouse.com).

RobBrz

TimS, I just visited campdenali.com and it doesn't list any rate information. Can you give us an idea of what lodging runs?

MileKing

Yes, there are some lodges at the end of the park road, 90 miles deep into the park. We spent two nights at the Denali Backcountry Lodge a few years ago. It was a great experience, one I would do again, but costly. Today, accomodations at that lodge are $340 per night PER PERSON (not per cabin). Cost includes the 5-6 hour bus ride in from the park entrance as well as all food and several guide-led programs while in the backcountry. The bus is a small private bus and the driver makes frequent stops for wildlife and pictures. The cabins are quite nice, especially considering the remote location. Each cabin contains a shower, sink, flushable toilet, and a king or two double beds as well as a small table. Food is surprisingly good, but limited to what they decide to serve that morning/evening (i.e. there are no menus). We had salmon one night and pork loin the other.

We looked into Camp Denali and the Northface Lodge, as well as some of the others, before selecting the Denali Backcountry Lodge. Prices were comparable then; I assume they are similar now. From what I recall, Camp Denali programs seemed more formal and perhaps better organized than Backcountry Lodge, but a big drawback was that their programs ran 4-5 days each. They ran on a fixed schedule and you had to stay (and pay for) the entire length of the program. If the start/end dates of the program didn't match your schedule, and they didn't match ours, you were out of luck. Backcountry Lodge, on the other hand, has no fixed schedule and you can stay for as little as 1 night as people come and go each day. We, and most of the people we travelled in with, stayed 2 nights which I strongly recommend since a good part of the first day is taken up the bus ride.

TimS

According to the ad in the 2004 Milepost, you can stay at Denali Backcountry Lodge at Kantishna or Denali Cabins at the park entrance or you can combine both lodges in a complete package trip. Visit www.denalilodges.com for the details.

According to my Lonely Planet guidebook, staying at either Camp Denali or North Face Lodge is $375 per person per night, three-night minimum, fixed arrival schedule. The Hawk's Nest cabin has a flat fee of $375 and houses one to four people. You don't get Camp Denali's food, transportation, guided activities or evening programs if you rent this cabin.

BudgetQueen

I would recommend the Denali Bluffs or the Grand Denali, will you have a car in Fairbanks??? There are some very nice B&B's that are my preference, but also some nice, large hotels. BUT Fairbanks requires a car in my opinion. As for Kantishna- be very prepared if going before mid- end of August for the significant- bug problem. You will best be in bug hats before then. I almost got carried away at Wonder Lake one trip in the begining of August and will never go there again before the bugs are gone.

annk

Thanks for your replies!!

Budgetqueen - No we won't have a car in Fairbanks. Will be there 2 nights, the night we arrive and one full day. Plan on doing the rivercruise. Then catching the train to Denali for 2 nights.

BudgetQueen

I would strongly encourage you to rent a car in Fairbanks. It is very difficult to tour without one and there is far more to it than the boat ride. request their visitor guide www.explorefairbanks.com

GolfGirl

Would anyone comment on whether we should stay at Denali Bluffs or Denali Grand at the beginning of June. Both are available at this point. Also, is it worth the extra $15 per night for a "view room"?

MickeyL

We stayed at the Denali Grand and had our own cabin. It was wonderful! We had our own veranda looking over the entire valley. It's great for a family. It adds a rustic feel, with all the comforts of home. A private bedroom and a large living room with a couch that makes into a double bed. Although only yards from the hotel proper, the walk to and from the dining room might be difficult for some. Along with the higher altitude, the incline is steep. I highly recommend it, however.

We stayed at Sophie's Station Hotel in Fairbanks. The rooms were very nice, including a kitchen and small living room. It was centrally located to everything. Yes, a rental car is a must. It provides so much freedom to see the area. The river cruise was well worth the time. Don't miss the UofA Museum. Also, you get an excellent view of the area from the university. It sits on the highest point in the area and you can see for miles around, including Denali itself, if the weather permits. We saw it in the late afternoon. It sparkled like gold. Visit one of the gold mines. The tours are interesting and you might even get a little gold yourself. I loved the Fairbanks area. If you want to see a great Christmas store, drive south of Fairbanks to North Pole, you can't miss it. My husband was there on business, and I got to explore the area. The local people are the best ones to talk to about where to go,what to see, and especially where to eat.

MickeyL

I meant to mention the Alyeska Prince Hotel south of Anchorage. If you are arriving in Anchorage in the afternoon, which I think you will be, you can pick up your car and drive south to the Alyeska. It is rated 4.6 by Fodors and is an exceptionally nice hotel. Make reservations at the Seven Glaciers Restaurant, accessible via the hotel's aerial tram that takes you 2300 feet above the hotel. What a restaurant! What a view! Both are exceptional. You can see 7 glaciers from the bar, hence the name. We saw a mother and baby moose from the tram. Hotel and restaurant are a bit pricey, but if there is one time to splurge, this is it. From here drive south and take the the College Fjords cruise. You should probably call ahead for reservations. Then head on to Seward, and spend the late afternoon and night there. There is a lot to see between Anchorage and Seward. Alaska has done a wonderful job of providing scenic turnouts, and many have clean, well kept facilities.

We were in Alaska from Sep 1 - Sep 12, 2002. A perfect time for us. The weather was still nice, the tourists had gone home, and prices were way down. Some places were just closing when we were leaving.

Have fun! It was a wonderful experience, and we're looking forward to returning soon.

Kraig

We were in Denali last year and stayed at the Denali River Cabins. I would not recommend this place. The location was nice, but the service was terrible. They screwed up our request for two double beds and would not do anything about the problem. Staying there was the only glitch in our wonderful trip to Alaska.