Need Alaska Hotel Suggestions
 

My husband and I are planning our first trip to Alaska this August and would appreciate suggestions for hotels in the following places:

Talkeetna
Healy (or somewhere else outside of Denali)
Anchorage
Seward

We are 30 and prefer moderately priced hotels. We don't mind splurging a little in one place if the view is really nice. Thanks for your help.

There is a McKinley Princess on the way to Denali which actually has views of the mountain.

I believe Seward has something called the Edgewater.

Anchorage has many, many hotels.

The Talkeetna Lodge is quite lovely and most tours stay there. Rooms with a view of McKinley are more expensive, but chances of actually seeing the mountain while you're in the room are slim because it's usually hidden behind dense clouds.

In Seward, we absolutely loved Windsong Lodge. I'm assuming of course that you'll have a rental car. In Anchorage, we stayed at the Comfort Inn, which we found to be very inconvenient at the bottom of a long hill. But the rooms are nice, prices good, and breakfast is included there. The rest of town is on top of the hill. Probably the best located is the Hilton. The Sheraton is pretty far away from the rest of the action. Have a blast! Claire

I've stayed at the Talkeetna Lodge and did love it, but it's quite a ways from Denali.

As for seeing Denali, Claire is right. The mountain makes its own weather and is often not visible during the summer.

Why not "rough it" a little and rent a motorhome. You stop when you are tired or hungry, go when you feel like it. Your schedule is your own, except for the reservations for the activities you choose. If your flight gets delayed, you can change your routing much easier with a motorhome.

We are going on a cruise 8/12-19/09 and are staying 5 days post cruise. These are the 2 places that we have picked.

Healy: Parks Edge Cabins - 907-683-4343 - Heidi Young & Jonathan $107 incl 5% Bed Tax/night - http://www.parks-edge.com/deluxe.htm We will be going on a park tour from here.

Talkeetna: My Alaska Cabin - 907-733-2553 - Christian & Debbie Siebert $131.25 ($125+5% Bed Tax)/night -http://www.myalaskacabin.com:80/ We are going on an all day fising trip with Christian and then the next day will sight see around that area, Parker, Hatcher Pass, etc.

I'll post here after we return, but as we wont return home until 8/25, this may not do you any good.

In Healy: The Denali Dome Home http://www.denalidomehome.com/
I can't say enough positive things about them. Spacious, well-appointed rooms, excellent, cooked-to-order breakfasts, and gracious hospitality. Oh, don't let me forget, moderate prices too. AAA 3 diamond rating speaks for itself. Check out their trip advisor reviews: http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserR...ly_Alaska.html

Paradise Lodge in Talkeetna is not only beautiful, but their customer service is outstanding.

www.paradiselodge.net

We just stayed at Denali River Cabins and loved it. Room was about $200 or so -- not sure if you consider that moderate, but in relation to some of the cruise lodge prices, it was moderate for us. What was great about it is that we avoided the big cruise herds, got a small but comfortable cedar cabin facing the river (absolutely beautiful!) and yet we could take a short walk and hop over to the McKinley Village Lodge (a big cruise-type place) for the amenities, such as more frequent shuttles, bus pickups, restaurant, gift shops, etc. It was such a peaceful setting. We spent a little extra to get a riverfront cabin, and thought it was really worth it!

I would avoid the Mc Kinley Princess. For Denali/Healy there are several excellent places. The Earthsong Lodge,Lakeview Lodge and Denali Touch of Wilderness B&B Inn. You might also want to look at McKinley Creekside Cabins just south of the park. We didn't stay there but ate there several times at the restaurant/cafe. The food was the best we had while in Denali. The cabins looked like fun too. Their website is www.mckinleycreeksidecabins.com.

For Seward, I'd suggest the Saltwater Lodge (a few miles out of town). The Windsong is also a good choice although I finally went with Saltwater Lodge.There are also a couple of places in town, in addition to the Edgewater, if you don't have a car. The Holiday Inn Express and the Harborview Inn are fine. In Anchorage we really liked the Anchorage Grand Hotel. It was excellent value with friendly service as well as a central location. The rooms were large and each has a full kitchen. Check their website...www.anchorage grandhotel.com

Thank you for all your help.