Hotel suggestion in Anchorage

[LisaH]

Fair point made. The Hilton is a good deal if you can get it on Hilton Honors points.

 

Also, that not all Alaska hotels have air conditioning. You need to verify if you require it.

 

Yep, that is why we booked it. We are so used to it that it is a must...and we did use it when we were there. :)

[snirp]

I've got us staying two nights at the Quality Suites Near Convention Center. Seems good - includes breakfast, hot tub, two queen beds and free shuttle to the airport.

 

I booked it in January for this August so I don't think you can ever book too early. Just be sure that it is cancellable. I also booked directly with the hotel using the CAA discount rate. Much better than Expedia. Plus then you only pay for the room when you check out.

[reney313]

Do either the Homewood Suites or Embassy Suites have air conditioning? Ugh..couldn't imagine not having a/c. lol.

 

Either one closer to the train station?

 

Unfortunately, the Hilton is sold out for our arrival date :(

 

Thanks again!

[AkSusan]

Do either the Homewood Suites or Embassy Suites have air conditioning? Ugh..couldn't imagine not having a/c. lol.

 

Either one closer to the train station?

 

Unfortunately, the Hilton is sold out for our arrival date :(

 

Thanks again!

Can't answer on the air conditioning, best bet is to probably call each property direct.

 

They are about the same distance from train station. Where they are we call midtown and the train station is downtown but you're probably looking at less than 5 miles between the two.

 

Susan in Anchorage :)

[reney313]

Sounds great, Thank you so much!

[LLH444]

We just returned from Alaska last week. We stayed at the Embassy Suites for two nights (in midtown). We loved our stay there...very nice hotel, great cooked to order breakfast, nicely appointed and comfortable suites (the beds were awesome) and nearly every convenience you can imagine...I highly recommend it! They have 24/7 airport shuttle service; also, I believe that at your request, they will transport you to places in the downtown area...probably the train station as well. I would call them and ask about this.

[sydney777]

I booked at Intel for september 2011. Keep my email, sydneyalice@aol.com and write me in Oct. and I'll tell you how I liked it. I got thru hotel.com for 80 or 90, the hotel and others charge 126 so it was a good price. Will let you know

[BobG_SoCal]

I've got us staying two nights at the Quality Suites Near Convention Center. Seems good - includes breakfast, hot tub, two queen beds and free shuttle to the airport.

 

I booked it in January for this August so I don't think you can ever book too early. Just be sure that it is cancellable. I also booked directly with the hotel using the CAA discount rate. Much better than Expedia. Plus then you only pay for the room when you check out.

We stayed one night in the Quality Suites before our SB Island Princess cruise earlier this month. Completely satisfactory, just as advertised: clean comfortable suite, good location a few blocks from Egan Center and downtown, free airport shuttle, nicer-than-average free breakfast. If you're used to more luxurious hotels, you might want something else. But for us, this was the right combination of niceness and cost.

[cdnishk]

The Sheraton is not an easy walk to the train station. You really don't have time to check in (and out) of a big hotel on the night of your arrival. (waiting to check in, waiting for elevators, long walk down hall, etc.)

 

If your flight arrives on schedule, you should have your baggage and be out of the airport by 01:30. With a taxi you should be at your hotel/motel by 02:00. Even if the shuttle to your hotel/motel is free, you really don't have a lot of time to wait around to catch it.

 

If your train departs at 08:00 you don't have much time at your hotel/motel. If the gathering time at the RR station is 08:00 you have a little more time but not much.

 

If you are doing a cruiseline tour/cruise combination, the cruise line will take care of all of your baggage other than your small carry on bag which should contain your valuables, medicines and camera stuff and will deliver your big bags to your Denali hotel.

 

 

I thought almost all Anchorage hotels provide a free airport shuttle (Sheraton included?). Our flight is arriving at 1:30pm and we're planning to take the early train 6:30am the next morning to Seward to catch our RC cruise. Would the Sheraton be a good choice. We're a couple plus one 8yr old. We've got some Sheraton points that we could use. And we want a comfortable good hotel. Looked at the Captain Cook but is worried by its recent bad reviews. Any views? Thanks in advance!

[Texoma]

I'm looking for a hotel this August....and not having much luck either. Our flight arrives in to Anchorage at 12:50AM and we take the train at 8:00am to Denali. Seems hard to justify $300 for about a 5 hour nap. Now, that I've had to justify it (where else would we sleep?) I'm looking for someplace that would be closest to the train station in the morning? I heard Cook Hotel is close? Are there other close hotels to the station?

 

Just curious why you chose a 12:50 a.m. Anchorage arrival flight knowing you have a train to board at 8:00 a.m. For your peace of mind and a good night's rest a change to an earlier flight departure may be the better option for you.

[AkSusan]

I thought almost all Anchorage hotels provide a free airport shuttle (Sheraton included?). Our flight is arriving at 1:30pm and we're planning to take the early train 6:30am the next morning to Seward to catch our RC cruise. Would the Sheraton be a good choice. We're a couple plus one 8yr old. We've got some Sheraton points that we could use. And we want a comfortable good hotel. Looked at the Captain Cook but is worried by its recent bad reviews. Any views? Thanks in advance!

A lot of the hotels here do not have free airport shuttles. Actually, there is probably more that don't, then do.

 

Just checked Sheraton's website and it says nothing about a free shuttle. What it does have for transportation is a link to a Car Service they recommend for your time here in Anchorage, but it ain't free.

 

I know they've done a remodel the last couple of years. For your short stay, it would probably be a good place. Really no places to eat down at that end of town, except the restaurants in the hotel and there is a Country Kitchen right across the street.

 

For the other area where there are lot of restaurants you're probably looking at going 10 blocks west and then 2 or 3 blocks north.

 

Susan in Anchorage :)

[cdnishk]

Our flight into anchorage is 1:30pm and so we have a whole day to spare and want a good nice hotel. Was looking at the Captain Cook but deterred by a few recent really bad reviews. How about the Sheraton? Understand that it's not too close to anything, but I guess short taxi ride is ok. Any views?

[cdnishk]

Thank you , Susan. Sorry didn't see your reply. Ok, airport shuttle. But Anchorage airport into downtown is pretty quick, right?

[cdnishk]

Sorry, me again, Susan. You think those really awful reviews for Captain Cook are representative? Also I'd have thought for a 40-60F August evening, air con isn't really essential, right?

[AkSusan]

Sorry, me again, Susan. You think those really awful reviews for Captain Cook are representative? Also I'd have thought for a 40-60F August evening, air con isn't really essential, right?

I've never stayed at the Cook, only been there for events. I have a college friend that's just finishing a cruise and cruise tour that is staying there tonight and I'm seeing them tomorrow, so if I remember I'll ask them.

 

Good thing about the Cook, it's an easy walking distance to a lot of my favorite restaurants, Simon & Seafort's, Glacier Brewhouse, Orso's, Humpy's (just a few of them). In regards to reviews, I take those with a grain of salt. Because the person writing doesn't know my taste or some just like to nit pick at every small thing, so I sometimes read them (basically would only worry if they mentioned there was a safety issue - like not in the safest parts of a town), but then just file that away.

 

I just came back from a conference at Clearwater Beach, FL and some of the reviews on TripAdvisor weren't so good, but boy, did I find a lot of them wrong. It's the friendliest hotel I have stayed at in a long time. The staff always greeted you and asked how your day was going!

 

Everybody's body is set for a different temperature in regards to their sleeping. Up here when it hits over 50, I have to run a fan, but my Mom is up from Southern Illinois and only sleeping with the window open is fine.

 

Susan in Anchorage :)

[reney313]

Just curious why you chose a 12:50 a.m. Anchorage arrival flight knowing you have a train to board at 8:00 a.m. For your peace of mind and a good night's rest a change to an earlier flight departure may be the better option for you.

 

Well...flying in from SW Missouri isn't really the easiest thing. I have to take 2 small planes to get to a hub airport that flies non stop to Anchorage. (Going SGF to MEM to MSP to ANC) Anyway, leaving at noon CST got me in on the same 12:35am flight (I think that's what it is...instead of 12:50am) as leaving at 5:00pm. (just with longer layovers) I chose to go ahead and work that day rather than taking 9 days vacation and save a vacation day. It wouldn't have mattered much. I could have gotten in late evening on another airline, but for about $400 more a person (one way). I also could have waited for the train until the following day, but then would have only had one night in Denali instead of 2. I thought maybe best to just get up early and get on the train and to Denali. Since we're on planes for a total of 10 hours, I figure we'll get some sleep along the way there (the flight from Minneapolis to Anchorage is around 5-5 1/2 hours if I'm translating the time differences correctly). I think I average 5-6 hours sleep a night as it is normal....and last resort, if we nap on the train, so be it....

[cdnishk]

Yes, it would be great if you could ask your friend about her stay at the Cook. Appreciated.

[Texoma]

I thought almost all Anchorage hotels provide a free airport shuttle (Sheraton included?). Our flight is arriving at 1:30pm and we're planning to take the early train 6:30am the next morning to Seward to catch our RC cruise. Would the Sheraton be a good choice. We're a couple plus one 8yr old. We've got some Sheraton points that we could use. And we want a comfortable good hotel. Looked at the Captain Cook but is worried by its recent bad reviews. Any views? Thanks in advance!

 

The Sheraton does not provide a free shuttle from the airport to the hotel. It costs $ 20 for a taxi and it is a 10 minute ride. However, Sheraton does provide free shuttle sevice downtown and to the train station. In the lobby of the Sheraton is a shuttle reservation desk. We were transported in a big, black, beautiful SUV. Book directly on the Anchorage Sheraton website to view various discounts. We reserved a room last month for $181 plus tax. Plus . the Sheraton recentlycompleted a major room renovation.

[cdnishk]

The Sheraton does not provide a free shuttle from the airport to the hotel. It costs $ 20 for a taxi and it is a 10 minute ride. However, Sheraton does provide free shuttle sevice downtown and to the train station. In the lobby of the Sheraton is a shuttle reservation desk. We were transported in a big, black, beautiful SUV. Book directly on the Anchorage Sheraton website to view various discounts. We reserved a room last month for $181 plus tax. Plus . the Sheraton recentlycompleted a major room renovation.

 

Ok, now the choice is between Captain Cook and Sheraton. Thanks for the advice. $181 sounds reasonable. I think it's much more expensive now. We're arriving 10aug.

[dabear]

AKSusan: we've booked our 1st night at the Hilton Garden suites, which has a free airport shuttle. Are there any decent restaurants near this hotel? Also the night before we plan to take the train to Seward, we were planning to stay at the Hilton. Is it close to the train station? thanks

[AkSusan]

AKSusan: we've booked our 1st night at the Hilton Garden suites, which has a free airport shuttle. Are there any decent restaurants near this hotel? Also the night before we plan to take the train to Seward, we were planning to stay at the Hilton. Is it close to the train station? thanks

You have a Cattle Company, a TGI Fridays, Applebees and a Golden Corral right there are the corner of where the Hilton Garden Inn is. A couple of more blocks down and you have a Lone Star.

 

I think and just looked at the Hilton Garden Inn that they do local transportation (their shuttle will take you some place within a radius of the hotel) so if you can get that to take you within a reasonable time and pickup you up within a reasonable wait, you could hit the Moose's Tooth (though be prepared to wait) or one of my favorite local pizza places, Guido's.

 

The Hilton is up the hill (rather a long one) from the train station. But a taxi shouldn't cost you much at all.

 

Susan in Anchorage :)

[Calif. Cruisers]

Are there free shuttles to the Captain Cook from the airport? If not, how much of a taxi ride is it?

[AkSusan]

Yes, it would be great if you could ask your friend about her stay at the Cook. Appreciated.

I did remember to ask last night. She said the room was fine, but decorated in dark tones but otherwise, the bed had all nice linens and such.

 

They only had one night there and then they moved across the street to the Rodeway Voyager and she says that is a very nice room with a kitchenette and all. It's what I would call a small boutique hotel. I just put in arriving 8/10 and leaving the 8/11 and the rooms range from $129 to $159.

 

Good luck on your search!

 

Susan in Anchorage :)

[AkSusan]

Are there free shuttles to the Captain Cook from the airport? If not, how much of a taxi ride is it?

No free shuttles to the Cook. A cab ride will probably run in the $15 to $20 range with tip.

 

Susan in Anchorage :)

[PennyAgain]

If you need air conditioning, telephone your hotel choice to ask if they have it in all rooms.

 

A/C is not a univeral items in Alaska hotels/motels/B&B's etc.