Pleasant, convenient and award-winning food: this Midtown Anchorage hotel has a reliable brand name but also transcends expectations by being a great local place, too.
In the Heart of the City
Located in the Midtown area of Anchorage, the hotel is conveniently close to both Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport and Downtown Anchorage, so you have easy access to big sights like the Alaska Zoo, local museums, Merrill Field, Lake Hood, and the downtown visitor’s center. It’s walking distance to a number of places to eat or grab coffee (you can also get a free shuttle to or from the airport).
And even though this is a reliable national chain hotel, it has created an only-in-Alaska vibe. In the lobby, check out the totem-pole-style glass pillar featuring a caribou, a bear, and a whale. Ask for a room on one of the higher floors and you can get views of the Chugach Mountains.
Excellent Amenities, Award-Winning Chili
Rooms, meanwhile, come with a king or two queen beds, as well as HDTV televisions (check out the Alaska Channel TV station for local content), a large work desk with ergonomic chair, microwave, refrigerator, and a Keurig coffee machine. For snacks or an easy lunch, go to the hotel’s 24-hour Pavilion Pantry, where you can pick up refrigerated or frozen items that you can prepare in your room microwave.
For breakfast or dinner, though, don’t miss the Garden Grille and Bar. This is not some generic hotel eatery: Its Caribou Chili Chef has won the people’s choice award at the Alaska State Fair for four years running. Fans also love the local beer and the nightly seafood specials—like hand-cut calamari and halibut ceviche—or enjoying a local beer during the summer on the outdoor patio, with views of the forested area behind the hotel.
There’s room service, too, as well as a sold list of perks, like free parking, WiFi, a fitness center, and an indoor pool and whirlpool. People who have stayed here give a big thumbs-up to the niceties, as well as the excellent food and the helpful staff.