Ski Inn

Ski Inn is a small, clean place right in the center of Girdwood, with restaurants all around. Base Camp and Spoonline Bistro are across the street, Hightower Pub is next door, and Chair 5 is around the corner. Crow Creek Mercantile is just steps away, and Alyeska Resort’s parking lots are about a five-minute drive. Despite the name, “Ski Inn” means “Ski Hotel,” not ski-in/ski-out. You can’t reach the property on skis. There are only a handful of rooms. Mine was basic, clean, and had its own bathroom. The common area has a fireplace and a kitchenette-style setup with self-serve breakfast items such as bagels, a nice extra for a budget-friendly stay. The keypad locks caused trouble for several guests, me included. The front door was difficult to open, and on the second day my room key stopped working after contractors came in without notice to test the fire alarm. There was no staff on site during my stay, so I called for remote help and had to wait a while to get back in. When I said other guests had also had trouble with the keypads, the support person insisted I was wrong, then complained it was late and he wanted to go to bed. That wasn’t much help. The check-in instructions say getting locked out after 10 p.m. means a fee of at least $25. With the locks being unreliable, that feels unfair. I called before 10 p.m. and wasn’t charged, but the policy still bothers me. Quiet hours are listed as 10:30 p.m. to 8 a.m., with increasing penalties for noise complaints. During my stay, some guests brought visitors into the common area late at night, drank heavily, and made a lot of noise. No staff were around to enforce the rules. I was tired enough to sleep through it, but it’s something to know about. It’s inexpensive for the area, clean, and extremely well located. For solo travel, or if you don’t mind a few quirks, it’s workable. I’d stay here on my own again, but probably choose somewhere else with family.