Travel Inn

The front desk person was welcoming, kind, and helpful, and I appreciated that he was clearly trying his best. It seemed like the hotel might be understaffed and have difficult clients, which may explain some of the problems. I was in Anchorage for a conference and chose the Travel Inn because affordable lodging is hard to find there. For the lowest-priced option available, the stay met about the minimum I expected, but it wasn’t great. I’d read older comments about bed bugs and was nervous, so I checked the mattress under the sheets. It had a thick, sealed plastic protector, and I found no bugs or traces of them. The bed was large and surprisingly comfortable. The area seemed a little sketchy, but nothing too concerning. Cleanliness was my main issue: the room had been cleaned only superficially, with mystery stains in the bathroom, food scraps in the fridge, a sticky remote, and dusty corners. I had to clean a few things myself. On a budget in Anchorage, you’ll be fine here, but don’t expect a great experience.

The front desk guy was friendly enough and explained the rules clearly. Most seemed like common sense, but I get why he spelled them out so guests can’t claim nobody told them they couldn’t do some stupid thing. The room had a working mini fridge and microwave, but the TV only got off air channels. Cleanliness was a problem: there was residue on the toilet, hair in the tub and on the table, and a bottle of head and shoulders left in the bathroom. The sink’s hot tap didn’t run any water, and the shower barely got hot. If you want the cheapest place and have extremely low expectations, it works, in a “better than sleeping outside or in your car” way.

The place was dirty and run down, with homeless people everywhere. I paid almost $500 for two nights because nowhere else had an opening, and it wasn’t worth it at all. There were no towels, and the TV kept freezing with a weak or no signal message. It’s a dump. Never again, don’t stay here.

The room had no microwave or fridge, and people even knocked asking if we had one. That was just one part of a really frustrating couple of weeks. We dealt with bedbugs and cockroaches, towels that were missing or late, loud neighbors yelling and arguing, and police showing up more than once. The costs kept changing too. The first week was $445-450, then the second was $500 with fees we hadn't been told about. They added a $20 card fee without warning. The security deposit refund was cut down from what we'd agreed on at checkout, with no explanation. Other fees appeared, and the manager tried to talk us into a higher rate, saying it was a better idea. Sometimes we were asked to pay cash or more than the amount we had agreed on. With the hygiene problems, noise, and unclear pricing, I wouldn't recommend staying here unless you were really desperate for a place.