Best Western Plus Pioneer Park Inn

I’m from Florida, and this place is part of why I’ll come back to Alaska. The staff were helpful and recommended the hot springs, which was the best place ever to go here. The indoor pool was clean and nice, and even though my room was right beside it, I couldn’t hear the kids playing. It was peaceful throughout, with no noise from other rooms or the lobby. My room was cleaned daily, and the beds were made. The shampoo, conditioner, and body wash smelled great, from a brand I’d never seen. Breakfast was a real meal, not just cereal and muffins, and changed every day. The guy who ran the buffet kept it clean and stocked with fresh food. He was courteous, and wouldn’t even shake hands while handling food. I asked his name and think he said CJ. There’s also a coffee and hot chocolate machine in the lobby that’s available anytime. I was lucky to have a first-floor room near the lobby. The smell of bacon cooking in the morning woke me up, and I felt like I’d found my happy place.

We travel full-time, and this is among the best hotels we’ve stayed at. The staff are friendly and accommodating, and it’s a wonderful spot for families with kids. Breakfast was exceptional. Whenever we’re in Fairbanks, our family wouldn’t consider staying anywhere else. 💙

We found bed bugs while getting ready for bed. I brought one to the front desk, and the response was basically “yeah,” with no concern or offer to move us. When I came back upstairs there were many more. At midnight I packed up my son and toddler, who was already asleep and had been bitten. One bug even popped when she rolled over. The only useful thing the front desk did was give us bags for our belongings. There was no apology or offer of a refund, even though we didn’t stay the night. I was told to contact the manager the next day. We left for another hotel and had to clean ourselves and all our stuff. This was on 10/4, and I still haven’t received a refund or managed to speak with a manager or get a call back. Booking has escalated the refund request because they’re waiting for approval from the hotel. I know bed bugs can happen, but some effort from staff would have made that night less awful. If management reads this, please improve the room cleaning and have a better process for bed bugs. Staff came across as rude, too. Cora, I believe that’s her name, was the only one who called to explain things, which I appreciated. If you’re looking for a hotel, I’d avoid this one for a while. Besides the bugs, the room was gross: there was a white substance on the curtains, the headboards hadn’t been cleaned, and there was still hair in the tub, so I don’t know if it had been cleaned either. It was extremely hot, and the AC sounded like it was about to blow up, so we left it off. That part didn’t bother me too much, it was just a little gross. I know bed bugs are a problem in many places, but the staff response made it seem like this happens quite a bit and comes as no surprise.

UPDATED: I’d only been here about an hour when I had to rethink my earlier view. The sink was dirty, with hairs along the edge; the TV didn’t work, and there was no repair estimate, whether days or weeks. The phone was broken too, so I had to call the front desk on my cell. There was poop or something like it on the bathroom wall, and someone had stuffed toilet paper into a wall hole to make it look “better,” LOL. The vent looked like it hadn’t been cleaned in a LONG time. The pool was broken, seemingly as usual. I also found old keys for a completely different room on the shelf above the closet. One had “pool” written on it in Sharpie, so they must be pretty old. This definitely isn’t the Pioneer Park I remember. Remodeling does look like it’s underway, though, so I have high hopes. I’m not usually a complainer, as my other reviews show, but I felt I should set expectations for this Best Western “PLUS.” I do want to say again that the front desk was SUPER NICE. I hadn’t stayed here in a while. The price was great, the location okay, and the front desk very friendly. Remodeling seemed to be in progress in a good way. The pool was broken, like it seemingly always is.