Beluga Lake Lodge

The morning staff were both extremely nice, though the evening staff weren’t as friendly. The hotel and rooms are clearly quite old and could use renovation, but they were still fine, honestly. I don’t think the price is justified. There’s a large parking lot and free coffee and tea all day.

The family who own and run the place are very nice, friendly, and caring. The building is worn, but comfortable and has what you need for a very reasonable rate. My room had a good-sized closet with hangers, an iron, and a suitcase stand. There was a large sink area with a wall-mounted hairdryer, complimentary soap, lotion, and shower gel, plus beautiful local wildlife pictures. It was extremely quiet while I was there. I didn’t try the bar or restaurant, though I heard good things about it. The location is convenient for both downtown Homer and the Homer Spit.

There was a strong feces smell the moment we entered the building. We wondered if they had a sewer problem and continued to check in, hoping it was limited to the entry area. But the odor filled the hallway and our room too. We could also clearly hear people talking in the next room, as if there were no wall between us. We went straight back to the front desk, canceled, and found another hotel.

The service was the best part of our stay. The staff were friendly and knew the area well, and when we thought we’d left a phone charger behind, Barbie took careful notes, contacted housekeeping the next day, and called us back. That kind of follow-through impressed us. Housekeeping also added the thoughtful touches you expect from a high-quality chain, and staff made notes when anything was missing so it could be addressed. We arrived close to 10 pm on a winter Saturday, when the bar and restaurant were closed and the highway had no traffic, so that timing may affect the experience. The larger, nicely decorated rooms are under the restaurant and bar. Ours was spacious and clean, with a microwave, fridge, four pillows, a very comfortable queen bed, and higher-end toiletries. We really enjoyed our stay.