Baranof Hotel, Best Western Signature Collection

The breakfast was a mixed bag. On the first morning, I ordered avocado toast. The artisan style olive bread was excellent and the avocado fresh, but the cherry tomatoes had been heavily sautéed in oil and made the whole plate greasy. The eggs and hash browns were oily too, and the hash browns were crisp outside but undercooked inside. The next day, the kitchen made the same dish with fresh tomatoes and boiled eggs as I requested. It was much better, and I appreciated that they listened and fixed it. The bigger issue was how little sound stayed in the rooms. In our first room on the fourth floor, the guest next door snored loudly enough to keep us awake, then his TV woke us at 6 AM and sounded as if it were in our room. When we asked to move, staff first said nothing could be done. After a long talk with the manager, who unfortunately had trouble understanding our request, we were moved to room 230 on a lower floor facing the street. It was just as bad, perhaps worse: we heard neighbors talking and laughing late into the night, the radiators knocked loudly all night, and an alarm clock went off at 6 AM. Housekeeping should check and reset those between guests. We’d asked for a quieter room away from neighbors, but the move didn’t solve anything. The building is old and clearly needs renovation, with paper thin walls that let through snoring, TVs, conversations, and bathroom sounds. If you’re a light sleeper, this may not be the place for you. The kitchen was willing to make things right, but the front desk never resolved the main problem. We didn’t get the quiet or comfort we were looking for.

I was surprised this hotel had a 3.5 star rating. The rooms were incredibly small, and there was no real control over the heat or cooling. We cooked all night, even with the window open. The bathroom was cramped and inconvenient in every way. It wasn’t what I expect from a GW 3-star hotel, and I definitely don’t recommend it.

Leaving was the best part of our stay. We’d been looking forward to exploring Juneau during an overnight layover, and a $400 room felt like a chance to enjoy a little luxury, but the experience soured us on the city. Our $40 taxi dropped us at an entrance that looked like a strip mall. Inside, a frail woman was struggling with her own luggage trolley while staff sat unoccupied behind the counter. Check in was a hassle: the clunky card machine ruined several cards before we got one room key. The elevator shook on the way to the second floor. The halls were dim and musty, and the room door creaked open onto a wave of humidity. It was the smallest room I’d ever seen, like a NYC shoebox apartment, though I’m sure those at least have AC and a mini fridge. The window looked onto a parking lot through glass clouded with years of dirt. The screen had a tear, the window wouldn’t lock despite repeated attempts, and the curtains never overlapped, leaving a tiny gap that made us feel exposed, like prisoners. The toilet was crammed behind the door with no knee space, and there were only six squares of toilet paper left. No bathroom fan either, so we got to share all the smells. The shower clunked on and dripped, swinging between too hot and too cold. After jiggling the handle and slapping the faucet, the pressure finally came through. At least there was that while I stood in a 2x4 child sized tub. No more baths for me. We escaped into the downtown streets right outside, where speed walking locals grumbled and called us “cruise people.” After 9pm, the only food we found was from a small shop run by an adolescent who was frying through endless orders. Ours took an hour. The air smelled of what seemed to be Mother Nature’s most popular drug, enough that a deep breath might mean a failed drug test. A walk through the cold mist offered some hope that I had enough Ambien to make it through the night. Sleep didn’t come easily. I rocked myself to sleep, my skin rubbed raw on the rough sheets while I sweated in the heat. They did provide a cheap, ancient fan, though I later learned I had to jiggle the lamp wire just right to make it work. In the morning, the dim hall led us to a grand looking breakfast room, where servers said breakfast was only for “paying members.” I’d paid $80 online and showed them. They pointed us to reception for voucher cards, so we trudged back, then returned to find the miniature buffet. The food was prepackaged pastries, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and, thankfully, handfuls of bacon. It seemed everyone else had menus, but we weren’t fancy enough for one. Everything about the stay was disappointing. The fancy marketing fooled us. Do yourself a favor and avoid this hotel.

There’s no air conditioning. When I asked, they told me to open the window, as if it were 1939. The screen has a hole and the hotel is on a noisy street. The place is antiquated without being charming. Frayed carpet, peeling wallpaper, chipped woodwork, and a distinct BO smell in the room.