Denali Bluffs Hotel

Cheryl, the front desk manager, was genuinely welcoming and did what she could to make our three nights enjoyable. The shuttle drivers were lovely too, often picking up or dropping off guests at stops that weren't scheduled. We had a first-floor deluxe room with a wraparound balcony overlooking the river. The water trouble after a harsh winter made showering unpleasant. The pipes rattled badly, and Aaron from maintenance couldn't fix them without shutting off water for the whole building, so we had to put up with it. The shower swung between very cold and very hot, with no comfortable middle temperature. The bathroom drywall was also unfinished. Aside from those issues, the stay was fine. If the water problem was a one-off, I'd stay at Denali Bluffs again.

Rebecca at the front desk was a bright spot every day. When our bus got in around 9 pm, she helped us find snacks for our Denali tour the next morning, and she assisted us plenty of other times during the stay. All our activities had shuttle pickups there, and there was a restaurant on site. The room itself was small, with a lumpy bed, and it wasn't quiet: highway traffic and people in neighboring rooms carried through. Our room wasn't serviced or tidied during the three days. Its balcony faced trees, while the better views were from the lodge or restaurant.

The room was tiny, about the size of a cracker box, and cost $572 a night. It was on the second floor, with no elevator, and getting there meant walking a steep gravel path. With bad knees and hip replacements, that was a real problem. None of this was mentioned in the brochure, and we thought we were booking a motel. We reserved through Expedia, but the room didn't look like the advertised pictures. The TV didn't work. Maintenance came and couldn't fix it, said he'd return, and never did. We were so unhappy that we asked for a refund for the second night so we could go elsewhere. The manager was rude and refused.

The location and shuttle were the saving graces. It's easy to walk to trails, shops, restaurants, and other places, and the front desk staff tried hard to help. There isn't much seating in the lobby. We were moved here without a choice, and the room was tiny, with cheap mattresses and a static computer-screen TV, maybe 14 inches. The restaurant couldn't get a single one of our orders right, so we ate elsewhere within walking distance. For our family, the hotel would have been a one-star stay without that convenient location. I hate being so blunt since most of my reviews are five stars, but this was brutal.