The Hotel Alyeska and Resort is surrounded by the Chugach Mountains on Alaska’s south-central coast, with eight restaurants, tram ride up the mountain, Nordic spa, and heated pool.
Seasoned Traveler Made a Rookie Alaska Mistake
When planning our Alaska adventure, I selected four popular cities including Anchorage. Anchorage would allow us to explore the Kenai Fjords National Park.
While searching for an Anchorage hotel, I was underwhelmed with the chain hotels that all appeared to have less than exemplary customer ratings.
Then I happened upon the Alyeska Resort, an Alpine style hotel with more than a 4 star rating among thousands of customer reviews that kept appearing in my online search for Anchorage accommodations.
You might say I was “blinded by the light” of those stars and knowing how fast hotels sell out in Alaska, I booked a room right away and paid in full. Nothing was going to jeopardize this great find. That’s the good part.
The not so good part was when I realized that my perfect Alaska hotel was not in Anchorage but in Girdwood, Alaska instead.
Where the Heck is Girdwood, Alaska?
The Alyeska Hotel, on the grounds of the Alyeska Resort, is located in the town of Girdwood … 40 miles south of Anchorage. While 40 miles sounded far at first, in reality, it wasn’t a big deal.
From the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, all we did was head south on the Seward Highway for a 90-minute scenic drive. We would have arrived quicker but we stopped a few times to take advantage of the once-in-a-lifetime photo opportunities.
So, my embarrassment of booking a hotel outside of Anchorage quickly faded as we drove the rental car into the entrance of the Alyeska Resort and spotted the hotel, one that resembled a Swiss chalet like in Hallmark movies.
About The Alyeska Hotel and Resort
It was exciting to stay at a hotel different from standard brand name hotel chains. Alyeska Resort, with 299 guest rooms, is surrounded by ski trails, glacier views, a lush valley, and the Alaskan wilderness.
Boasting newly renovated rooms, it made for the nicest accommodations and amenities, both inside and outside. What makes this hotel different is that steps from the hotel is easy access to ski slopes, nature trails, and walking paths.
The resort is a year-round destination, offering eight on-site dining options, saltwater pools, skiing, Alyeska Tramway, and the Alyeska Nordic Spa. Alyeska also hosts a variety of events in the summer and winter seasons.
As you can imagine, the resort is packed with locals and tourists during the active winter season. If you want a quieter, less snowy, less crowded, and less pricey visit like we did, plan to visit during the off season and midweek rather than weekends.
Note: This part of Alaska has four distinct seasons. Summer has temperatures ranging between 40°F and 75°F. Winters have temperatures between 15°F and 40°F.
Cool, Rustic Décor
When you step into the hotel’s lobby, you will be overcome with all the dark wood and stonework surrounding the front desk, concierge desk, and a business center.
There is Native American artwork, a diorama of the mountains, and an adorable life-like polar bears display high above the lobby. The reception area has a series of stairways that take you up to a higher level to view the resort’s grounds and snow-capped mountains.
In the lobby and in the common spaces, the décor continues with dark wood, burgundy leather seating, and rustic decorations. There is also a fireplace and a baby grand piano. Be sure to look for the beautiful sculpture of salmon, a noteworthy Alaskan fish.
Alyeska Resort Amenities
Since we were staying at what I would describe as an outdoor playground for adventure seekers, there is an indoor fitness center onsite. The room is exquisite! Imagine walking on a treadmill with a vaulted wood-beam ceiling and huge bay windows allowing you to see a view of the pond and Mount Alyeska.
The onsite Alyeska Nordic Spa, saltwater pools and huge hot tubs gave us much-needed warmth in Alaska. The saltwater is very therapeutic as you can actually float weightlessly. You’ll want to book ahead for pool time.
The Concierge Desk, located next to the front desk in the lobby, staffs a team of wonderful people, always gracious to answer any questions and help with your reservation requests.
In addition to multiple retail outlets at the resort, Glacier Gift & Gallery, Sundry Shop, and Alyeska Mountain Sports, there’s also a convenient rental shop for ski and mountain bike rentals, and more. The shops also sell the most unique Alaskan-made souvenirs, gifts, snacks, beer, wine, and spirits.
I will tell you more about our experience later, but the Aerial Tram is a ride way up to Alyeska’s peak where (weather permitting) you can get a birds eye view of the skiers and snowboarders enjoying the mountain.
Our Cozy Guest Room on the 8th Floor
With so many outdoor activities to do during the day, The Hotel Alyeska makes a fabulous place to rest and recharge at night. To our advantage, the resort has been undergoing a renovation so we loved our Signature Room with King bed.
Our 8th floor room was decorated in burgundy and hunter green colors and the furniture appeared to be a rich cherry wood. On the walls were striking nature photography and other colorful Alaskan accents, complimented with a view of the mountains outside the window.
It was a spacious 500 square feet room, ideal for the three nights that we stayed there. However, note that we did not have ski equipment so I can imagine how cramped that would be with more travel gear. The rooms could use more storage cubbies and hooks to hang wet clothing.
We liked having bathrobes and slippers waiting for us in the closet. The bathroom was small but the vanity was a good size, and the unique heated towel rack and light-up makeup mirror was an added bonus.
The free bottled water, free wireless internet, and in-room free coffee was appreciated. The coffee maker was not fancy but worked fine. The mini-fridge was standard as was the television, clock radio, and in-room safe.
Eight Restaurants/Lounges Onsite
Alyeska Resort offers a variety of places to get food from restaurants, cafes, and bars. Each of the eight places was convenient throughout the day and night. We enjoyed great food … cocktails … coffee … and unforgettable mountain views.
The Seven Glaciers Restaurant is AAA Four Diamond award-winning mountaintop dining, allowing us to eat amidst panoramic views. Note: Book ahead for this restaurant! Sakura Asian Bistro is fine Japanese dining, featuring mouthwatering hand-crafted specialty rolls that are so freshly prepared, you’ll want to return for more.
The Aurora Bar and Grill, Sitzmark Bar and Grill, Tramway Café, and the Bore Tide Deli & Bar made for casual ways to grab coffee, cocktails, sandwiches, and other quick bites to eat.
Forte is the Italian restaurant where the pasta dishes give you lots of carbs to keep up with the resort’s activities. For higher-end dining, there is Pond Steakhouse but we didn’t try it. And there’s always the option of in-room dining, great for exhausting days of Alaska exploring.
My Shocking Visit to the Hotel’s Spa
If you love saunas, the spa’s 50,000-square-foot indoor-outdoor Nordic Spa features saunas and steam rooms that provide a unique hydrotherapy (hot and cold) experience surrounded by nature. Strategically placed fire pits, trails in the forest, and massage treatments add to many tempting spa options.
This spa gave us a memorable, unexpected experience that I highly recommend especially if you’re not regular spa travelers like us. It was not embarrassing like I typically picture resort spas to be.
You simply check in at the spa, get a wrist band and a locker, and they lend you a large, coat like robe to cover your bathing suit and keep you warm outside. While outside, you basically jump in and out of the heated pools, hot tubs, and saunas, over and over again. We skipped the cold plunge pools. It sounds crazy to wear a bathing suit in Alaska, walking a path to find the Forest Sauna, but don’t knock it until you try it.
Adventure Right Outside
While we did not ski during this visit (but we hiked and ate too much food!), we did get to enjoy the Alaskan environment all three days at the resort.
Riding the 40-passenger Alyeska Tramway up 2,300 ft in elevation to the mountain top was the heart-wrenching and heartwarming at the same time. It’s funny that a person like me, who does not like riding Ferris wheels or taking elevators to the top of observatory towers, can look back proudly for taking a seven minute outdoor tram ride up a mountain. Taking in mountain views were just that good as was the pizza and pasta at the Tramway Café.
The tram entrance and ticket office is right at the hotel. Bring binoculars and be ready to take lots of photos. The tram runs at full speed during winter, but half speed in summer. Our tickets cost us $48.00 each, cost justified.
The concierge suggested other outdoor excursions not too far from the hotel, including dogsledding, hiking to a glacier, boat cruises, and even helicopter rides. We chose to save some money (and energy) to partake in activities at the resort. As a dog lover, I’m not a fan of making dogs work to pull humans on a sled.
We saw an enormous amount of wildlife roaming the resort including bears and moose, so be careful.
Final Takeaways About Alyeska Resort
If you’ll be in the Anchorage area, I recommend Alyeska Resort. While we didn’t make it to see Anchorage’s Kenai Fjords National Park, this resort turned out to be the picturesque Alaskan setting we dreamed about. The spa, heated pools, delicious food, and scenic tram ride were extra special.
- Located just 40 miles from Anchorage
- Beautiful property and scenery
- Very friendly and super attentive hotel staff
- Cozy dark wood lodge feel with fireplace
- Good variety of restaurants and food.
- Rooms are clean with spectacular views
Author Bio: Originally from Long Island, New York, Donna Wright now calls Deland, Florida her home. An avid traveler, she has journeyed by air, land, and sea, to many cities in the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean to exciting destinations like California, Arizona, Las Vegas, San Diego, Myrtle Beach, Lake Tahoe, Reno, and more.
This content is provided for general informational purposes only and should not be considered travel or consumer advice. Inn amenities, prices, policies, and availability may change. Readers should verify all details independently and use their own judgment when planning travel.