Without a doubt, Embassy Suites. I travel there twice a year to see family. Have stayed at different places, but in April stayed at Embassy Suites. Now, my adult children meet from all over to have a reunion in Alaska. Four out of four insist that we only stay at that hotel for any future trips. Not fancy on the outside but wonderful.Not downtown, but very close to everything. Sears Mall walking distance. Best feature is a full breakfast, really made to order. Bedroom has a separate door, from living area. Fridge, microwave. Two tv's in each room
Hi. I'm planning on redeeming TYP for a stay in ANC in a few weeks and am trying to choose between:
Sheraton
Millennium
Captain Cook
These all cost around 20k points/night. What would you guys pick between these three? Are there any others I should consider (unfortunately, Embassy Suites is too expensive on my travel dates)? Thanks. E
Glad to hear you guys are having positive experiences with the ES. A friend of mine stayed there earlier this year. He has a lot of experience with ES and is a Hilton Diamond. He was thoroughly underwhelmed with the ANC ES--appearance was nice (and the rooms are indeed very nice--I saw his myself), but he said the staff was among the worst he'd ever encountered. Also, one of my former coworkers worked closely with the company that operates the ANC ES franchise, and she said the GM (Carol or Cheryl or something like that) there was one of the rudest, most condescending people she'd ever known.
I'll personally vouch that the Homewood Suites is one of the best hotels in Anchorage with some of the friendliest staff I've ever met, although it's not much cheaper than the Embassy...
Moondog: Captain Cook has old world charm and is probably the quintessential Alaskan hotel. I'm honestly not familiar enough with those three, though, to recommend one in particular. I'm curious that you said you can redeem 20,000 points for the Captain Cook! What program's points can you redeem for a stay there? It's not affiliated with a chain, AFAIK...
Moondog: Captain Cook has old world charm and is probably the quintessential Alaskan hotel. I'm honestly not familiar enough with those three, though, to recommend one in particular. I'm curious that you said you can redeem 20,000 points for the Captain Cook! What program's points can you redeem for a stay there? It's not affiliated with a chain, AFAIK...
Thank You Points... ~1c/pt on Expedia. I'm effectively getting 10 pts/$ spent right now with a PPE card that pays 5 per dollar plus matching flight points (for any tickets bought on the card, even taxes on FF redemptions).
I was leaning towards Captain Cook anyway, but I think you've convinced me to pull the trigger.
Thank You Points... ~1c/pt on Expedia. I'm effectively getting 10 pts/$ spent right now with a PPE card that pays 5 per dollar plus matching flight points (for any tickets bought on the card, even taxes on FF redemptions).
I was leaning towards Captain Cook anyway, but I think you've convinced me to pull the trigger.
Double check future PPE card benefits. An EMail from them last week stated that I get only 1 flight point for every THREE miles (used to be 1 flight point for every mile). And of course the "fixed point" option is no longer. Since the devaluation in January I haven't used the card once! But glad that it still works for you.
John
__________________
DELTA - Driving Every Loyal Traveler Away
Double check future PPE card benefits. An EMail from them last week stated that I get only 1 flight point for every THREE miles (used to be 1 flight point for every mile). And of course the "fixed point" option is no longer. Since the devaluation in January I haven't used the card once! But glad that it still works for you.
John
I'll be the first to admit that PPE's future is not bright, but that's not really an issue for me because I'm closing in on the 200k annual max, and plan on retiring the card shortly thereafter. It was a good ride while it lasted.
Good choice, I think. The lobby is the nicest of the three, anyway. There was a scare of a cockroach infestation in the '80s, but I'm pretty sure the threat of that is gone now. No idea about the quality of the rooms, but I do know many people who regularly stay there and have never heard anything bad about it.
Programs: AA lifetime GOLD, thanks FT, AARP senior member
Posts: 13,813
Happy Solstice Jackel!
As for me, I always stay at the Captain Cook. The rooms vary a great deal so you need to ask a lot of questions when you book, but I really enjoy that hotel.
Programs: AS MVP Gold, CO Gold Elite, Hertz #1 Club Gold 5 Star, Hilton HHonors Silver, Marriott Rewards
Posts: 729
Quote:
Originally Posted by moondog
Hi. I'm planning on redeeming TYP for a stay in ANC in a few weeks and am trying to choose between:
Sheraton
Millennium
Captain Cook
These all cost around 20k points/night. What would you guys pick between these three? Are there any others I should consider (unfortunately, Embassy Suites is too expensive on my travel dates)? Thanks. E
Choosing between those three, Captain Cook, and it's not even close. The Millennium has a decent bar and deck, but the rooms are terrible, and it's in Spenard. The Sheraton is ok, but if it costs the same as the Cook, go with the Cook.
__________________
AS 2009 EQM to Date: 38,019; ANC-SEA on 10/30
CO 2009 EQM to Date: 41,282; SEA-IAH on 10/30
In order I'd say Captain Cook, Anchorage Hilton (both great downtown locations - you can walk to everything and all the tour operators will pick-up at the hotel for excursions) -- then the Millenium for the ambiance. It's right on Lake Hood and if you have a room on the water side you can watch hundreds of float planes take off and land all day/night. But it's about 10 miles from downtown and just outside the airport. If you have a rental car, all are good but the Millenium has the bonus of free parking.
In order I'd say Captain Cook, Anchorage Hilton (both great downtown locations - you can walk to everything and all the tour operators will pick-up at the hotel for excursions) -- then the Millenium for the ambiance. It's right on Lake Hood and if you have a room on the water side you can watch hundreds of float planes take off and land all day/night. But it's about 10 miles from downtown and just outside the airport. If you have a rental car, all are good but the Millenium has the bonus of free parking.
Thanks for your advice. I ended up spending 2 nights at the Captain Cook, then 3 days driving around Kenai, followed by a night at the Millennium before my flight home. You're right about the Millennium's ambiance (at least insofar as this crowd is concerned); if they had had the foresight to include balconies in those lake view rooms, they'd get an extra star from me. In any case, we grabbed a few beers and a bottle of insect repellent and sat by the lake for a solid two hours watching float planes.... good times.
No idea about the quality of the rooms, but I do know many people who regularly stay there and have never heard anything bad about it.
