sharonsimon

Due to high summer rates, we want to use hotel points at either Hilton, Marriott, Starwood, or Priority Club for 1 night downtown Anchorage and 1 night near either train station or ANC (as we are renting a car early the next morning). Any recommendations for particular hotels? Looks like Hilton, Marriott and Sheraton all have large hotels rated closely on trip advisor, so it's hard to know which is best. Thank you

Chugach

Sheraton is at the fringe of downtown and not in the best area. Hilton is the most centrally located, and a short walk from the train depot.

For one night, I'd just use the one for the least amount of points.

satman40

Sheraton is not bad, coffee is good, and the cruise lines stay there...nice restaurant across the street...

Hilton is more uptown, nice area, bums sleep outside the door....

Save a buck...Sheraton is my choice...nice hotel...and the coffee is free...along with the Internet, and closer to Homer..

fti

If you want a cookie-cutter chain hotel, use points. But you can find some very reasonably-priced lodging in/near Anchorage with just a little effort. Independent hotels, B&B's, etc. Plus, if you are heading north, you can try Eagle River or Wasilla or if heading south, try Girdwood, for more varied options.

mhnadel

Hilton location is convenient but the hotel is badly in need of updating. I was there last summer (for a conference) and the rooms have major sound proofing problems. Both noise from other guests (most of whom were leisure travelers who didn't have to get up at 7 a.m. for conference talks) and from the trains were issues.

I stayed an extra day and moved to the Historic Anchorage Hotel a block away and that was infinitely better.

oldpenny16

When burning points, the Sheraton works for me. I really don't like the HIlton in Anchorage.

The are a variety of chain motels out by ANC but without a car you might have to do a work around to get a decent dinner.

Do your shopping for snacks, drinks and etc before getting out of Anchorage and/or Wasilla. Prices increase and selection decreases the further out of town you go. Don't forget to take along your COSTCO/Sam's cards for use in their stores in Anchorage.

Get yourself a cheapie ice chest for use when driving.

Have a great time!

TrojanHorse

Anyone have any feedback on the Fairfield Inn and Suites on A Street?

That and the CY ANC are my only choices to burn Cat 1-4 certs for two nights (memorial weekend 12)

rlb

Fairfield Inn-have stayed there- it is ok- was clean, don't remember if it had a breakfast. not as nice as Springhill suites.- has a shuttle

Marriott- Springhill suites is my favorite- but it at mid-town, and you would need a car- would stay there for business meetings. staff there is outstanding- much nicer than Fairfield. .. has a shuttle

Residence Inn by Marriott- I think they consider it mid-town too not sure- very nice rooms, remodeld- need a car for that too - not much around it but BP- huge office meeting. ...has shuttle

jackal

Yeah, the Residence is also Midtown and you'd need a car. All three do have airport shuttles (and those shuttles may also run downtown--check with the hotel front desks, though) but are in areas rather devoid of interesting things.

The Fairfield is a long walk from a few chain restaurants (Golden Corral, TGI Friday's, Taco Del Mar, Starbucks, Applebees, Stuart Anderson's Cattle Company, and Lonestar) but literally nothing else except the restaurant in the Crowne Plaza next door (Juno).

The Springhill is next to a movie theater and a moderate walk to the Loussac library (not bad as far as midsize-city libraries go) and a reasonably good approximation of a taqueria, Burrito King. The other way, there's a Wal-Mart and then some options along the Benson corridor, but that's getting a bit far to comfortably walk.

The Residence Inn is nestled in a forest and not really walkable to anything interesting except (for lunch) the surprisingly good cafe in the BP building. There's a Subway and Qdoba at the corner of the Seward Highway and Benson, but if you really want a treat, the Anchorage institution known as Moose's Tooth is almost directly across the Seward Highway. Unfortunately, you have to walk all the way down to 36th to cross the Seward Highway (or up to Benson), so it's a bit of a trek, but totally worth it. A decent import of an authentic New York-style Italian eatery (Nino's) is on the way to Moose's Tooth, and just past that is the very good clone of a real Chicago hot dog and Italian beef eatery called Johnny Chicago's (the only difference between it and, say, Portillo's is the price--he has to air-freight his Vienna Beef).

The Courtyard is much closer to the airport in the part of town known as Spenard. Parts of Spenard can get a touch seedy at night (although I wouldn't feel uncomfortable walking in the part of Spenard that the hotels are in, and the hotels themselves are 100% safe, so that's not a concern), but there are some decent things to see and do in that area. Lake Hood is just behind the Millennium Hotel across the street, and you can watch authentic Alaskan seaplanes landing and taking off all day. Food-wise, there's a Taco King (sister to the aforementioned Burrito King) and then a very good Indian-influenced pizza kitchen run by a Pakistani couple (who brought Pakistani spices with them) as well as a Subway, Wendy's, and McDonald's and a decent (but not memorable) restaurant in the Millennium across the street.

As good as some of the above options are, there's literally nothing else, so that was to illustrate that you really do need a car if you want any options. Be sure to compare prices for picking up a car on/before May 31 and picking up on/after June 1--the price differential will shock you. I'd recommend the former.

If you really do want to be in a happening area, the downtown Marriott would be your only option. There's plenty to see, do, eat, and otherwise keep you occupied downtown.

Enjoy your trip!