Pre-cruise hotel in Anchorage

[Spence]

I'm going southbound on RC in September, we will be flying into Anchorage a day early and taking the train to Seward the next morning. We're looking at the Anchorage Grand Hotel for the overnight. Anyone have any experience with them? Any ideas for a better place? It seems that no one has free shuttles from the airport, or to the train station.

[Yukon]

I haven't stayed at the Anchorage Grand but it reviews well - it's only a block from the railroad station. You can see an aerial photo with all the closest hotels marked, at http://www.explorenorth.com/alaska/images/anc_rr_hotels-map.html

[Orlando Vic]

The Comfort Inn Ship Creek has free airport transportation and is about 1 block from the AK RR. I've stayed here before and it was perfectly satisfactory in every way.

[Keksie]

The Comfort Inn Ship Creek has free airport transportation and is about 1 block from the AK RR. I've stayed here before and it was perfectly satisfactory in every way.

 

We are doing the same with spending a night in Anchorage and then the railway to Seward the next morning. We are staying at the Comfort Inn. Do you just catch the airport transportation when you get there or do you have to make arrangements in advance? Is it walkable or should we get a cab the next morning?

[negc]

On our two previous visits to Anchorage we stayed at the Hotel Captain Cook and the Marriott Downtown Anchorage. Both were fine but because we were on cruisetours, the cruiselines (Princess and RCI) both provided us with transfers from the hotels to the train. Last year during the rail portion of our southbound land tour(Fairbanks to Anchorage), RCI offered us the option of taking the Alaska Railroad train from Anchorage to Seward in place of the motor coach transfer. The price was only $25 per person and we found it to be the best (most scenic) rail portion of the land tour. It left Anchorage around 1pm, so our later arrival in Seward limited what we could see and do there but since the weather there was not optimal, we were more than content to simply board the ship and settle in.

[NHsnowpup]

I'm going southbound on RC in September, we will be flying into Anchorage a day early and taking the train to Seward the next morning. We're looking at the Anchorage Grand Hotel for the overnight. Anyone have any experience with them? Any ideas for a better place? It seems that no one has free shuttles from the airport, or to the train station.

 

We stayed at the Ramada. Nothing fancy, (the room was really nice, hallways a little worn) but they have a free shuttle--both airport and Railroad. You call, they come. They have a really nice included breakfast, but if you are leaving on the Alaska RR AM run to Seward, you will be gone before it starts. It was close enough to walk downtown if you don't mind hoofing it a bit.

[Orlando Vic]

We are doing the same with spending a night in Anchorage and then the railway to Seward the next morning. We are staying at the Comfort Inn. Do you just catch the airport transportation when you get there or do you have to make arrangements in advance? Is it walkable or should we get a cab the next morning?

 

I would imagine you would phone the Comfort Inn hotel when you have claimed your bags...maybe as soon as you get to baggage claim but do not yet have your bags. As for transportation to the RR station from the hotel the next day, just notice how far it is away when you approach the Comfort Inn...then make your decision about what to do the next morning. It's only about a block!

[cruiseram]

We are doing the same with spending a night in Anchorage and then the railway to Seward the next morning. We are staying at the Comfort Inn. Do you just catch the airport transportation when you get there or do you have to make arrangements in advance? Is it walkable or should we get a cab the next morning?

 

We stayed at the Comfort Inn last June. I called prior to or trip and was told to call them after we collect our luggage at the airport and they would send the shuttle. It arrived to pick us up within 20 minutes. At check in we signed up for the first shuttle to the train.

[Colexis Mom]

We're staying at the Comfort Inn in June the night before we take the train to Seward for our RCI cruise.

[srlafleur]

We stayed at the Comfort Inn one night post cruise. It was mercifully close to the RR station. We left our bags there while we took the train out to Denali for a couple of days. We walked to the station (downhill) but when we got there, I realized that the paperwork we needed was in one of the bags left behind! Thank goodness for my inclination to be early for everything! I hiked back up to the hotel, dug through the bags and rushed back down to the station with time to spare.

We stayed an additional night after our Denali trip, with a very early flight the next morning, which the free shuttle got us to easily.

[PennyAgain]

The Comfort Inn adjusts to breakfast schedule to take care of people who have the train to catch and is otherwise helpful. If you want to walk to the main part of downtown, it is not far but it is up a mightly steep hill.

[Yukon]

We stayed at the Comfort Inn one night post cruise. It was mercifully close to the RR station. We left our bags there while we took the train out to Denali for a couple of days. We walked to the station (downhill) but when we got there, I realized that the paperwork we needed was in one of the bags left behind! Thank goodness for my inclination to be early for everything! I hiked back up to the hotel, dug through the bags and rushed back down to the station with time to spare.

 

From the railroad station to the Comfort Inn is absolutely flat. Every other hotel in Anchorage is uphill from there.

[srlafleur]

From the railroad station to the Comfort Inn is absolutely flat. Every other hotel in Anchorage is uphill from there.

 

hmmm...I could have sworn it was the Comfort Inn. Whichever one it was also had a free airport shuttle and was very close to the station. It's been several years. Darn, now I have to look it up!

[srlafleur]

hmmm...I could have sworn it was the Comfort Inn. Whichever one it was also had a free airport shuttle and was very close to the station. It's been several years. Darn, now I have to look it up!

 

I know why I thought it was the Comfort Inn. I had looked at that one for quite a while before booking, and found it had gotten some bad reviews because of noise from trains, also, if I remember correctly, it was quite removed from the rest of the city - though after being in Anchorage, I think that's relative to how much you like to walk.

I think we stayed at the Day's Inn.