Anchorage Hotels

[Cosmic Rays]

I am having great difficulty in getting responses from two of the major hotels in Anchorage - one which Princess uses for tours!. I have emailed the GM's and also the concierges yet get no reply. I don't want to have to call them from the UK.

Has anybody else had similar problems. Our requests are for June next year.

 

Colin

[mytime53]

Is there a special request or some other reason that you are trying to email them instead of using their reservations site? I assume one of them is the Captain Cook: http://www.captaincook.com/

[Cosmic Rays]

It is the Captain Cook and yes I did try their reservations website and it took three weeks for them to respond!! So much for customer service eh? I've sent another email today and await a response from both the GM and Reservations. I guess there's a problem if the GM can't even offer the courtesy of a reply..................All we are looking for is an additional night at the end of our Princess Landtour at a decent rate ie Princess rate but I guess they won't play ball!

[araniqkslvr]

Try the Copper Whale B&B.

[Glaciers]

There has to be more to this than what is indicated here. 3 weeks does sound like a long time in responding. Apparently you did not get the desired response so you emailed the GM and Concierge today and you didn’t get a response yet. Expecting a response the same day of your email doesn’t seem realistic. It’s also not realistic to expect the same Princess rate when they can usually get the rack rate from somebody else for the same room. If you’re not satisfied with the Cook, look at other places.

[Cosmic Rays]

There has to be more to this than what is indicated here. 3 weeks does sound like a long time in responding. Apparently you did not get the desired response so you emailed the GM and Concierge today and you didn’t get a response yet. Expecting a response the same day of your email doesn’t seem realistic. It’s also not realistic to expect the same Princess rate when they can usually get the rack rate from somebody else for the same room. If you’re not satisfied with the Cook, look at other places.

 

Thanks for your response...............however, I have been in the industry for 36 years - service and efficiency, like cleanliness are paramount in the industry, and certainly in my book as a quality marque - yet not always shown unfortunately as we all know. My own business dictated this by responding to emails immediately in the hope of securing the business. We are staying there anyway at the end of our vacation with Princess for one night and all we want to do is stay an extra night before the long haul home!! Princess won't play ball for some reason they won't explain for an extra night, so I contacted the hotel direct and now the frustration!! This is the last piece of the three week (vacation of a lifetime to Alaska to which we both are looking forward to so much) 'jigsaw' and is proving to be the 'missing' piece...........

[NancyIL]

Bite the bullet and PHONE the hotel. It isn't that expensive for a short phone call.

[Shopinpat]

I can not agree more about customer service in Alaska. It is a beautiful place thats for sure and I just can't stop thinking about what it would be like if they had some customer service!

If it helps in anyway we did go over to Capt Cooks and it looked beautiful.

We ate breakfast and it was very good.

Please do not go into Alaska thinking you are going to get the same service you recieve at home or you will be very disappointed.

I can not tell you how impressive the scenery is it takes your breath away.

Hope this helps....

Pat

[Chenega]

That is surprising for the Captain Cook since they are considered one of the best hotels in this city.

 

You might also try the newer Anchorage Marriott which is only a few blocks away. Further away on Benson and the Seward Highway is the just opened Embassy Suites - however, don't know what their rates are but you might check the Embassy Suites website.

[PennyAgain]

Relatives tell me that the Captain Cook is full of McCain-Palin campaign workers and everything has come to a dead halt while they are making a lot of demands.

 

Add to that a few hundred news reporters trying to get information on Palin and it is a mess.

 

The Marriott is worn out now. Might be ready for next season.

 

It is very hard to get hotel workers in Alaska as the wages are very low compared to the sky high cost of living.

[Embracedbylife]

Stayed at the Holiday Inn and it was great.

[kenish]

Is it possible the CC won't contact you directly since the first night was booked through Princess? It could even violate contractual agreements between CC and Princess (just as a cruise line won't contact you directly if you booked through a TA). Just a theory....

[Mcscotty]

I wouldn't give more money to a hotel where they can't be bothered to respond to an email.

 

You could stay at the www.voyagerhotel.com which is immediately across the street from Captain Cook. It's not the best, but very clean and huge rooms, and will be at least $50 cheaper. For just 1 night it's worth considering. I stayed there in September.

[Cosmic Rays]

Thanks for your replies and suggestions - please keep them coming.

 

We certainly won't tarnish the wonderful state of Alaska because of the service attitude of two hoteliers in one city - far from it, it looks to be such an 'awesome' State and we greatly look forward to our trip next year.

 

Perhaps I should wait until the furore of the Palin Presidential campaign has worn off, if it does, and continue to enquire elsewhere including the Voyager. It would be nice to stay somewhere that offers breakfast and an airport shuttle transfer for our flight back to Vancouver on the Saturday afternoon.

 

Anybody tried and succeeded with Priceline for Anchorage - we're there mid June? Any suggestions?

 

Colin

[Podie]

Recently a friend at Fort Richardson told me to check out Clarion Suites at W. 8th Ave and C Street, a very decent location. Apparently it's pretty new. We stayed in a new Clarion Suites in Savannah recently and it was VERY nice. I'm considering this Clarion for my one night stay after a cruise.

 

I stayed in the Marriott during a week long stay in Anchorage in 2000. It was brand new and one of the prettiest hotels I've ever stayed in. Hopefully in the off season they'll get it back to its pristine condition!

 

By the way, I was in Anchorage in 2000 for a convention and most of the people were staying at the Captain Cook. Those who visited me at the Marriott said our rooms there were far nicer than CC.

[PennyAgain]

I had a booking at the Captain Cook for a few days from now. Confirmed. Called to check on it.....vanished!

 

The reservation person told me that they can't ask people to move out of the hotel once they have checked in as long as the bills are paid.

 

I don't want to stay with family while in Anchorage due to the driving time out to the house from town.

 

The reservationist told me they had the political people, the news people and a raft of lawyers and accountants. I'm sure all are paying top prices for their rooms....or someone else is paying all that for them.

 

So what do I get for a reservation that they dumped?

 

Nothing!

 

Emails and copies of confirmations mean ZERO! I would have shown up and been without a place to stay.

 

Thanks for warning me that something was going on up there. Yes, thanks!

 

I'll find another place to stay for one night using the suggestions in this topic. Thanks.

[mytime53]

Honestly, we would never stay at the Captain Cook except when we have conferences there, with a reasonable group rate, and then only for the convenience. I just don't think the value is there for the money. When we travel, we always look for something in the Marriott or Hilton line of chains. Our first choices are Embassy Suites (and the one in Anchorage is brand new), Hampton Inn, Springhill Suites, and Fairfield Inn (first 2 are Hilton, latter 2 are Marriott). Great beds, reasonable price, free parking, breakfast ranging from continental to fully cooked buffet, depending on which one. All of these are located in Midtown, not downtown; most have restaurants within walking distance.

So I would transfer the second night to one of those, (check for shuttle to airport, I'm not sure Embassy Suites offers it).

[PennyAgain]

I'm leaning hard toward the Hilton properties. I love the points and miles. The Captain Cook for me is a sentimental choice. The rooms vary widely in price/size/location. It settles me down to have one night with a great view from my tower of choice. However, that said, I'm not happy about being forgotten.

 

I've stayed there since the 1970's. I thought that might count for something.

 

Apparently not!

 

This old girl needs to learn new tricks. Thanks for all the help. I would have been so peeved to arrive at that hotel with no room! Peeved, embarrassed and likely having to pay full rate to get something else.

 

As they 'lost' my reservation, they would not have to get me a room elsewhere and pay for it.

[PennyAgain]

couldn't add this to my previous note.

 

The Captain Cook used to kept track of regular customers. We were always greeted nicely, had our favorite things already in the room and given special status and rates.

 

All gone!

[Shopinpat]

Colin,

Sometimes it is cheaper to do a B and B and rent a car. We stayed at the

Leopard and it was very nice the breakfast was great. This may be another avenue for you. We rented a van for 19.99 a day it was great.

I still would not stay at the Marriott.

Pat

[LisaH]

We stayed at the Hilton last summer and had a room on the top floor and it was great - floor to ceiling windows. But our main reason for staying there was air conditioning. It had a/c.