HotelChatter - Tag: Alaska Hotel Guide

Sitka: For A Stay in Sitka, Try The Shee Atika Totem Square Inn

globetrotting gourmet — 2009-06-08T16:52:08-05:00

Mention Sitka in surrounding Southeast Alaska island towns, and locals invariably perk up: “Oh Sitka? It’s really (drag it out for three syllables) nice there.” All starry eyed, you have a feeling they’re conjuring up mental images of rainbows and unicorns.

Although we rolled into town at an ungodly hour after a 13-hour schlep on the Alaskan Marine Highway Ferry, the chipper (caffeinated?) concierge Shee Atika Totem Square Inn made us feel right at home. After cracking open the windows for some cool night air (Alaska hoteliers tend to overheat rooms), our head hit the pillow for one of the most restful slumbers on the nine-day Alaskan adventure.

Petersburg: Salmon Derby or Bust at Alaska's Scandia House

globetrotting gourmet — 2009-06-05T16:15:57-05:00

<![CDATA[<img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/6929/scandiahousefront.jpg" class="top"> Timing for our first visit to <a href="http://www.petersburg-va.org/tourism/">Petersburg, Alaska</a> was a bit off: Memorial Day weekend during the peak of the 28th Annual Salmon Derby. Hours before our arrival, local angler Duane Olsen had caught a 59.8 lb. king salmon and residents were in a tizzy about the record-breaking catch. With a $7500 prize on the line for the first place winner, competition was fierce and if you werent out fishing that weekend in Petersburg, you were pretty much S.O.L.Luckily, our digs at <a href="http://www.scandiahousehotel.com/">Scandia House</a> were within walking distance of all the dockside action (and lots of watercraft eye-candy). The hotel exterior evokes a European vibe, no doubt a nod to the towns strong Norwegian

Ketchikan: It Ain't the Big Apple, But The New York Hotel is a Cozy Bet

globetrotting gourmet — 2009-06-04T09:32:35-05:00

<![CDATA[<img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/26601/New_York_Hotel.jpg" class="top"> Hey, Alaska travelers especially those not yet eligible for AARP! Guess what? You dont have to subject yourself to big cruise ships packed with thousands of passengers to experience the islands of Southeast Alaska and the Inside Passage. (Although if en masse modes of transport are your thing, thats a-okay by us.) Independent travelers with wanderlust and time to spare hop on the <a href="http://www.dot.state.ak.us/amhs/index.shtml">Alaska Marine Highway Ferry</a> in Bellingham, Washington for a scenic 38-hour ride to <a href="http://www.visit-ketchikan.com/">Ketchikan</a>. Dont panic theres a bar onboard, as well as cabins for your sleeping pleasure. Or you can start your nautical itinerary from a handful of other islands within Southeast Alaska. <a href="http://www.alaskaair.com/">Alaska Airlines</a> also operates flights

Juneau: Best Digs in Downtown Juneau: Silverbow Inn and Bakery

globetrotting gourmet — 2009-06-02T16:06:49-05:00

<![CDATA[<img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/26601/Silverbow_Inn_Room_207_1_.jpg" class="top"> <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Silverbow+Inn/ian/177783">Silverbow Inn and Bakery</a> co-owner and former New Yorker, Jill Ramiel, had us at hand-boiled bagels. There has been a bakery on this historic site since the 1890s, and Ramiels bakery is a bit of a social fixture in the small community, being the first to offer free Wi-Fi.Jill and her hubby also offer regular indie flicks on a big projector screen, rotating art exhibits, and the most divine cookies, brownies, and yes, bagels. Dont miss the snickerdoodles, toasted toasted almond bagels with apple butter and Alaskan Beer bread. The bakery also stays open late serving beer, wine and light fare, offering a civilized alternative to the countless beer-and-a-shot dive bars that dot downtown <a href="http://www.traveljuneau.com/">Juneau</a>.