Pikes Waterfront Lodge Fairbanks
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1850 Hoselton Drive Fairbanks, Alaska, United States, 99709, 907-456-4500
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Travel Blogs by Travelers Who Stayed at the Pikes Waterfront Lodge Fairbanks
Our week in the Fairbanks area
We left Denali National Park at 4pm on the Alaska RailRoad and arrived in the Fairbanks Depot at 830pm. What beautiful scenery from Denali to Fairbanks. We spotted Dall Sheep on the Mountain top and a Moose with her calf on the way. The fall colors were beautiful. The weather was great-no rain and the train ride was so much fun, The shuttle met us at the depot for our weeks stay at the Pikes. We had reserved the riverview room with balcony and we loved the accomodations. What a great place to...
Fairbanks Alas, Alaska, United States margiewilson
Chena Hot Springs Resort Road Trip
We decided to take a road trip to Chena Hot Springs Resort. It is only about 60 miles from Fairbanks but the drive is very scenic. It took us over 2 hours to get there because we kept stopping for photos. There was so much beauty everywhere you looked and again the colors were spectacular. We kept looking for wildlife hoping to see our elusive bear, but no such luck with that one. We did spot a wolf cross the road right in front of us and that was the first time we had seen a wolf. When we ar...
Chena Hot Springs Resort, Alaska, United States margiewilson
Our Vacation is coming to an end
We woke up to cloudy skies and little rainy weather so we decided to check out some shops in Fairbanks that we missed and take a short drive around the city. That night we ate at The Lemon Gras Thai Restaurant in town.. That was the first time we both had tried Thai food and we were pleasantly surprised. It must be very popular because the place was really busy. Saturdy we left the hotel after lunch and headed for the area around the Alaska Pipeline to do some sightseeing. By the time we got ...
Fairbanks, Alaska, United States margiewilson
Goldmines and Rivers
We drove to Fairbanks. Went to a working goldmine to learn about goldrush history, mining techniques and get rich by panning for gold. We found some gold but it didn't cover our admission fee. It was fun and Roger liked the country western singer (Earl Hughes) that entertained and narrated the tour. Irene and Nancy got jewelry from their pannings.
We then took a riverboat cruise on the Chena. Saw some things along the way including a bush plane takeoff and landing; the late Susan Boucher'...
66° 33'
Took tour up the Dalton highway to the artic circle. This is the road "Ice Road Truckers" are currently riding. Saw a lot of fast big trucks. Road was mostly dirt for the 125 mile trip. It followed the pipeline the entire way. Got a quick glance at a grizzly and a moose. Interesting 15 hour day.
Fairbanks, Alaska, United States tom1100
Historical Traveler Reviews of Pikes Waterfront Lodge Fairbanks
Rating Surprising - Pikes is Great
from A TripAdvisor Member
I am so surprised at some of the negative ratings of this hotel, I feel compelled to share my own experience last November. I have stayed several times at Pike's Waterfront Lodge and this past visit was as always excellent.
The rooms are comfortable and well-furnished. I really enjoy the Aveda bath products - a luxurious experience away from home. The front desk people as well as those in the lounge were very service-orientd and friendly. Our group arrived very late and wanted to hang out together for a while and the waitress in the lounge purposely stayed late to accommodate us.
Breakfast is continental but well-stocked and includes plenty of fruit -- something I always look for versus glorified pastry bars. This breakfast was well-tended, substantial, and had plenty of healthy options.
But I think that the best part of all my stays has been the friendly and helpful staff -- whether it has been getting the shuttle to the airport or accommodating little needs, Pike's Waterfront Lodge's staff has always jumped to help.
Definitely make this lodge first preference when you stay in Fairbanks!
The rooms are comfortable and well-furnished. I really enjoy the Aveda bath products - a luxurious experience away from home. The front desk people as well as those in the lounge were very service-orientd and friendly. Our group arrived very late and wanted to hang out together for a while and the waitress in the lounge purposely stayed late to accommodate us.
Breakfast is continental but well-stocked and includes plenty of fruit -- something I always look for versus glorified pastry bars. This breakfast was well-tended, substantial, and had plenty of healthy options.
But I think that the best part of all my stays has been the friendly and helpful staff -- whether it has been getting the shuttle to the airport or accommodating little needs, Pike's Waterfront Lodge's staff has always jumped to help.
Definitely make this lodge first preference when you stay in Fairbanks!
Best Fairbanks Experience
from A TripAdvisor Member
Every part of my experience at Pike's was remarkable. The greeting at the front desk was pleasant, considering it was almost 2:00 in the morning. My room was fresh, the rate was attractive and it smelled good. I thought the bed wasfirm, which is always a pleasure, since it's hard to sleep away from home. Although the rooms are practical, and not overdone with amenities, I did appreciate the Aveda line of soaps and shampoo. I've seen it advertised on tv. Breakfast was complimentary and quite decent. I had a waffle and enjoyed the artwork, which is all original oil paintings and way beyond what I expected for a Fairbanks hotel. I had a chance to eat at the restaurant next door at Pike's Landing and it gave me a feel for a local place--it's been around for decades and added some authenticity to the trip. I like being around locals and the food was good and fairly priced. Everything about the place was great, but I liked the people the best--very friendly staff. This will be my hotel of preference for Fairbanks from now on.
Alaska Bait..and switch
from cujo31
Having stayed at this hotel twice previously, I was so happy to see they had a special deal on their website - $69 for their celebrity suite for a Friday/Saturday night stay. I couldn't resist that deal so reserved it, even remembering to bring a copy of my reservation with me. Imagine my surprise when I arrived and they said I could not have the suite. Not only that they sent me to a small, dark room with two double beds! I went to the desk to ask them to please check since I had hard evidence of reserving this room. The clueless young woman on duty told me she would do me a favor and upgrade me to a king bedded room. Quite the disappointment that treatment. I should have stayed at the lovely Westmark in town which was running an even better special (and they actually deliver what they promise.)
That said - the rooms at Pikes are fine and rather well equipped with a mini-fridge and microwave. The cleaning was quite average as was the food. The general atmosphere of the hotel is homey - pehaps a special Alaskan flavor that is very welcoming. (I did have a very good experience with the woman who handled the desk on Saturday night - she was very pleasant and helpful, 180 degrees from the Friday afternoon person.)
THe location is particularly good if you need to be near the airport, a little less so if you want to go into the downtown area - you'd need a car for that. (I would certainly recommend the Pikes over the Aspen if you are staying out by the airport.)
The moral of the story - if a company advertises a deal that looks too good to be true - it probably is.
That said - the rooms at Pikes are fine and rather well equipped with a mini-fridge and microwave. The cleaning was quite average as was the food. The general atmosphere of the hotel is homey - pehaps a special Alaskan flavor that is very welcoming. (I did have a very good experience with the woman who handled the desk on Saturday night - she was very pleasant and helpful, 180 degrees from the Friday afternoon person.)
THe location is particularly good if you need to be near the airport, a little less so if you want to go into the downtown area - you'd need a car for that. (I would certainly recommend the Pikes over the Aspen if you are staying out by the airport.)
The moral of the story - if a company advertises a deal that looks too good to be true - it probably is.
Comfortable AND Charming!
from KickinAKgirl
I liked Pikes! I have a hard time believing that this place is rated 16 out of 20 hotels in Fairbanks, who decides these things??
I live in Anchorage, and have traveled extensively throughout the state. However, it definitely takes a spirit of adventure (and a friend visiting from the "lower 48") to voluntarily get me to go somewhere colder than Anchorage in the winter, but Im so glad I did!
We drove from Anchorage, it took about 5.25 hours only because I have 4-wheel drive and studs. We arrived at around 8 PM and were promptly checked in. The lobby area at Pike's is extremely charming, I wanted to hang out in front of the cozy fireplace forever. There were cookies and coffee at the front counter-excellent.
The room was very comfortable and the Aveda bath amenities a pleasant surprise- I must say. The in-room coffee was average but I'm a picky coffee consumer. Microwave and refrigerator, excellent. We went to the BEST thai restaurant (Lemongrass off Chena Pump Rd.) the first night so was able to save the rest and eat later. Love that.
My favorite thing: we went to Chena Hot Springs one day and it was an awesome experience. Half way there we realized that we had left the "do not disturb" sign on the door. Darn, we thought, we'll come back to a dirty room. But alas, we didnt. it was clean! I SO appreicated that.
Other things: Excellent breakfast: love the waffles, oatmeal, boiled eggs. Liked the CNN opportunity in the lobby, and the restaraunt was great. Hated having to walk outside to get there but it was worth it. The front desk staff was very friendly and efficient always.
I paid $69/night and it was well-worth it. Visit in the winter!
I live in Anchorage, and have traveled extensively throughout the state. However, it definitely takes a spirit of adventure (and a friend visiting from the "lower 48") to voluntarily get me to go somewhere colder than Anchorage in the winter, but Im so glad I did!
We drove from Anchorage, it took about 5.25 hours only because I have 4-wheel drive and studs. We arrived at around 8 PM and were promptly checked in. The lobby area at Pike's is extremely charming, I wanted to hang out in front of the cozy fireplace forever. There were cookies and coffee at the front counter-excellent.
The room was very comfortable and the Aveda bath amenities a pleasant surprise- I must say. The in-room coffee was average but I'm a picky coffee consumer. Microwave and refrigerator, excellent. We went to the BEST thai restaurant (Lemongrass off Chena Pump Rd.) the first night so was able to save the rest and eat later. Love that.
My favorite thing: we went to Chena Hot Springs one day and it was an awesome experience. Half way there we realized that we had left the "do not disturb" sign on the door. Darn, we thought, we'll come back to a dirty room. But alas, we didnt. it was clean! I SO appreicated that.
Other things: Excellent breakfast: love the waffles, oatmeal, boiled eggs. Liked the CNN opportunity in the lobby, and the restaraunt was great. Hated having to walk outside to get there but it was worth it. The front desk staff was very friendly and efficient always.
I paid $69/night and it was well-worth it. Visit in the winter!
Avoid Like The Plague!!
from A TripAdvisor Member
First day of our beautilful trip to Alaska. Landed in Fairbanks, picked up our rental cars and drove a short distance to the Lodge.
1) 1AM Took forty minutes to check us in. Just the five of us in two rooms with reservations paid in full. No one else was checking in at the time. Staff on hand, three teenagers.
2) We had paid for cabins, and two queen beds. We got
a room in the hotel with one queen bed and a hide a bed for my 16 year old son with back problems.
3) Next morning, I asked to be switched to another room with two queen beds. They said, that would work and we would make the switch in the afternoon about 3:00pm. I told them we would be back at noon.
Arrived back at the lodge at 12:20pm. Go to our room, open the door with our key card, only to find someone elses luggage in our room! About 20 secound later, a man opens the door to HIS room! We go to the front desk and they let us know THEY switched our room for us. We turn over the keys, get new room keys and go to our room. Once inside, we realize the lodge did not remove ALL of our belongings from the first room, because we had unpacked some of our things the night before. Back to the front desk to get a bellboy to go back to our first room to retreve our items in the closet.
4) Finally back in our new room, take inventory and find we are missing my sons new coat he bought for the trip. (He was going to take it with him out to breakfast that morning, but decided not to and I saw him throw it on his suitcase.) Back to the front desk to report it missing and what do you know---they never found it or compensated me for it or even apologized for loosing it!
I will never stay at this place again! And I would advise anyone to stay clear! They rest of our trip was great, check-in everywhere else took less then three minutes, our bags always got to the rooms ahead of us, and we never "LOST" another thing! IMAGINE THAT!!When I got back from our trip, I e-mailed the lodge, but they never responded.
1) 1AM Took forty minutes to check us in. Just the five of us in two rooms with reservations paid in full. No one else was checking in at the time. Staff on hand, three teenagers.
2) We had paid for cabins, and two queen beds. We got
a room in the hotel with one queen bed and a hide a bed for my 16 year old son with back problems.
3) Next morning, I asked to be switched to another room with two queen beds. They said, that would work and we would make the switch in the afternoon about 3:00pm. I told them we would be back at noon.
Arrived back at the lodge at 12:20pm. Go to our room, open the door with our key card, only to find someone elses luggage in our room! About 20 secound later, a man opens the door to HIS room! We go to the front desk and they let us know THEY switched our room for us. We turn over the keys, get new room keys and go to our room. Once inside, we realize the lodge did not remove ALL of our belongings from the first room, because we had unpacked some of our things the night before. Back to the front desk to get a bellboy to go back to our first room to retreve our items in the closet.
4) Finally back in our new room, take inventory and find we are missing my sons new coat he bought for the trip. (He was going to take it with him out to breakfast that morning, but decided not to and I saw him throw it on his suitcase.) Back to the front desk to report it missing and what do you know---they never found it or compensated me for it or even apologized for loosing it!
I will never stay at this place again! And I would advise anyone to stay clear! They rest of our trip was great, check-in everywhere else took less then three minutes, our bags always got to the rooms ahead of us, and we never "LOST" another thing! IMAGINE THAT!!When I got back from our trip, I e-mailed the lodge, but they never responded.
Hotel was cozy -
from ronadebra
We stayed two days at the end of our Alaskan trip- thought room was very nice. Liked the fridge and micro wave(even though we didn't use it)
Breakfast was pricy in Binkly room however, we had 1/2 lb burgers and fries for dinner which were great. Others from our tour at there too and enjoyed it. Loved the lobby with all the animals and paintings. Fireplace was a nice touch too
Would have liked a general store to buy snacks etc.
Mattress and pillows were comfortable and we liked the small balcony overlooking the lake.
Breakfast was pricy in Binkly room however, we had 1/2 lb burgers and fries for dinner which were great. Others from our tour at there too and enjoyed it. Loved the lobby with all the animals and paintings. Fireplace was a nice touch too
Would have liked a general store to buy snacks etc.
Mattress and pillows were comfortable and we liked the small balcony overlooking the lake.
Avoid if easily aggravated
from mapgirl
If you don't mind a completely amateur front desk, then Pike's might be an OK place to stay (as long as you're not paying more than $75 for the room).
Each person in our small conference group had to make individual reservations, and almost every one of those reservations (30+) were either lost, under misspelled or other names, over-charged, under-charged, or mangled in various other ways. The sweet but completely inept employees were constantly confused and seemed to have no more-experienced managers to turn to. We were staying two nights, then returning for one night after a two-day visit to Denali. When our reservation for the last night could not be found on our initial foray to the front desk, they made a new one complete with new confirmation number. Of course when we returned, the same person who made the reservation could not find it! This all made for very long lines and short tempers.
The shuttle drivers didn't show up when booked, so additional phone calls had to be made.
The only positive things I can say are that the rooms were adequate and the housekeeping people did their job (though it often took them until around 3 p.m.).
Each person in our small conference group had to make individual reservations, and almost every one of those reservations (30+) were either lost, under misspelled or other names, over-charged, under-charged, or mangled in various other ways. The sweet but completely inept employees were constantly confused and seemed to have no more-experienced managers to turn to. We were staying two nights, then returning for one night after a two-day visit to Denali. When our reservation for the last night could not be found on our initial foray to the front desk, they made a new one complete with new confirmation number. Of course when we returned, the same person who made the reservation could not find it! This all made for very long lines and short tempers.
The shuttle drivers didn't show up when booked, so additional phone calls had to be made.
The only positive things I can say are that the rooms were adequate and the housekeeping people did their job (though it often took them until around 3 p.m.).
Go somewhere else
from A TripAdvisor Member
We arrived with a tour group in August at about 5:30 pm. We went to our room and turned on the air conditioner. At 8:30 pm we called the front desk to let them know it was not working. They ignored us until we called again at 9:15 pm. Then they sent someone to try and tell us the room was fine. The room was on the first floor facing the parking lot. We could not have slept with the window open. When we asked for another room they gave us the standard line "We are all sold out." Then they said the were calling maintenance. The front desk personnel would not let us talk with a manager nor would they give us their names. Finally after continous complaining to the rude front desk clerk he found us two rooms! By then it was about 11 pm and we had to get up at 5 am the next morning. We had also heard about the rude service from other guests. Also, when you walk in the first thing you smell is cigarette smoke.
Try Someplace Else First
from A TripAdvisor Member
We arrived in Fairbanks on June 21, the longest day of the year. Which in Alaska calls for a celebration because it will be daylight.....all day! There are all kinds of things going on on this day. Unfortunately we did not realize this until we arrived. After 15 hours of travel and still being on eastern time, we were not up to much celebrating. Pike's Lodge is just O.K. The room was clean, but nothing special.
We ate in the Binkley Room for dinner. I advise you not to. We waited forever to even be given a menu. The waiter serving water poured us several glasses before a server could be tracked down. Once we placed our order things moved along faster, but they knew we were not happy. The food was good but not worth the wait or price.
The iron in our room did not work. I called the front desk and was informed that housekeeping wasn't in yet. Basically....tough.
There are other places in Fairbanks to stay....try them first, I certainly will.
We ate in the Binkley Room for dinner. I advise you not to. We waited forever to even be given a menu. The waiter serving water poured us several glasses before a server could be tracked down. Once we placed our order things moved along faster, but they knew we were not happy. The food was good but not worth the wait or price.
The iron in our room did not work. I called the front desk and was informed that housekeeping wasn't in yet. Basically....tough.
There are other places in Fairbanks to stay....try them first, I certainly will.
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