Hotels, Resorts & Lodges

Accommodations on an Alaska cruise and tour package are often split between a cozy cabin aboard your favorite ocean liner and, when the trip ventures inland, a wilderness lodge, resort or hotel. Ranging from rustic log cabins to high-end destination resorts, these properties offer the perfect staging grounds for backcountry hikes and other tours of Alaska’s national parks.

Review some of the cruise lines’ favorite wilderness lodges below.

Celebrity Cruises/Royal Caribbean Cruise Line

Grande Denali Lodge: Perched atop a cliff outside Denali National Park, this hotel offers deluxe guest rooms, family-sized cabins and sweeping views of the mountains surrounding Nenana River Canyon. A central activities desk books hikes, wildlife tours and any other excursions not covered by your cruise line; otherwise, guests are free to grab dinners and drinks at the Alpenglow Restaurant or curl up in front of the oversized stone fireplace in the Grande’s lobby.

Hotel Alyeska: This chateau-style lodge 40 miles south of Anchorage is surrounded by stately evergreen trees, hanging glaciers and nesting eagles. Part of a sprawling resort complex, accommodations here are accompanied by several shops, restaurants and a full-service spa. A heated indoor pool and an oversized hot tub greet those using the hotel’s newly expanded fitness center. An aerial tram whisks skiers and other sightseeing guests to the top of Mt. Alyeska.

Pike’s Waterfront Lodge: Enviable views of the Chena River are a hallmark of this Fairbanks hotel. A wraparound deck dotted with dining tables and a few dozen Adirondack-style chairs provides a place to park for an afternoon or evening -- the perfect way for guests to unwind after a long day on the hiking trail. In addition, a steam room and sauna ward off the chill of an Alaskan evening.

Seward Windsong Lodge: This resort on the outskirts of Kenai Fjords National Park is a launching point for glacier hikes, dog sledding demonstrations, kayak tours and trips to the Alaska SeaLife Center, an aquarium and rehabilitation center for rescued animals. On site, guests can snag a snack at the Resurrection Roadhouse, browse a Native American craft shop or simply enjoy the scenery provided by the surrounding glacial valley.

Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge: Found on the south side of Mt. McKinley, a centerpiece of Denali National Park, this resort is a favorite stop for visitors of tiny Talkeetna. A 46-foot fireplace anchors the welcoming Great Room, where guests gather after a long day of hiking. The accommodations are just as inviting and come with a guest’s choice of mountain or forest views. The Base Camp Lounge, home of the Alaskan Climbers Hall of Fame, is accompanied by casual and fine dining restaurants.

Holland America Line

Denali Backcountry Lodge: Follow the main road to the heart of Denali National Park to find bears, caribou, wolves and the 30 cozy cedar cabins that make up this resort. This is an intimate spot, and friendly staffers use buffet breakfasts and family-style dinners to bring their guests together as a group. The staff seeks to educate, too, offering guided hikes, gold panning tours, biking expeditions and other specialty programs led by local experts. An onsite natural history library and video collection also aids the learning process.

Denali Bluffs Hotel: From its oversized, wraparound deck to the casual dining room of the Mountaineer Grille, this 112-room inn is overflowing with windows facing the snowcapped Alaska Range. Guests start their day with a cup of coffee at the Perky Moose; when it’s time to hit the park, hikers can request a box lunch to fuel their trip. Denali Bluffs also offers easy access to amenities at its sister properties, including the McKinley Chalet Resort and McKinley Village Lodge.

Grande Denali Lodge: Perched atop a cliff outside Denali National Park, this hotel offers deluxe guest rooms, family-sized cabins and sweeping views of the mountains surrounding Nenana River Canyon. A central activities desk books hikes, wildlife tours and any other excursions not covered by your cruise line; otherwise, guests are free to grab dinners and drinks at the Alpenglow Restaurant or curl up in front of the oversized stone fireplace in the Grande’s lobby.

Hotel Alyeska: This chateau-style lodge 40 miles south of Anchorage is surrounded by stately evergreen trees, hanging glaciers and nesting eagles. Part of a sprawling resort complex, accommodations here are accompanied by several shops, restaurants and a full-service spa. A heated indoor pool and an oversized hot tub greet those using the hotel’s newly expanded fitness center. An aerial tram whisks skiers and other sightseeing guests to the top of Mt. Alyeska.

Kenai Princess Wilderness Lodge: Ringed by its bungalow-style guest rooms -- each outfitted with a private porch suited for evening wildlife watching -- this lodge offers a serene setting in the Chugach National Forest. The Eagles Crest Dining Room, the lodge’s upscale restaurant option, offers Alaskan-influenced cuisine and optimal bird watching. And, after a long day on the hiking trail, guests can grab a fishing pole and unwind by the Kenai River, where trophy-winning salmon await.

McKinley Chalet Resort: This property offers a bit of showmanship in Denali National Park. In addition to its 345 rooms, extensive shopping facilities and onsite rafting outfitter, the resort is home to a lively dinner theater and its musical homage to the Fairbanks Gold Rush. Other themed dining experiences include the “family flapjack feed” and the Nenana View Grille, where patrons enjoy sweeping mountain views with breakfast, lunch, dinner and evening cocktails.

McKinley Village Lodge: Just eight miles from the entrance of Denali National Park, this lodge is close enough to offer quick access to wild attractions -- but, harried guests note, it also provides some much-needed distance from fellow tourists. After a day of Denali attractions, McKinley Village guests can relax at the Lucky Miss Saloon, a fireside cocktail lounge, or Quigley’s Coffee Corner, a sweet spot for ice cream and java. When it’s time to warm up for another day in Denali, guests can stretch their legs on the hiking trails surrounding this 20-acre property.

Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge: Found on the south side of Mt. McKinley, a centerpiece of Denali National Park, this resort is a favorite stop for visitors of tiny Talkeetna. A 46-foot fireplace anchors the welcoming Great Room, where guests gather after a long day of hiking. The accommodations are just as inviting, and come with a guest’s choice of mountain or forest views. The Base Camp Lounge, home of the Alaskan Climbers Hall of Fame, is accompanied by casual and fine dining restaurants.

Tutka Bay Wilderness Lodge: This intimate inn, perched on the watery gateway to Kenai Fjords National Park, is known for its wild neighbors. Orcas and humpback whales are often found frolicking out front; the lodge’s untamed backyard, meanwhile, plays host to brown bears and other creatures creeping around an old-growth forest. Activities here, including afternoon kayak tours, are usually led by the lodge’s family of owners. Another homey perk: the staff will gladly pack you a sack lunch if you’re heading out for a long hike.

Westmark Hotels: This line of deluxe lodges, all owned and operated by Holland America Line, offers outposts in Anchorage, Beaver Creek, Dawson City, Fairbanks, Skagway and Whitehorse. Each seeks to provide high-end accommodations in some far-flung destinations -- free Internet access, laundry facilities and a mix of cable and satellite television are just a few of the unexpected perks guests will find as they make their way through the Alaskan backcountry.

Princess Cruises

Copper River Princess Wilderness Lodge: Surrounded by the evergreen beauty of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, this lodge treats its guests to mountain views from every angle possible. Popular observation areas include the Wrangell Room, a library outfitted with two-story windows overlooking its namesake peak; an outdoor patio, which serves piping hot appetizers along with fresh mountain breezes; and the riding trail, host to lodge-led horseback tours of the backcountry.

Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge: Those looking to “rough it” during their visit to Denali National Park should look elsewhere. Shopping, fine dining and wraparound decks with prime mountain views are just a few of the perks of this lodge, found just one mile from the park’s main entrance. One onsite attraction gives patrons a parka and lets them experience “the real Alaska” -- subzero temperatures, courtesy of a refrigerated room chilled to -40 degrees. And, a long day of hiking Denali’s sprawling terrain, guests can soak their sore muscles in one of the lodge’s outdoor hot tubs.

Kenai Princess Wilderness Lodge: Ringed by its bungalow-style guest rooms -- each outfitted with a private porch suited for evening wildlife watching -- this lodge offers a serene setting in the Chugach National Forest. The Eagles Crest Dining Room, the lodge’s upscale restaurant option, offers Alaskan-influenced cuisine and optimal bird-watching. And, after a long day on the hiking trail, guests can grab a fishing pole and unwind by the Kenai River, where trophy-winning salmon await.

Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge: Hidden in Denali State Park -- a smaller, more exclusive preserve on the eastern edge of Denali National Park -- this lodge is a nature lover’s dream. Three popular hiking trails highlight garden, forest and mountain views; three onsite restaurants, from casual cafe to a more sophisticated surf-and-turf option, highlight Alaskan entrees. Guests also gather in the Great Room, a cozy spot for card games, curling up in front of a stone fireplace or unparalleled views of Mt. McKinley.

Find a Bargain
Please choose a vacation type.