Loved the property and the staff were all so kind and sweet. The bartender Cherry (sorry if I spelled her name wrong) was wonderful to talk to and really excited me about being there. I have some health issues and get tired easily but she inspired me to go out as often as I could and gave me good ideas for things to do in the few days I was there.
Loved walking on the frozen Chena River behind the hotel. Breakfast every morning was pretty good. The huckleberry ice cream was delicious. Room was clean and had a good amount of personality with the decor and art. And speaking of art, all the art everywhere was amazingly and thoughtfully curated, every time I looked around it felt like I spotted something new. The location is really convenient for someone who doesn't drive, I got to do a good amount of walking and the airport being nearby meant I could check out at a comfortable time before my (1:30 AM) flight back home. And yet somehow I'd regularly forget the airport was right there, it's mostly quiet.
My gripes are minor!
1) The neon lights that are always on are too bright to typically see the aurora from the rooms, I had to track them using the UAF cam online and then heading out to a darker street. I imagine if it's actually possible to see it from the rooms, it would have to be extremely strong.
2) The waffle irons for breakfast could use a regular good spray down, I saw a lot of sticking. It would also be better if they just used real utensils instead of plastic.