Pikes Waterfront Lodge, Fairbanks

We stayed at Pikes for a week in Sept 2010. My advise is to get the cheapest room w/ limited or no amenities because the rooms are nothing to brag about and the "river view" is more like tree view. We tried to switch for a fireplace room and they weren't working. Oh well, you are in Alaska. Who wants to stay in their room the whole time anyhow. I thought it was funny that our housekeeper on Day 1 left us a hand-written tip envelope. I have a tip for him. The restaurant has a limited menu and is pricey, but the breakfast buffet was pretty good. Overall, it was ok.

Pros: -Great property-- lots of amenities in the hotel (internet room, workout room, sauna) and many things for the kids to see in the hotel and on the property (lots of Alakskan art, "duck hotel", greenhouse, etc.) -Got a good deal on a room with a fridge/microwave (check their website, they do have weekend specials in the summer) Cons: -the staff was very incompetent-- messed up reservation, knew nothing about Fairbanks, didn't know where the hotel amenities were located (it's not that big a hotel, how could they not know?!) Bottom line: Would definitely go again, regardless of staff. Maybe staff better trained in winter (i.e. no exchange students)?

The hotel is close to the Fairbanks Airport which is practically across the street from the Lodge. During cruise ship season, this Lodge and Princess Fairbanks Lodge are fairly full as the two are almost next to each other. There is an ice cream parlor next to the lodge with a Douglas Company DC-6 on the roof but I didn't buy anything though. I only stayed here one night as I my flight home left early the next day, so I can't really comment much about the lodge or Fairbanks for that matter. However, from my perspective, the lodge's rooms are clean and I believe there is complimentary transportation to the airport. The lodge, from my point of view, seems to be far from downtown Fairbanks and the general business area. You'll most likely need a rental car to get around Fairbanks unless you're part of a tour group. I haven't fully explored Fairbanks so I'll need to return someday and see what it has to offer. By the way, wireless internet connection should be available and you should be able to get a signal even from your own room.

We were there in Aug. 06 as part of a land/cruise package. It was our first time in Alaska, what a treat! Good food, very clean, very friendly. Checked in in the early am. and got to see the Northern Lights! The staff was willing to wake us up to see the lights again--but they did not come out again.Very close to the airport, a van was there to get us upon our arrival. The Chenna R. was beautiful and the scenery fabulous, especially for us from New Orleans,LA. Would do it all again!

Warm hotel where the owner often is in the lobby greeting guests and making people feel welcome. Amazing collection of Alaska art in lobby. Workout room has three new cardio machines plus a tv to pass the time. Rooms have balconies--mine with a view of the Chena River, ducks and horses---and at night the Northern Lights. Complimentary continental breakfast every day with lots of choices. Super friendly staff from the front desk to the housekeepers. Highly recommended.

after a long and painful flight we landed in fairbanks. noticed a tall handsome man standing by his van,it was pikes!!yay. He had anticipated our arrival and was the single most respectful hotel employee. he sympathized for us and took our bags after seating us. this was all at 3:30 am so our relief was great. he told us of fairbanks his home and offered to show us the northern lights. they were amazing. his name was shawn and he took responsability for our comfort. he put us at ease and made us feel safe.the hotel itself is beautiful, the scenery grand, the rest of the staff seemed overworked and cranky.great food but the crowds were shoulder to shoulder. my wife remembers at the time we never did tip anything but shawn continued for 3 days to make us feel special.

It is not worth the money! Time of year is everything. Untrained/inexperienced staff definitely noticable. Food provided not up to par. Untrained management. Cannot keep track of bookings properly. Will most likely not get desired room.

We stayed here when we were attending my friend's wedding. While I admit the hotel was on the pricer end of things, it was still just inside tourist season (a point proven when we flew in with a Pricess Cruise group). The employees were very friendly, and they were most helpful with all the wedding planning. Beautiful scenery, and the bar and grill next door had good food for a reasonable price.

We stayed at Pike's because we were in town for my father in law's funeral and needed last minute accomodations. The first night we didn't arrive until 10 or 11 pm and they had no problem getting us a room at a reasonable price. We weren't sure if we would stay any additional nights (thought we may stay with relatives) so we checked out but asked if there would be any trouble to come back the next night without a reservation and were assured there would be no problem. The staff was friendly and helpful in my opinion and the free continental breakfast was very good. We did return a second night and received a cheaper rate than the first (I'm still not sure why as the first night was a Thursday and the second a Friday) but it was a nice surprise! Overall we found the staff and the rooms to be quite pleasant and were more than satisfied with our experience.