Loved Juneau - wouldn't stay at Pearson's again.
By A Yahoo! Contributor, 2/12/09
The owners were too competitive with other local businesses for tourist dollars. We were paying $400 a night to stay with them. We flew into Juneau, arriving after 7 p.m. at night, following an 18 hour travel day from the East Coast, and involving 7 airports! Given the possibility of canceled or delayed flights and arriving after dark, we did not want to wait in line at an auto rental desk (which might be closed if our flight was delayed) and then drive on unfamiliar roads in the dark. We therefore reserved a room at the Airport Travelodge for our first night. Our plan was to collapse at the Travelodge, sleep late, pick up the rental car and head out to Pearson's. Why risk losing a non-refundable $400 night with them? Well, Diane wrote me a snippy email, stating we'd be better off sleeping in a van than staying at the Travelodge, but with no specifics as to why. She told me we should come directly to Pearson's because they had a room available for that additional night. It was not the same room, so the next morning we'd have to pack all of our stuff and move to another room.She then pointedly stated that if we did stay at the Travelodge our first night, we should "not expect to check in before the 3:00 p.m.check in time, even if you are already in town." I had not even requested an early check in!
This was not exactly the warm and gracious attitude I expect from a quality operation. She made me feel like I had no taste, to stay at the Travelodge, and was trying to rip her off in some way. The Travelodge, by the way, was just fine, and I appreciated the fact that it had an indoor pool where I could swim after being cooped up in a plane the entire day.
We looked forward to having some wine and cheese, etc., in the late afternoon at Pearson's after we got back from our various adventures. However, you have to go through the main gathering area to get to the stairs to go to your room, and Diane made it clear we were expected to sit down and recite our activities for the entertainment of anyone else there. Everyone sat in a big circle, so you could not have private conversations without appearing rude. This wasn't conducive to romance and privacy, or just being tired and wanting a nap before dinner. It would have been a definite drag to honeymooners! We felt like teenagers trying to sneak by Mom and Dad.
During our week's stay, we came across a relatively new restaurant where we had the best meal of our stay. When we gave "the group" an enthusiastic review of the restaurant, Diane allowed she didn't like the people running the restaurant and although she had never set foot in the place, she put it down the way she had the Travelodge. We went to a restaurant she recommended, and it wasn't nearly as nice. Juneau's a small community - everyone knows everyone. I don't think it's good business practise to denigrate your competition. I don't expect the standards of smooth hospitality in Alaska which I've found in Berlin, Dublin, London, Istanbul, etc., but her attitude added significant stress to what should have been a totally relaxing holiday. Of course I appreciate hotel staff recommending good places to eat, and warning me off not-so-good ones, but that should be done with tactful suggestions, and based on actual knowledge of the restaurants.