The Explorer Hotel — Hotel in Yellowknife

The Explorer Hotel is a lovely establishment and without a doubt the best hotel in Yellowknife. It offers spacious, comfortable rooms, and the restaurant serves excellent food with a nice ambiance. Under normal circumstances, it would easily earn a higher rating from me, as it’s clear the hotel has put effort into creating a pleasant and welcoming environment. However, my recent experience has left me deeply disappointed and concerned, which is why I am giving it three stars.||Let me start by emphasizing the positives. The rooms are beautifully designed, clean, and generously sized, offering a relaxing space to unwind after exploring the city. The restaurant is another highlight—the food is well-prepared, and the staff there are attentive and friendly. As far as amenities and accommodations go, the Explorer Hotel stands head and shoulders above other options in Yellowknife.||So why the three stars? Unfortunately, the management’s handling of guest security and comfort has been severely lacking during my stay. As I sit in the lobby writing this review, my wife has felt compelled to retreat upstairs because of a recurring issue that should never happen at a hotel of this caliber.||A couple of nights ago, a homeless man entered the lobby and approached my wife, harassing her for money. This understandably left her feeling uncomfortable and unsafe. While the front desk clerk at the time did intervene and managed to get the individual to leave, I was hoping that the incident would be taken seriously and steps would be put in place to prevent such situations from recurring.||However, today, as I sit here, the same man has returned, and to my frustration and disappointment, the front desk staff this time have done absolutely nothing about it, even after my wife voiced her concerns. The man is still sitting within my view, and it is utterly unacceptable that paying guests are left to feel unsafe and ignored in such a reputable establishment.||I understand and empathize with the challenges of homelessness in a cold climate like Yellowknife’s, and I do not begrudge anyone seeking warmth. However, there is a clear difference between providing a safe space for those in need and allowing individuals to harass paying guests without consequence. A hotel of this quality should have proper protocols in place to address such situations, ensuring the safety and comfort of its guests at all times.||As it stands, my wife feels too uneasy to remain in the lobby, and that should never be the case in a hotel of this standard. Security measures such as requiring key card access to certain areas, more attentive staff, or even a dedicated security presence in the lobby could easily prevent these issues. The fact that the same individual was able to return after previously being removed only highlights a lack of seriousness in addressing guest concerns.||We still have two nights remaining in our stay, and I sincerely hope the management takes this feedback to heart and makes improvements. Guests should not have to worry about being harassed or feeling unsafe while staying at what is otherwise a beautiful hotel.||To the staff and management: your property has so much potential to provide an exceptional experience, but it is being overshadowed by a lack of attention to guest security. Please do better. No guest should feel uncomfortable in such a highly regarded establishment, especially when concerns have already been raised.||Would I recommend the Explorer Hotel? Yes, with caveats. It is the best hotel in Yellowknife in terms of accommodations, but unless steps are taken to address issues like this, I would hesitate to wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who values their...

I completed the pre-check-in online as instructed in the email, including uploading my ID and providing my credit card information. When I arrived at the hotel, I followed the instructions and asked the front desk staff for my room key since I had already done the pre-check-in. However, he told me he could not see any connection between my online pre-check-in and picking up the room key. He even forgot to tell me my room number and didn’t write it on the key.

The room’s air-conditioning system is poorly designed. If I turned off the air conditioner, the heating panel on the ceiling would also switch off. If I turned on the air conditioner, cold air would blow out, even though the room was heated by the ceiling panel. Why would I need cold air if I want the room to be heated?

On my checkout date at 9:00 a.m., the housekeeping staff tried to enter my room twice without ringing the bell or knocking. I immediately called the front desk to stop them, but the front desk asked for my checkout time instead of checking it in their system. The front desk staff did not acknowledge how rude it was for housekeeping to enter without permission and told me to inform them myself that it was not yet checkout time. He should have contacted the housekeeping team directly rather than placing the burden on me.

After I checked out, I stored my bags in the hotel’s storage room. When I returned to pick them up, the front desk staff said the storage room was unlocked and that I could retrieve my luggage on my own. However, when I got there, the door was closed. I went back to the front desk, and she told me to wait for another colleague to finish his work so he could open the door. She refused to assist me herself. I had also observed a similar situation earlier at my arrival date when another guest was complaining that the front desk staff were unwilling to open the storage room, passing the responsibility on to someone...

We chose this hotel due to the reviews and location, let me say what a great choice! NWT great Canadian north was on our bucket list of life adventures and we had an unforgettable and amazing experience! We are from Ontario and the quiet, slow paced life up north is just what we needed! All of the hotel staff and restaurant/bar staff made sure to take such great care of us on our stay! We had an upgrade in rooms when we arrived due to our flight being earlier than expected, they took care to make sure all of our needs were met! The room was very clean, the bathroom was updated and spotless. The blackout curtains helped immensely as in the summertime the sun never sets (midnight sun) so this helped us to adjust and sleep. Unfortunately the Wild fires were spreading and the people from affected villages were being evacuated and displaced, they were temporarily sheltered in the hotels throughout the city. They were very friendly considering what they were going through and our hearts go out to their communities from these tragic events. This showed us how community gets together to help in these unfortunate situations and that is such a huge plus in my review today! Lots of advice was also given on where to visit and see local hotspots with wildlife trails in the tundra.. the smoke from the fires did scare and push wildlife away for the most part but we were lucky enough to spot some beautiful wildlife! The restaurant and bar staff got to know us and knew our usuals without hesitation making our stay so pleasant and welcoming! We did not want to leave by the end of our stay, so relaxed and exactly what we were looking forward to for this expedition! Thank you to everyone there for your amazing hospitality and we will be definitely returning as soon as...