Clarion Suites Anchorage Downtown — Hotel in Alaska

Dirty, disgusting bedsheets. Not changed from previous guest. See photos. Timeline: I arrived at the hotel at around 13.30 p.m. I was told check in was at 16.00 & room was not ready which is ok as this was advertised in advance. I went back at 16.00 p.m. to check in. There was a huge group of people (around 20 people) checking in at the same time (which is also reasonable given it was check in time for everyone). However, there was only one person (not very reasonable) at the reception, so it took much time till they checked in everyone. I go to my room (room 236) as shown in the pictures. The room was big, had office space and sofa at the entrance, spacious and even had a small kitchenette. Happy to be checked in after a 8h hour flight from NYC and 2 hours of wandering around Anchorage (till check in time) I open my luggage, change clothes, settle and then go to the other side of the room to go to bed and rest. The first thing I notice is that the bedsheet are not ironed. This was a bit shocking to me as its the first hotel I come across (after quite a few trips) where the bedsheets are not ironed. Apparently, ironing isn't about aesthetic but about hygiene given that steam and high heat kill bacteria etc. I proceed to uncover the cover of the bed to see bedsheets and pillows FULL of human hair (of all parts of human body one can imagine). I felt nauseous & went back to the other side of the room to call reception. I explained the condition I found bed and they asked me to go downstairs so they give me another room. I had to put my clothes back, pack luggage again (very inconvenient given how tired I was) and head to reception. Before heading downstairs, I asked them to come upstairs to witness what I had just witness. Of course they did not dare to come upstairs & asked me kindly to go to reception. Went to reception and showed them pictures. They said they were sorry but as they are small size hotel they dont outsource laundry and do it inhouse so they dont iron bedsheets.....Disgusting and I paid 400 USD for one night...

My wife and I enjoyed our stay in Anchorage. This hotel is on the edge of downtown, but we were still able to get to most downtown attractions on foot.

I realize it was Alaska, but the parking lot could have been cleared of snow a bit better; walking was a bit difficult/icy in places. There were moose droppings in several places, but unfortunately we never got to see any moose.

The room was large, the bathroom huge for a hotel bathroom. There were dispensers of shampoo, soap, etc. in the shower and by the sink. We understand it's probably more economical than individual little bottles. But it took 4-5 pumps to get even a small amount out, and whatever brand of product being used didn't lather up much. Luckily there was a bar of regular soap to use for showers.

Breakfast was great. Nice, large breakfast room. Lots of choices, although there could have been more fruit options and some high fiber/less sweet cereals. Waffles were very popular. With such long lines to make one, they really should have 2 waffle makers. The waffle batter was ultra sweet, didn't even need syrup - too much! Eggs were much better.

Evening desk clerk was the same both nights. She was really helpful, even allowing my wife into the breakfast room to get a couple of plastic spoons for instant soup for dinner in our room. (The only restaurant within several blocks is the Benihana's on site.)

The pool was quite small and so crowded my wife decided not to swim (rare for her). (Comfort Suites by the Anchorage airport has a much larger pool.)

Computers in lobby worked well, although someone needs to clean out the history cache more often to boost speed. Vending machine in lobby; prices reasonable.

Only annoyance was the loud people next door who stayed up late. The walls are pretty well sound-proofed, but the locked doors that can make adjoining rooms aren't. We could hear the neighbors a bit when in bed; when by the closet/bath area, it sounded like they were...

We didn't stay here by choice. The Clarion Suites was selected by Norwegian Cruise Lines (NCL) as the hotel for the first night of our three day ground package before our seven day cruise.

What a disappointing way to start our vacation. The only positive thing I can say is the staff was courteous and mastered the phrase "I'm sorry."

It all started with a loose electronic card key lock system that took jostling to get the latch to open and enter the room. While the room was basically clean, our room indicated the entire hotel is in desperate need of a refresh. Peeling paint in the room which was totally void of decoration. Lingering mold along the bathtub. Not a single USB charging port. Mismatched bedding on the two queen beds, of which one bed made a horrible cracking sound when getting in or out of the bed.

We were on the first floor and I followed signage indicating the ice machine would be at the end of the hall, only to find there was no ice machine. As I walked the length of the hall back toward the lobby I encountered a staff member and asked "Where's the ice machine?" She politely stated it was on the second floor. When I asked why the posted sign on the wall didn't indicate that, she advised they had been asking for the sign to be updated for over two years. I suggested they print their own sign and tape it over the incorrect signage.

Later in the day I asked if there was on-site laundry service. The answer was, "Yes, but the machine is broken and has been awaiting repair for the past two weeks, but should be fixed by the end of next week." I'm not one to condone lying, but they'd have done better to just say "No, we don't have on-site laundry service."

After this experience I don't ever see myself staying at a Clarion property again by choice. As for NCL to subject their customers to such an experience is inexcusable, especially at a price point near...