Ingra House Hotel — Hotel in Alaska

Ingra House Hotel WAS a great place to stay.... BUT, since the covid-19 pandemic started, Ingra House has since become infested with bed bugs, drug addicted bums, and some of the staff are freaking out because of the pandemic and taking out their anger on innocent guests (like Mike the owner- who screamed about how he's "losing money because of covid-19). Also, the main manager, "Max" Sweeney seemed like a kind man at first- but it turned out Max is very two-faced, and he has prejudice against people with disabilities (ableism and sanism are his main choices of bigotry, which is discrimination towards people with disabilities). Max was often nice and friendly to my face, but would badmouth me behind my back. I know this because some of the other guests told me he did this. I also observed Max behaving the same way towards other hotel residents- friendly to their face, then talking crap about them behind their back to other guests and staff. I get it- everyone is freaking out over covid-19 and losing money. ||||BUT, that doesn't make it alright for Max and Mike the owner to take out their anger on guests who have nothing to do with any of that. Max treats his cat, Smokey, with more kindness than he treats people with disabilities- he treats people with disabilities like they're wild animals that he threatens with police brutality when they don't bend the knee to him and take his verbal abuse in silence. Despite the bed bugs, drug addicts, etc. ||||I would have enjoyed my stay at Ingra House- if it wasn't for the bigotry and ableist discrimination and two-faced behavior that I had to endure from Mike the owner and Max the manager. Max is the type of guy who let's the power of authority go to his head and he brags about using police violence to remove unwanted guests from "his property". ||||Edward "Max" is like Eric Cartman from South Park- "Respect my authoritah!". ||||Well, no! I do not respect your "authority" nor do I care for your bigotry, Max. ||||And since Max and Mike the owner are white and there are almost no Black guests at Ingra House, I suspect Mike/Max to be a little racist on top of the ableism. Mike and Max both disrespect the Assistant manager, Mike (a black man), and they both talk down to him like he is an indentured servant. ||||You know what "Max" and Mike? Black Lives Matter. Trans Lives Matter. Disabled Lives Matter. Understand, you white men who have let power and greed go to their heads? ||||Good luck with the bed bug infestation... the next place I rent from, I will make sure they are bed bug free before plunking down $1,000 to live in a place where I get bitten in my sleep. In light of ALL THAT- I have sadly had to change my original reviews from 5 stars to 1 star. ||||It's too bad... Smokey the cat is an awesome kitty and he deserves to have an owner who isn't two-faced or a raging bigot. I am sending good vibes and positive energy to both Smokey and Mike, the assistant owner who still has to endure those two-faced bosses of his and stay silent when he witnesses their abuse towards guests- because if Mike didn't stay silent, he would lose his job and housing.||||Silence is violence... No Justice, NO PEACE!...

When I travel I don’t anything fancy - a clean bed, shower and towels, etc. This place if functional and suits my needs.

The room is adequate, clean and comfortable. No A/C is common this far north as are shared facilities (kitchen and bathroom) for some older hotels. Think of it as a return to college, to a degree.

The shower stalls could use a good cleaning, I checked two and they both looked pretty bad (the rest of the bathroom looked okay).

However, I will never stay again - based solely on how rude the person was when I arrived. I tried to be pleasant, but he simply barked instructions at me. I felt more like I was being booked than checked in.

I have friends in Anchorage law enforcement who, upon learning I had booked a room here, urged me to move. They apparently respond here frequently and warned me to leave absolutely nothing of value in my car.

While nothing happened to my car, the attitude of the person at the desk said a lot - it was obvious they deal with some difficult people, but I was an out of town guest, not a felon looking for a place to stay.

They even have a sign by the office warning you - if you obey the house rules (photo of Glenda, The Good Witch) - if you don’t (photo of the Full Metal Jacket Marine Drill Instructor.

I just wish they would start with the Glenda attitude, not the Gunny Sgt.

Others have had good experiences here, based on the reviews, but if you are looking for friendly staff, go elsewhere.

Thanks for your response Max. But I just point out my observations. Your clerk (or perhaps is was you?) was very rude to me at check in from the first words out of his mouth. This greeting put me off to speaking with him again, so I didn't bring concerns to him about the bathrooms, or his attitude. The sign on the window doesn't seem very hospitable either.

As for the law enforcement aspect, I simply conveyed what local folks told me - they are in the building multiple times every month; this is recent info, not old news. They seriously urged me to cancel my reservation, eat the fees and sleep on their floor instead.

I'm glad to hear that others were treated well, but this a review of my experiences, not theirs. I'm sure anyone reading these reviews can come to their own decision and, obviously, the majority opinion is positive. This is what prompted me to select this hotel. But I won't again.

So if you were interested in good customer service, perhaps a 'sorry that happened, we'll try to do better' or reaching out to me to discuss the issues would have been your response.

I have no axe to grind, I simply write reviews of places I visit during my travels. Most are quite positive.

But Ingra House - I won't be staying again - I suspect we'll both be happy about that.

But please - do clean the showers. I'm including some photos so people don't think that's...

I found myself panicking to find a place to stay after two weeks into my trip, calling this place was the best decision I ever made. The staff is super friendly, meeting Michael, Max and his kitty Smoky was God sent! They are such nice people and it's not the "i'm getting paid for this" nice, it's the genuine make you feel at home nice. If I had a question they were always willing to help in any way they could! It was nice to have security doors and a curfew that dies down at 10:00 p.m. so there is no extra traffic while you're trying to sleep. I was a little worried about the shared bathroom and kitchen experience, but after arriving and seeing that I had my own refrigerator in my room and that there are two bathrooms on every floor and the kitchen has two stoves so there really is no problem waiting for anything. Some people lived there on a more permanent basis and most were all very friendly and the rest just kind of keep to themselves. The rooms were smaller, but very accommodating. Laundry room was also on site and they provided whatever you need for that at the front desk also. My view of the mountains was mesmerizing and most things were very close by, considering you are right in midtown you can go pretty much any direction to get whatever you need. The only problem I had with the situation was that it is very close to the airport and the planes fly very low, so I recommend ear plugs for sensitive sleepers, sometimes they sound like they're going to go right into the building when they fly overhead! This isn't a fancy hotel, but as far as i'm concerned you don't really need that to lay your head somewhere as long as you're safe! Being alone, female and in a state of panic, I was happy to call this place home for the week and I would gladly visit next time! Thanks a bunch guys- love...