Puffin Inn of Anchorage — Hotel in Alaska

Don't be tempted to stay here just because the prices might be a little lower than other lodging near Anchorage Airport. There's a reason they're cheap... I do have to say that the staff I encountered at the front desk in person and by phone, and the maintenance man who came to try to fix the super-slow drain in my room were all pleasant. They also gave me a small senior discount when I checked in, which was appreciated. And it really is very convenient to the airport. That's the end of the good stuff.||Like others have noted, I had no idea my room would not be in the main building. It was in fact, in the "Annex" one building away from the main hotel. Granted it was easy to get back in my car and drive there. When the woman at the front desk gave me a key for a room starting with 3XXX, I asked if there was an elevator, as I knew my biggest suitcase, full of equipment, etc., weighed 50 lbs. She said, "I think there are a few steps to get into the building but after that it should be fine." So I drove around the corner to the back of the Annex to park. I got out my suitcase, lugged it up 3-4 stairs, got into the building and guess what! 22 (I counted) more steps, and no staff on site (ever) in the Annex. I'm in good shape for my age - mid-70s - so I got it up to my stuffy little room, with its small thru-the-wall air conditioner doing its best to a) cool the muggy room, and b) provide enough white noise to at least partly drown out the INCREDIBLY noisy intersection of Spenard Rd and Wisconsin St. So oh yeah, there was also a ceiling fan, missing a blade, of course...||The room appeared essentially clean, but had the vibe of a 1960's apartment building. The furniture was basic, like only 1 bedside lamp for a queen bed so only one person can read at night. Bathroom ventilation fan did not work. No bathmat so use one of your towels for the floor. Bathroom sink drain was extremely slow, so I called the front desk and not too much later a pleasant maintenance guy came to try to fix it. He cleaned out the drain pipe, reassembled everything, and left. I went to use the sink and the stopper pull came out in my hand, but at this point I was so stressed from being in the muggy, noisy room, and having to make 3 or 4 more trips up and down 22 steps to get all my stuff , and knowing I would have to get that heavy suitcase and other stuff down the same way again in the morning, I didn't bother calling maintenance again. ||The Annex - that you won't know you're booked in until you get there - is noisy, it's creepy with no staff present, it's muggy, and there's no elevator. That's really all you...

Don't be tempted to stay here just because the prices might be a little lower than other lodging near Anchorage Airport. There's a reason they're cheap... I do have to say that the staff I encountered at the front desk in person and by phone, and the maintenance man who came to try to fix the super-slow drain in my room were all pleasant. They also gave me a small senior discount when I checked in, which was appreciated. And it really is very convenient to the airport. That's the end of the good stuff.||Like others have noted, I had no idea my room would not be in the main building. It was in fact, in the "Annex" one building away from the main hotel. Granted it was easy to get back in my car and drive there. When the woman at the front desk gave me a key for a room starting with 3XXX, I asked if there was an elevator, as I knew my biggest suitcase, full of equipment, etc., weighed 50 lbs. She said, "I think there are a few steps to get into the building but after that it should be fine." So I drove around the corner to the back of the Annex to park. I got out my suitcase, lugged it up 3-4 stairs, got into the building and guess what! 22 (I counted) more steps, and no staff on site (ever) in the Annex. I'm in good shape for my age - mid-70s - so I got it up to my stuffy little room, with its small thru-the-wall air conditioner doing its best to a) cool the muggy room, and b) provide enough white noise to at least partly drown out the INCREDIBLY noisy intersection of Spenard Rd and Wisconsin St. So oh yeah, there was also a ceiling fan, missing a blade, of course...||The room appeared essentially clean, but had the vibe of a 1960's apartment building. The furniture was basic, like only 1 bedside lamp for a queen bed so only one person can read at night. Bathroom ventilation fan did not work. No bathmat so use one of your towels for the floor. Bathroom sink drain was extremely slow, so I called the front desk and not too much later a pleasant maintenance guy came to try to fix it. He cleaned out the drain pipe, reassembled everything, and left. I went to use the sink and the stopper pull came out in my hand, but at this point I was so stressed from being in the muggy, noisy room, and having to make 3 or 4 more trips up and down 22 steps to get all my stuff , and knowing I would have to get that heavy suitcase and other stuff down the same way again in the morning, I didn't bother calling maintenance again. ||The Annex - that you won't know you're booked in until you get there - is noisy, it's creepy with no staff present, it's muggy, and there's no elevator. That's really all you...

Best sleep I got in a very long time!!

29F Solo traveler - Felt safe

Convenient place to stay near the airport. I had 3 different reservations throughout my 10-days trip in Alaska. I could not make it to my first night due to missing my connecting flight to ANC. I called the hotel and the lady on the phone was very nice and helpful. The hotel cancelled my reservation and did not charge me anything despite being past the free cancellation period.

I ended up staying at this hotel on 2 separate reservations, 2 nights in a single room, and 1 night in a double room (both times in the main building). The girls at the front desk were really welcoming and friendly, always with a smile. The rooms were large and comfortable. The beds were the most comfortable I ever slept in (seriously, management, please, I need to know the brand of the mattress). I'm the kind to wake up every 2 hours and toss and turn all night. These beds, I slept throughout the night and woke up refreshed as ever! One thing I would have liked was to have a dead bolt on the door for extra safety; there was only a regular lock. No big deal though as the staff at the front desk was great at not letting unwanted people in. The bathrooms could be cleaner, some mildew on the shower. Some comments mentioned a smell in the hallway. If I'm honest, it was present and sort of bothered me the first time I walked in, but I got used to it. It wasn't as pronounced the second time I stayed.

The breakfast was good, nothing fancy but enough choice to keep you full until lunch. They had hot coffee/tea/chocolate, iced water, bread, bagels, jellies, cream cheese, butter, yoghurts, some fruit (apples/mandarins), and a waffle maker. The breakfast area in the lobby was large enough to accommodate a good number of guests. Depending on what time you come down, some items might be low and it takes some time for the staff to restock them, but that's no big deal to me as I just grabbed something else while I waited for what I needed.

The parking was convenient and sufficiently cleared of snow. There are a few food places right across the street that are convenient for either dine-in or take-out. I tried Adriany's Bites and their crepes were really good. There are a few homeless people around as mentioned by other comments, but they were no issue to me and did not give me any trouble. There is a gas station right at the corner with a Subway.

Overall, I would stay at this hotel again.

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