Talkeetna Roadhouse — Hotel in Alaska

I cannot say enough about what a good time we had at the Roadhouse. From the moment Trisha (the owner) picked us up at the train station we were like old friends. The little cabin in back was cozy, comfortable, and perfectly-supplied (home-made cookies). The main rooms Are filled with memorabilia and things to help you decompress - like big comfy couches, books, jigsaw puzzles, games, maps, antiques... even sewing. I spent a few hours playing the guitar (next to the piano) and when I broke a string, she had a friend in town bring over a completely new set of strings for me! Amazing!

And then there's breakfast... The. Breakfast. If you are on a diet, just don't come here at all. This fat southern boy absolutely loved it. Trisha's pancakes are made with sourdough starter that has been kept going since 1902! There's enough thick sliced bacon and reindeer sausage to feed a platoon, plus eggs, t'maters, O.J., real he-man coffee and... and...

... and I'm getting tired of typing. This is already the longest Google review I've ever written. Ya'll just go there, OK? Trust me, it's great!

P.S. We accidentally left some stuff behind in the room and Trisha shipped back to us free of charge. It was waiting for us when we got back to Texas. Thank you Trisha for a wonderful stay. We can't wait...

We stayed here two nights while in Talkeetna in March. It is rustic, the rooms are simple, but functional. We stayed in the "bunk room", for two it was fine. Each room has a dedicated bathroom with shower, just a couple steps down the hall. We used the upper bunks as luggage/stuff storage. The common areas are charming and cozy, with fire in the stove, books, games, etc, galore. The owner Trisha, is so great, available if you have any needs, but unobtrusive - she even shared some reindeer vegetable soup she'd made for lunch! So good! Our second night was magic - never have I just stepped out of the door (any door!) at 2 am, and had aurora all over the sky! So many great photos, and just steps away! Then hot cocoa by the fire at 4 am. The next day, Denali and friends were out in all their glory. Not many restaurant options in winter here, as the Road House bakery is closed - but I want to mention Conscious Coffee; bagels, crepes and yummy coffee, and Latitude 62 with a full dinner menu - shrimp scampi like you were at the beach! Some shops, bars, a pizza place, with salads too, and Nagley's, the country store are open also. A wonderful winter sojourn...

I debated whether or not to leave a review here. I hate to leave a bad review because on the one hand, it’s a very cute spot with every possible amenity thoughtfully provided, and it’s clear the owners work very hard to make it great. Michelle the chef was very nice and offered me coffee and tea every morning.

However, my room (1) had a very strong unpleasant smell that I had to endure for 4 days. I messaged Trisha about it, but her response felt dismissive. I had to keep the window open and the fan on the whole time to manage the odor. While I could tolerate that, what was worse was getting locked out of my room. I messaged Trisha, saying I wasn’t in a rush, but after 40 minutes with no response, I had to crawl in through the window. My text was never answered. If my window hadn’t been open due to the odor, I might have had to sleep on the couch. Not responding at all, at any point is...