Rating:
Price:

This is Alaska's great, grand hotel, where royalty and rock stars stay. Former governor Wally Hickel built the first of the three towers after the 1964 earthquake, and now the hotel fills a city block and anchors the city skyline. Inside, the brown decor has a fully realized (maybe a little excessive) nautical theme, with art memorializing Cook's voyages and enough teak to build a square-rigger. The regularly renewed rooms are decorated in a rich, sumptuous style using exquisite fabrics, unique pieces of custom-built furniture, and lots of varnished trim. The hotel never abandoned the deep colors that are now returning to fashion -- not a scrap of pale wood or generic beige ever came in. Rooms are comfortable in size, but not as large as those in modern upscale chains, and all have a choice only of a king or two twin beds. Lots of custom tile and mirrors make up for the relatively small size of the bathrooms. There are great views from all sides and you don't pay more to be on a higher floor. The pool, in the below-ground lower lobby, is one of the best in town.

Sophisticated Continental food and elaborately formal service justify the high prices at The Crow's Nest, the city's most traditional fine-dining restaurant, on the hotel's top floor. Pheasant, quail, bison, and venison show up on the changing menu, as well as the usual seafood, beef, and lamb. Our meals have been expertly prepared. All tables have stupendous views, and high-backed booths lend intimacy for a romantic dinner. The deliberate service requires that you set aside a full evening for a special meal -- dinner unfolds gradually, with almost theatrical formality. Main courses range from $26 to $50. Fletcher's, off the lobby, is an English pub serving good Italian-style pizza, pasta, and sandwiches. The Pantry is far better than the typical hotel cafe, with excellent service and interesting entrees mixed in with more predictable choices. The Whale's Tail serves light meals, coffee, and cocktails amid overstuffed chairs and big TVs. It's a place for a drink without feeling like you're in a bar.

© 2005, Wiley Publishing, Inc.