Reviews

Margo Woodby

We did a couple hour visit to the springs. I will say that I researched the springs, but obviously not well enough. It is not well advertised that you have to be 18 to enter the springs. We had 4 children with us that thought the idea of the springs was cool and they couldn’t even enjoy it. We drove over an hour for this, and truly, with as underwhelming as it was, I would have never done it if I knew the whole family couldn’t enjoy it. I will say that I cannot comment on the rooms or the restaurant because we did not use either. The outside charm was cute, the little log cabins were fun to see. I was underwhelmed by the hot springs, I think I would have liked it better in the winter with the dark and lights and cold temps with the hot of the springs, while I liked the idea of the springs and the cool feature of natures hot tub, they seemed dirty and not well kept. The walk way to the springs smelled like pee and was slightly nauseating walking to and from the springs to the locker rooms! Although, the drive is superb, and the views are incredible, and I would have loved to do some hiking in the area! And maybe some more look out points along the way, those rivers were incredible!!! I was reading through some other reviews, and I love the idea of this whole place, seems like a great resort. And yes, I agree that rustic charm can bring a lot of people in, but rustic does not have to mean dirty. And old and outdated doesn’t always mean rustic. I will recommend this place to others if they are in the area, because it is an experience, but I did have too many negatives to give it a higher review!!

L M

Been here before. Can’t speak for the resort itself, or the food, but the location is tucked away in the mountains just an easy, over-an-hour drive from Fairbanks. The hot springs pool is pleasant, but gravitate towards certain areas & by the fountains so you won’t feel as hot. Definitely take a dip in the pool to cool off from the springs pool if it’s hot outside. $20 for the springs (bit steep on that price for a simple immersion in some water 🤔), though bring quarters for the lockers ($.50 for one-time use) & $5 to rent a towel. Bring your own water just in case the tap water quality isn’t of personal expectation. Property has an activity center, massage therapy, gardening, & some decent trails if you’re up for the trek. 🥾 So, something for everyone. Nice area, but if you’re looking for a money-saver, just swim in the river banks along the way for just as pleasant of an experience.

Julia Moore

Alaska is amazing and beautiful. The chena springs would get a 5 star. The water is nice and chena/pools/hottub areas are clean. Locker rooms are always clean also. But the rooms are dumpy, no wifi in the room, only 4 or 5 TV channels. No a/c or temp controls and one of our windows was broken so couldn't open it to get a cross breeze. The resort dining had horrible service. Around 5pm on a week day and only two servers. 1 being the bar tender and the other being the host. The bar tender was personable but the host/ server was rude to everyone aside from the 1 female sitting alone at the bar. While waiting for the host/server to welcome us into the restaurant to sit (we just wanted tk order take out) we saw an actual rat/mouse in the lobby running from the restaurant to the front desk. We ordered wings and soup which was pretty good. There was an activity center which later found out had some food. Would've opted to go there if we had known.

Moderate Thinker

We spent an afternoon at Chena Hot Springs. Lunch was good and the service was fine (although the restaurant was clearly understaffed). The hot springs were fine. Not fabulous. The water had a fair amount of plant matter floating in it. My main contention with this place is that they posted a $309.99 charge on my credit card, in addition to the purchases I made for lunch and the pools. When I called the front desk to protest, the reception rep told me to forward the information to him and he'd give it to the "person who handles those issues, who comes into the office at midnight." I followed his instructions. After five days, I've heard nothing from Chena - nor was my account credited for the fraudulent charge. Stay away from this place. While the restaurant staff is great and terribly overworked, the administration staff cannot be trusted.

Kale Sartor

The location is amazing, couldn't be better. The giant hot spring pool in the middle of a winter wonderland, the ice museum complete with an ice bar and friendly ice bartender, seeing the aurora at night with the various tour guides waiting around happy to share whatever information they have, both about the aurora and taking photos of it. Really an unforgettable experience. I didn't stay overnight so I can't say how the rooms were. I didn't eat at the restaurant either, because it was so expensive. The cafe/gift shop offers a variety of Alaska souvenirs as well as cheaper alternatives to the restaurant. However, they stop making drinks more than an hour before close which seems insane for a place that people come to watch cold auroras late at night. When I was there I asked for a drink right before 10 on a Saturday (they close at 11) and he said he already cleaned the machine. I'd understand at 10:50, but 9:50?? That and the fact that all the accessible bathrooms were filthy and/or in a state of disrepair is why I rated low for service. This next part isn't part of my rating, just accessibility info for those interested. The main building check in is on a platform so you'd have difficulties checking in without flagging someone down. There is one accessible bathroom on the level but when I was there it was filthy, in high demand, and the sink was broken. The buildings are not attached to each other so you may have to go on multiple paths, when I was there they were packed with snow that worked okay with my rollator for the most part. The entry to the pool and hot springs has a step. The hot springs are accessible with a ramp going in and I saw water wheelchairs (not sure how to get those). The handrail gets very cold of course so can be tricky. The pool is accessible if you can enter via stairs and handrail but the indoor hot tubs require several stairs to get to the platform to get in. Outdoor shoes aren't allowed in the locker rooms or wet areas so if you need shoes bring water shoes or sandals (they do allow Crocs, flip flops, etc). The hot springs can seriously dehydrate but they have free water fill stations so bring water bottles. There are family change rooms but they're not particularly accessible, however the main rooms have accessible shower and toilet. When I was there the women's accessible shower stall was filthy and the women's accessible toilet had a broken lock. The main part of the ice museum is accessible, but there are stairs to get to the bar and several ice locations. The doors to go in the rooms are quite low, the igloo entrance is child size.

farha zerin

No internet/ phone reception on rooms.***** Only the lobby has wifi. Rooms were okay, though the heater was quite old and we needed to use a portable heater to stay comfortable. It was extremely cold during our stay (around -30°F), especially since we went for aurora viewing. Food was good, but be prepared for long wait times on Friday and Saturday — we waited nearly an hour to be seated. Dog sledding was absolutely awesome! The kids loved it, and the dogs were super friendly — definitely one of the highlights of our trip. The aurora tour was decent. Having a yurt available made a big difference — they provided coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and ramen, which was perfect in that freezing weather. The staff were very nice and even gave helpful instructions on how to set up our phone cameras for the best aurora pictures. Overall, a memorable experience despite the extreme cold!

Jake Sellers

Overall it was good. The hot spring itself is nice and relaxing as long as the other people are too. When it's quiet I could spend hours in there. The rooms aren't great. There's stuff broken all over the resort, including the rooms. My partner was shaving and turned the cold water off first and in a single second scalded her foot. There was no warning the water would get to instant burn temperature. When in the dry cabins, the outhouse is awful. The tours were okay for a first time, but are more basic and underwhelming than you want. Still worth doing some of them for the novelty. The restaurant was okay, but definitely overpriced, but it's the only food in almost an hour's drive. But the rooms weren't actually that expensive, the location is very nice with lots of hiking and wilderness, the hot spring was good too. Overall absolutely worth visiting for at least a couple days.

jose rincon

Okay, this time we visited the Chena hot springs in Fairbanks , Alaska. Okay, this place has many things to talk about. We paid the $20 for the all-day pass and first went into the hot springs, which were too hot for my liking. Since I didn't have anything to protect my head, I got out very quickly because the cold air was burning my ears. After that, we went to the jacuzzi, which was great; we stayed there for a long time. Then we went to the swimming pool area, but it was too cold; it wasn't heated as the advertisement had claimed. Then we went to eat at the restaurant there. The food was very good, the service was excellent, and the coffee was hot. We had a great time. Afterwards, we checked the bill when we received it and noticed that the tomato and mozzarella appetizer had a surprisingly high price, much higher than what was listed on the menu. (18.5 >24.5)So I recommend that next time, before paying your bill at a restaurant, you carefully check the prices against those listed on the menu. The overcharge was only about $7, and we didn't say anything, but it's not fair to the customer.

Trudy Smith

We found Chena Hot Springs resort to be relaxing and everything we had hoped for. We stayed in a dry cabin and had access to an outhouse- we signed up for the true Alaskan experience. There were plenty of accessible bathrooms in the lodge and pool house. Showers in the pool house were nice and this is also where we got our water. The cabin was warm and comfortable and out of the activity and crowds in the main part of the resort and we enjoyed the privacy. The restaurant was amazing and the veggies were the best I have had in a long time. I would come back just for the "Chena fresh" veggies. We had an amazing Aurora viewing tour and the warm yurt at the top with hot chocolate and ramen noodles was so nice. The yurt was huge, the employees super helpful, and it was kept very warm. The pool house is run well and it was so easy to get to the hot springs and enjoy them. Finally, it is so convenient that the Activity center is open 24 hours so you can go there to see the northern lights from the back of the building if they are out. The center is warm with bathrooms and chairs. There is a small cafe here that serves certain items from the restaurant (soup, wraps, and salads) and it is a good option if you don't want to spend the time to go to the restaurant. We were helped by many people, but a special shout out to the following: Lisa, Lia, Nina, Panda (Pansy), Todd in activities, Abel, Alexi, Vlad, and Clint.

Hope Head

Pros: - The restaurant is good, the staff are exceptional. Well worth it. - The hot springs are SUCH an experience, particularly so in winter. - The northern lights viewing tour is a MUST. The trip up the mountain in the snow vehicles is really fun, and just being out there in the mountains feels magical. Cons: - The tour of the ice museum feels depressing. I get being honest with your tours, but focusing on all the bad things from the past made it feel less fun. - I can't speak for the other rooms, but the Fox Rooms are obviously a little dated and a little dirty. Cobwebs in the corners, hairballs caught on the baseboards, etc. - The place overall feels like there's not been a heavy investment into maintenance. The crewmen we saw seem over-encumbered with way too much work and not enough hands to get it all done. The power went out several times during out visit, and the heater to our building broke overnight at one point, plunging us to 40 degrees inside and taking the better part of a day and a half to return to reasonable indoor temps after the crew fixed it. Takeaway: This place is like a rustic cabin experience. If you're expecting a "resort," you'll be disappointed. If you're expecting "better than camping," you'll be delighted by the fun adventures and experiences to be had.

Nizar Idriss

Located outside of town in a nice area. Takes a little over an hour to drive to the location. The place is old, the buildings show the age and so do the rooms, but its working and warm. The food is ok but service us very slow. Front desk staff not impressive but check you in. Price is a bit high for what you get. The water in the rooms smell like the hot springs, not wanting to shower or brush my teeth in room. Should put filtration on buildings we're not swimming in rooms. Beds are ok, no fridge or microwave just old crusty coffee maker. The light show is cool, the aurora is a cool thing to ser but the ride up to is is a 5 hour evening journey. They should have a shorter ride too. The internet is slow, very slow. The 4g signal is faster. The pool and hot springs is ok, the facility is old, could use an upgrade. Came once saw it and I don't think i would return.

Michael Hoines

Chena was an incredible experience. We checked in late and stayed in the lodge which was very clean and nice. The restaurant on site was fantastic and the hot springs had very extended hours which was incredible. We did the Aurora Ice Museum tour which we highly recommend. Kimlyn was our guide and she was absolutely wonderful! So friendly and educational and served us appletinis in glasses carved in ice. The resort is a must do in Fairbanks.

Amber Cordova

This was one if the best hot springs I've been to in the US. I had an amazing experience. I was fortunate to be in the spring while it was snowing and it was magical! The staff were friendly and helpful, facility was super clean. I was not able to stay in a cabin, but I was able to eat at their restaurant. Amazing all the way around! This is a "must" experience if you travel to Fairbanks, AK!

Abbigail Range

Highly recommend. We really enjoyed Chena. We had a great time during our stay last summer. Would love to come back and stay again. Staff were amazing, polite and friendly; they were great on our four wheel adventures (my favorite part) and the staff did great explaining the gears and details of the E Bikes. We had a great time. We made life lasting, amazing memories during our brief stay at Chena. The Ice museum was very unique and neat, in its own right and we enjoyed our time there tremendously. We also did love the restaurant, and bar. Cute hidden gems. Really enjoyed the intimate moments here. (I hear the northern lights from the hot springs are perfect and bucket list worthy. I hope to come back for that! While in addition to, I do wish I was able to be try the spa during our stay…. next time!) (The showers have two temperature options extra hot or hells hot. Lol)

Henry Christopher

We stayed at the Moose Lodge for 2 nights and really enjoyed our time at Chena Hot Springs. The room was spacious, clean, and modern with two comfy queen beds. The hot springs were amazing—definitely the highlight! Towels, showers, and lockers are provided which made it super easy. There’s only one restaurant on site, so the wait can get pretty long. We did pick-up instead and ate in our room, which was much faster and convenient. The gift shops had a really nice collection, and the activity center was super helpful. We tried the Ice Museum (just okay), but the ATV tour was enjoyable, and the aurora viewing tour was unforgettable. The guides were great, and they even had snacks, coffee, hot chocolate, and chairs to take outside.