Reviews

Aubrey Urbanowicz

My Alaska trip was part of a tour group with Holiday vacations and this was one of our favorite hotels. The back decks with a view - you can't beat that. We had a beautiful day to sit outside into the evening. Rooms were cozy and spacious.

Steve Pierce

Great location. 3 of us sharing 2 double beds. Shower had very slow drain. Had to stand in water. Adopted scarcity mindset, since shampoo, soap and conditioner were in short supply. After 1 shower, 2” diameter bar soap thinned to skinny, soggy mess. Shower head was weak. Better quality, more plentiful toiletries, a plunged shower drain, and a better shower head would significantly improve the room. The location is great and the rustic style is charming.

Cassandra Bickel

Nice place. Clean for the most part. Disappointed there are no refrigerator, especially for the price. And only 30 minutes of free wi-fi. There is no AC, but not uncommon for the area, and with the sliding glass door open, it stayed cool in the room at night. Fortunately I had a travel fan. It would have been better in the evening if the resort had fans. My room was over looking the river. And the bed was very comfortable. ****There is a train that went through several times in the evening blowing their horn.

Kat

It's a decent spot near the Denali National Park. The room we had did not have a microwave or fridge, but we did have cable TV and drip coffee. The general store has everything you need to use the laundry facilities and they have decent food trucks on site. The only things I think of to improve guest experiences would be better black out curtains and to partner with the Park and offer Park passes on discount for guests.

Sandy Arnold

We booked a Land Tour after our cruise through NCL and they had hotel reservations for us at Denali Grizzly Bear Resort. We were on the second floor and had outside open stairs to go up but thankfully they had already put our bags in the room for us. (No elevator that we saw). The rooms were spacious with high ceilings and a log cabin / Lodge feel. There were two food trucks out in front of the hotel but we opted to walk across the highway to Denali Park Village and had dinner at the Gold Rush Restaurant, which was one of our best meals on the 11 day trip! We had a small balcony with a couple of chairs and a sliding glass door that overlooked a rushing river behind a small wooded area. The bathroom was spacious and although not a dedicated closet, there was an area with a bar to hang clothes up next to the outside wall. We had a room with two beds and they seemed comfortable. There was not a refrigerator in the room but we did find an ice machine to cool down our drinks. We only spent one night but the room was clean and comfortable.

CoachSingleton

Grizzly Bear Resort (2 Stars, 3 Stars if You Have a Car) This might be one of the few non-five-star reviews I’ve written, but had I known a few things beforehand, I might have chosen a different location. TL;DR: If you’re driving, this place works well; if you’re arriving by train, you might want to consider a different hotel. The internet is unreliable, but if you don't need it, you'll be fine. Don’t expect any room cleaning service—not even basic tasks like trash removal, fresh towels, or bed-making during your entire stay. If you're here for just a day or two, that’s manageable, but be aware they have communication issues, particularly regarding transportation. The trouble started the moment I booked, which should have been a red flag. I used Expedia, and everything seemed straightforward; the reviews were decent, and the price was better than most. They were upfront about dining options not being on-site but mentioned food trucks and a restaurant across the street. However, the day I booked, they called to inform me they didn’t accept American Express, which is tied to my Expedia account. After some back-and-forth, they initially said my Visa and Mastercard didn’t work. I had to insist the issue was on their end before they finally got the payment to go through on my Mastercard. I also inquired about transportation from the train station to the resort, and they assured me they had a shuttle. When we arrived at Denali Depot, we were told it would take over 30 minutes for our luggage to arrive. I called the resort to find out where to meet the shuttle driver and informed them of the delay. They then told me we weren’t on the list but would notify the driver and give him our phone number. When we made it to the van area, our driver was nowhere to be found. I called the resort again, and they said they’d try to reach him. After waiting another 30 minutes, I called once more and asked for a callback when they contacted him—no callback ever came. When we checked in, we were charged $70 for a round-trip, 15-minute shuttle ride, even though other hotels offered this service for free. At check-in, they informed us about the lack of housekeeping services during our stay. The room itself was basic—no desk, refrigerator, or closet—but the beds were comfortable, and the view was stunning. We even got to see the Northern Lights from our balcony on the second night. The overall layout is pleasant, like cabins in the woods, but the uphill trek became tiresome. The internet service was poor and expensive. I needed to be online for work meetings and emails, which cost $35 for 48 hours, still only had two bars and frequently dropped. I couldn’t manage any Teams meetings. However, the hotel across the highway (accessible via a safe walkway under the bridge) had excellent free internet, even for non-residents. The breakfast food truck we tried twice charged $15 each for a Costco-style, microwaved egg, cheese, and sausage croissant, a Sunny D, and a yogurt. While pricey, it was slightly cheaper than the typical $20. The breakfast buffet across the highway was good but cost $24 per person before the tip. We had dinner across the street—the ribeye steak was excellent, as was the cheeseburger. If you stay here, don’t miss their dinner On our departure day, the transportation issues continued. We needed to be at the train station by 11:30 am, and I confirmed with the resort multiple times that the shuttle would pick us up at 11:00 am. When the time came and went, I called at 11:05, 11:15, and finally insisted I wouldn’t hang up until they directly contacted the driver. They eventually assured me the manager had spoken with him. The driver arrived with a van full of luggage and people, but we managed to squeeze in after some rearranging. The driver apologized, and despite the hiccup, we made it to the train with our luggage intact. The young man driving did his best, but better communication—perhaps radios—would greatly improve the experience.

Elena Suleimani

I live in Alaska, and this is my favorite place to stay in the Denali Park. It is only 7 minutes from the entrance to the Park, with a gorgeous location on the Nenana River. The resort is wonderful. I stayed one time in a hotel with a river view room, another time in a cabin, and most recently we came in an RV. Every stay was amazing and memorable. The view of the Nenana River is fantastic, and the sound is so pleasant and calming. The staff is helpful and attentive. This place is as close as it gets to a real Alaska wilderness experience without living in a tent. I will stay again there, for sure.

Time_to_Review

Rustic Charm with Some Drawbacks If you're looking for a no-frills, rustic experience, this resort certainly delivers on that front. The setting is charmingly basic, perfect for those who appreciate a more rugged, back-to-nature vibe. However, be prepared for a few quirks. For example, there’s a noticeable smell from the sewage system, likely due to the use of warm water for flushing, which I assume is to prevent the pipes from freezing in colder weather. One significant downside is the lack of internet access. There’s essentially no connection, and even if you manage to find a signal, it’s incredibly spotty. On the bright side, this forced us to disconnect and truly appreciate the peaceful surroundings. We ended up spending a lot of time at the resort across the street, which provides free transportation to the park. Unfortunately, we couldn’t always coordinate our schedules with theirs and had to rely on Grizzly's shuttle service, which was pricier than we expected. While I understand that transportation options are limited in the area, $65 for a 3-5 mile trip to the national park feels excessive. I know it's the "common" fee around here but tourism gouging is silly when your competitors next door are offering a free schedule and you aren't letting guests know this. Overall, while the resort has its charm, there are some issues that travelers should be aware of before booking. They are cheaper and more amenities elsewhere but if you are looking for that rustic, cabin feel you'll do just fine.

Kaleb Boyer

I would agree with other recent reviews. The rooms were missing many amenities that other low cost places provide. Google lists the place as 3 star hotel but most 2 star hotels are better. Was not as nice as the photos online. Many rooms are not over looking the river but looking at the roof of another building. Had to walk a long distance just to get ice because the closest machine was broken or out. Have to walk to the managers building just to report any issues, no way to call. Rooms were HOT all the time, even with cooler weather.

Atkinson Jim

It is abundantly clear that this place does NOT care about the guest experience. Oddly missing typical hotel amenities that even the least expensive hotels have these days (no in-room phone, no fridge, no microwave, no AC or ceiling fans, no free wifi). Keep in mind that they DO NOT have housekeeping services during your stay and if you need anything you must walk or drive to a separate office building to request anything. The TV service was very limited and worked about 50% of the time. I don’t know how this dump is still in business but their online photos make it look much nicer than it actually is. Just remember there are virtually NO amenities so I would choose absolutely anywhere else.