Mckinely Chalet Resort - how is it?

[shookdm]

We're probably staying at the McKinely Chalet Resort on our Cruisetour. Anybody stay here before??

 

DMS

Carnival Spirit 9/1/04

 

[Kira10]

We stayed there last Aug. for 2 nights. The setting is nice. The new lobby is gorgeous.

The rooms are plain but neat and clean. Some are close to the lobby and restaurants, others farther away and a bit of a walk. Resaurant off the lobby had good food, but was always full, had to make a reservation. The other restaurant in the center of the complex was just okay, but service was fast and they have a breakfast buffet. This resort is right across the street from all the shops in Denali. We also walked down to the Princess Denali and looked around but thought the McKinley Resort was nicer.

[shookdm]

Did you go there on your own or as part of a landtour?

 

DMS

Carnival Spirit 9/1/04

 

[shereemcg]

we're also staying here in Aug. cancelled the princess denali, this looks much nicer!

 

Sheree

[Plut0]

Shookdm,

I will be there in two weeks on a cruisetour. I will let you know how it is when I return.

Mary

[Kira10]

We made our own arrangements. We took the AK Railroad to Denali and had booked the McKinley Chalet and the Tundra Wildlife Tour directly through the hotel as a special weekend package. Try to get a room closer to the lobby. Also they have river view rooms and non river view to choose from.

[mpk]

How about the sister property, McKinley Village? Anyone stay there before?

[gonnago]

We just stayed there last week. We were in the farthest cabin/lodge Cottonwood. The river behind it was a great plus. Also, the moose that is on the grounds is the only moose we saw, even after 8 hours inside Denali.

 

However, we felt the prices in the lodge were exorbitant, even for Alaska. If you stay there, be advised and walk to other stores across the highway for any souvenirs and especially food.

 

Our boxed lunch was $12.95 for a sandwich, chips, apple and tiny water. The sandwich was not good even. On the McKinley Explorer, others had bought a boxed lunch for $8.00.Great food on the train.

 

You either have to walk to your cabin or wait for a Bear Bus for transport. Be advised of lots of mosquitoes while you wait for the bus.

 

Our newly decorated room was not cleaned as well as the Westmark in Fairbanks either.

 

The one night we were there was enough. Way too pricey and too inconvenient to rooms.

 

"Thanks to all for you advice. Our May 28th cruise was better for it!"

[shookdm]

Mary, looking forward to your review!

 

DMS

Carnival Spirit 9/1/04

 

[shookdm]

bump

 

DMS

Carnival Spirit 9/1/04

 

[shookdm]

I would htink by now someone would have stayed there recently?? Anyone??

[zoocruiser]

Hello. I just stayed at the Mckinley Chalet two weeks ago. I have mixed reviews about this place. As far as a place to stay- it was very nice, the rooms were clean and roomy enough for two people and luggage. Try to get a room on the first floor, the stairs are steep and plentiful to the second floor rooms. Call ahead to verify. However, if you are traveling independently I think that you will find the tour groups a nuisance (unless you are part of them). We only stayed here because of the toursaver two-for coupon and saved well over a hundred bucks. The dinner nite theatre was a big mistake for me. I felt very sandwiched in like a sardine. It was overcrowded and much too rowdy for me after a long drive from Anchorage. That was just my mistake. The food was excellent and my mother really enjoyed the entertainment. It just wasn't my thing. Another thing that I found very inconvenient was that they allow big tour buses along the small windy paths that other cars and pedestrians need to use. Several times there was a long wait for the buses to unload just to get by. The shuttle buses run at very early hours and it sort of disturbs the beauty of the location. Even though this wasn't my kind of lodging, I think that they are very accomodating to those in a big group and the services were very good.

[bayman]

We were there a week ago . We liked it . Our room was on the second floor ,3 bldgs away from the lodge ,w/ a gorgeous view of the river and mts. Room was a mini-suite w/ a sitting area up front and the bedroom area in back .Room was clean and neat ,w/ a couch, desk ,and rocking chair .Windows on both ends allowed for cross-ventilation. The main restaurant was way -overpriced, and the courtyard restaurant had terrible service -it took close to 2 hours to get lunch,which was very mediocre. Go across the street to Subway or down the street to Lynx Pizza to eat Yes -the lobby is mobbed when the buses roll in ,but the desk staff seemed to take it in stride. We also bought the box lunch for 12 bucks ,but thought it was a deal -the sandwich was so big it fed 2 people for the rest of the day.

[Plut0]

Shookdm,

Hi. We are back. We stayed at the resort on July 1 and 2. We were in the Crosswinds bldg. The building was situated in the back of the resort down near the river and we loved it. The rooms were very nice and very clean. We had a little (very little) patio. The room was the size of a normal hotel room.

 

When we arrived with the tour from the train, they bused us to the resort and gave us our room assignment and key on the bus. People on our tour seemed to be scattered throughout the resort so it was hard to say how they assigned the room, but we had no compaints with our room assignment.

 

The buses that transport you around within the resort run regularly, but we prefered walking. It took about 10-15 minutes to walk from our room to the lobby. we found that if we went past the bus parking and up the road by the rafting that this hill was not too steep. The other way had a bit of a hill to go up.

 

I would agree with bayman on the food at the lodge, very over priced. We went across the street to eat several times and got a better meal for our money.

 

There was a free shuttle that took you to the visitor's center that we used both days.

 

I would stay at this hotel again is I went back.

 

Have fun.

Mary

[shookdm]

Thanks, Mary!

 

You said you stayed there 2 nights? I was wondering what was included on the tours. I don't get my docs for another 2 weeks, and I'm trying to figure out if we have much free time and what to do with it!

[Plut0]

Shookdm,

Our tour included the Double Denali feature so we left Fairbanks early on Thursday morning (left hotel around 7:15). The train arrived in Denali at about 12:15. We went off to our hotel and had our Tundra Wilderness Tour at 2:40pm. We got back to the hotel from the tour around 9:20 as once we got to our rooms and settled, we realized that the dinner buffet was over at 9:30. On Friday, we had the entire day to do what we wanted. There were a number of tours that you could book through HAL or you could do stuff on your own. On Saturday, the busses take you from the hotel back to the train starting at 11:15 and the train departed about 12:30 for Anchorage. We arrived in Anchorage about 8:15.

 

There were some folks on the train with us that had arrived from Fairbanks on Friday, did the Tundra tour, had the morning on Saturday for touring and returned with us to Anchorage on Saturday.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Mary

[shookdm]

Mary, helps alot. Thanks!!

[shookdm]

Anybody else have comments on the dinner theater??

[General Max]

We are not planning on attending the dinner theater. Mrs. Max wants no part of it.

 

General Max

[shookdm]

I'm wondering on whether the dinner theater is worthwhile. If it is just so-so, then I'd rather save the money.

[Plut0]

Shookdm,

We went to the cabin dinner theater. The food was good, the show was cute. It was a bit crowded as you are at a long table sitting elbow to elbow with everyone else. I was glad that we had the tour saver coupon as I am not sure I would have liked it as much if I had paid $100 for the two of us.

 

Hope that helps.

Mary

[General Max]

I'll save the $100 and use it at the Seven Glaciers restaurant at Alyeska Ski Resort.

 

General Max

[shookdm]

Thanks for the advice!