The Hotel Captain Cook

The most iconic hotel in Anchorage, I had to stay even if I could only afford one night. Everything was good, the room was a bit small. Definitely paying big city prices for little old Alaska, which can feel like price gouging.

The lobby and dining areas were nice, but for how expensive the rooms are… you’d think they’d be updated and not feel so out of the 80s.

The property is beautiful and is a very nice, historic hotel. We were unimpressed with checkin. The front desk told me to find a bellhop but none were available and I didn’t know where to even wait. There weren’t any options to get a cart to transport all of our bags without a bellhop, so we had to struggle with our bags and 2 kids. It’s a very large hotel and we didn’t know where to go to get to our room. When I asked the front desk, I got a short, incorrect, response. My husband got the same. No one was going out of their way to help us. At that point I’d have rather been at a 3 star hotel where they set it up so you can help yourselves more conveniently. We also weren’t prepared for such a large parking fee - even without valet we’d be paying 30-50 dollars a night. And if you forego the valet, then you’re left walking in downtown from the parking garage to the hotel. This information wasn’t really available prior to getting there - it wasn’t even super clear where you were supposed to enter the hotel. So it was just confusing and stressful checking in initially. The pool is very small and cold with no hot tub but the locker room was VERY nice with great service. I wish there was more kid friendly dining available, but the food was very good. Overall, it wasn’t any better than a cheaper hotel. We’ll be trying something different next year.

Very festive decorations in and around the hotel. Decent in-hotel food options although limited menus.

We were celebrating our 20th year anniverssary and was told that this was a great place to get a room for a few nights. 1-the staff at the front desk came off as though they were bothered that we were checking in, they were not very easy to approach, except for the guy over a bit from the front desk who was giving information, he was very nice. You really should seperate the ratings for the front desk and other staff. 2-the room was not as grand as we were told (I booked the "deluxe" king size room, guess I didn't pay enough?) The bathroom was quite small. Walls were very, very, VERY thin (I heard neighbors across the hall having a "great time"). 3-the staff in the breakfast area were awesome. I just expected a little more from a hotel that was given Great reviews..........if I wanted to hear people across the hall, I would have gone to a motel....for our next milestone, will be booking elsewhere.

The Cook this time of year is used by flight crews on overnights, and lawyers with matters at the state courthouses across the street. Federal Court is a bit of a walk.

Service was very good. Front office run really well the front office manager. I think his name was Ross I could be wrong was amazing really helped us out with room service which was really messed up by the way don’t count on Fletchers. Their small and overcrowded housekeeping was amazing, clean, detailed we asked for extra towels, extra coffee, extra creamers she was very responsive and so was the housekeeping, main line as was the maid the restaurant for breakfast I forget the name was amazing. The servers are all teammates, helping each other. It was great food great service.

Service was very good but several issues. All of which I had read before, answered online by a manager, and never corrected. 1) the day of checkout at 8 am after one light knock the cleaning crew woke us by opening the door. Seems to be a very common issue. Front desk should come up with a better system for telling the cleaning crew which rooms are already vacant. 8 am barge ins are unreasonable 2)24/7 loud noise heard through earplugs which kept us from properly sleeping. Air duct? Elevator? Again a problem I read about in many prior reviews. Still a problem 3)captain cook is not a historical figure I celebrate as “discovering” lands native populations had loved on thousands of years prior to his arrival. Didn’t bother me enough to not stay here. I was not prepared however for the large murals covering many walls that depict aboriginal and native people in a cartoonish and less than human way. Maybe reproductions from historical books but they have no place in a hotel common area in this day and age. A textbook, museum? As a teaching moment maybe for a dark past? Not in a hotel. It bothered me to the point of anger the first night. We will come, and never return. However I feel for the staff who have to pass these every day. 4) hotel pool specifically listed as family friendly. It’s very clear that it’s only a lap pool. Furthermore they separate boys from girks, including kids who are told to enter on their own on opposite ends of the floor. Luckily a staff member…

The room was very comfortable. Walking distance to shopping food venues.