McGrath Vacations from $610

Finding the “office” to check in is tricky - it’s in a private home up a couple flights of stairs but went smoothly. Owner has multiple properties and the building assigned was a couple blocks away. No big deal and convenient location with easy access to main roads. First room was too warm and owner was quick to move us into a different room which was very comfortable. Overall, had a good stay in Fairbanks.

The dog amenities were good

Pike's Waterfront Lodge is an interesting and unusual place, but we found it just okay. The waterfront may be there, but you have to go searching for it; we didn't run across it in the 4 days we were there. It's close to the airport, and Pike's will pick you up and drop you off at either the airport or train station. A plus. It offers a number of quirky things -- more for kids, I think, than adults. The room was just a room -- nothing special or interesting. It could have been anywhere -- except for a few negatives. The toilet was unusually low -- probably 12-13 inches. That's probably great for potty training kids (and for saving a few bucks on the toilet), but I'm 78, and it was a long way down and longer getting up. There's no grab bar in the tub/shower other than an 8" plastic rod over the low soap dish. Housekeeping service involves changing towels in the bathroom and making sure there's soap, etc. It does NOT include cleaning the room or making the bed or anything like that. So my wife (who thought she was also on vacation) wound up making the bed everyday. The TV went on, but there was no listenable sound, and much of the remote didn't work. I told the front desk, but they said everything worked -- it was just "finicky." I spent over half a century in radio and TV. This wasn't "finicky" -- it was broken. And if you're in the "other" building (as we were), then you had a +/- 30- yard walk outside to get to breakfast. And it's cold in Fairbanks.

We loved the place; the location was awesome. The staff was super cool, and the property was well-maintained. It's pretty much self-serve, and we loved the quality of all the amenities. Nothing can beat the location and view.

Great room and so comfy