Utqiagvik – the northernmost city in the US – has limited accommodation options. There’s a couple of Airbnbs and a couple of hotels and during our recent visit we stayed at the King Eider Inn.
It ended up being an even better stay than we’d anticipated. The hotel is in an extremely convenient location when arriving and departing due to its proximity to the airport, the rooms are a good size and the front desk agent was very friendly.
Here’s a full review of our stay at the King Eider Inn in Utqiagvik, Alaska.
Check-In
I mentioned earlier that the hotel is in a convenient location to the airport. That’s because it only takes a couple of minutes to walk from the airport to the hotel; when exiting the hotel, turn right and walk half a block and you’ll see it on your left.
When entering, there’s a sign asking guests to take off their shoes once they’re inside, with a couple of shoe racks to store your footwear. Utqiagvik is in a permafrost area and as a result there are no paved roads or paved sidewalks in the city other than one short strip running outside the airport. That means shoes get dirty and gritty, so having guests take off their shoes when entering means they don’t traipse through the hotel in dirty footwear, making the carpets grimy.
The front desk agent at the hotel was very friendly and welcoming. It only took a couple of minutes to get checked in and then we were headed upstairs to our room.
Bedroom
We’d booked a standard room with a queen bed; they also have standard rooms with two full-size beds, rooms with kitchenettes and a Presidential Suite.
Our room was more spacious and better equipped than I’d been anticipating. In addition to the queen size bed, there were bedside tables, a good-sized dresser with a TV on top and a table with a couple of chairs to sit at.
The window had a blackout blind that pulled down. That worked pretty well which was useful seeing as we visited at the end of June. At that time of year in Utqiagvik, the sun never dips below the horizon and so there’s daylight for 24 hours.
The room also had a small fridge-freezer…
…as well as a closet.
Bathroom
The bathroom was a decent size too, with a walk-in shower.
The shower had surprisingly good water pressure, so it was nicely refreshing after doing our polar plunge.
There was a small bar of soap, along with small bottles of Pharmacopia toiletries.
Wi-Fi
The King Eider Inn offers complimentary Wi-Fi for all guests. Although it wasn’t the fastest internet ever, it was still a good speed, especially considering how remote Utqiagvik is.
Amenities
There’s an ice machine on the second floor (there might be one on the first floor too). Down in the lobby, there’s a microwave available, along with a tea and coffee station and water dispenser.
The King Eider Inn also apparently has a private sauna room, but we didn’t check that out during our stay.
Check-In & Check-Out Times
You can check in from 3pm, while check-out is by 11am. Our flight from Utqiagvik to Anchorage didn’t depart until 5:30pm, so the hotel is happy to have you leave your bags with them if you’d like to explore the city more or if you have an excursion booked for during the day. Be aware though that they’re not stored securely; you just leave your bags off to the side in the lobby.
They’re also happy for you to hang out in the lobby while you wait for your flight. I had a little work I needed to do before we left, so I was able to do that thanks to the hotel’s internet access.
Service
Service at the hotel was very good. I didn’t catch the agent’s name, but he was very friendly and welcoming. Shae got chatting to him while I was working and it turned out he was up there from California.
Pet Policy
I doubt many people would take their dogs with them on a trip up to Utqiagvik, so it’d be worth contacting the hotel if you do want to bring your pup along as their website doesn’t state whether or not it’s pet-friendly.
Cost
Earlier in the review I mentioned that there are very few accommodation options in Utqiagvik. That means that Airbnb and hotel prices are more expensive than you might expect them to be. For our night at the end of June, it cost $220.50 with tax.
Final Thoughts
I can’t compare the King Eider Inn to the Top of the World hotel which is the other large hotel in the city seeing as we haven’t stayed at that other property. However, we had a very pleasant stay at the King Eider Inn and so we’d be happy to stay there again if we ever return to Utqiagvik.
Our Rating
Room = 4.3 / 5
Hotel Amenities = 2.5 / 5
Food = N/A
Location = 4.7 / 5
Service = 4.6 / 5
Overall Value = 4.4 / 5
Total = 4.1 / 5
Address
King Eider Inn, 1752 Ahkovak St, Utqiagvik, AK 99723
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