18 Best Hotels in The Bush, Alaska

Bird and wildlife watchers can get a singular experience at St. George's only hotel, a small, rustic building with a dark-wood interior and a mix of modern and vintage furniture. The government built the place in 1930 to house visiting officials and transient workers, and it's now a National Historic Landmark. It can accommodate up to 18 guests in 10 sparsely furnished rooms with shared bathrooms. There is also a communal kitchen and living space. Guests should bring food to cook in the hotel kitchen because there are no restaurants on the island and only one small store with limited hours. The hotel is run by the St. George Tanaq Corporation.

Close to shops, eateries, and local watering holes, this inn offers more than 50 modern rooms within easy walking distance of Nome's historic district. The staff is friendly, and there's even vehicles for rent if you want to explore the hundreds of miles of Far North roads.

Hospitality is never in short supply at this two-story, riverfront B&B in downtown Bethel. Rooms are decorated according to theme, such as southwestern United States and English countryside; several overlook the Kuskokwim River. The main building has 11 rooms, the waterfront house has 10 rooms, the river house has 4 rooms, and a private house has one room. Guests can choose private or shared baths. Note that alcohol is not allowed on the premises. The owner, Millie Bentley, is a gourmet cook and writes a food column in the local paper. Millie shares her culinary creations with a full, home-style breakfast included with each stay.

This longtime B&B offers rooms with shared kitchens, a tasty continental breakfast, and an owner who can tell you just about anything you need to know about Kotzebue. Comfortable and affordable, Bibber's appeals to business travelers, those fishing and hunting in the area, and visitors exploring the sound before heading to other parts of the Arctic.

At the nexus of multiple lakes, rivers, and streams, this lodge makes a good base from which to fish—for rainbow or lake trout, arctic grayling, and, of course, salmon—and to visit the bear-viewing areas and the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes. Its detached, modern cabins accommodate two to four people and have heat, electricity, and private bathrooms. The cabins surround the main lodge, which has a spectacular view of aquamarine Naknek Lake and a circular stone fireplace. The dining room serves three meals a day to nonguests as well as guests, who can prepay for meals when setting up lodging or packaged trips.

This rustic space offers small rooms with two twin beds in a yellow industrial-looking building about 2 miles south of the Dalton Highway's northernmost point. All rooms share baths. Guests can pay extra for a third person, who must bring their own sleeping gear (rooms are tiny and have no space for cots or extra beds). Meals are available to guests, buffet-style, at under $15 for breakfast and lunch and $20 for dinner. The staff can shuttle guests to the Arctic Ocean in the morning for $69 per person.

This inn has a turn-of-the-century vibe with mining memorabilia and historical photos that pay homage to the city's mining past. The suites all have private baths and fridges; some have common areas shared with other rooms, and some have private kitchenettes. You can walk the bike path from Dredge to Nome, and the inn also offers vehicle rentals to guests.

The airy, three-story atrium lobby with a large stone fireplace lends a European chalet sensibility to this hotel with brightly lit rooms and Alaska-themed artwork. Many of the rooms have wonderful views overlooking the water and come with either two queen beds or one king-sized bed, full bathrooms, and coffee makers. There are several on-site eateries, including Pyramid Coffee, Cape Cheerful Lounge, and evening-only dining at Harbor Sushi.

This intimate in-park lodge centers on fish, wildlife, and the lake system of the western Katmai. Guests travel by boat to numerous rivers and streams riven with trout, char, pike, and salmon. Flights take guests to Brooks River to see bears at Brooks Falls. Grosvenor Lodge can accommodate six people in three heated cabins with electricity; a shared bathhouse is nearby. The main lodge has a kitchen, lounging area, and bar, as well as an excellent view of Grosvenor Lake. Multinight packages include airfare from Anchorage, meals, lodging, boat services, and guides.

This rustic but modern log-cabin lodge on Kukak Bay straddles the rugged outer coast of Katmai National Park, along the shores of the Alaska Peninsula. This coastal area is part of the Kodiak Island Borough and the Gulf of Alaska. Built on land owned by the Russian Orthodox Church, the lodge is one of few places to stay on this coast except for camping. Mountains, coastal flats, and the waters of Shelikof Strait surround the lodge, where guests stay in private bedrooms with baths. Meals are served in the dining room or on decks if the weather is good. Activities include bear viewing, birding, photography tours, and fishing for halibut and salmon. There's a three-night-minimum stay, and rates include a round-trip flight from Kodiak, meals, lodging, and guide services.

At the King Eider Inn near the airport, you'll find comfortable rooms with simple furnishings and decor. Prices vary depending on the month, availability, and type of room. Ten of the rooms have kitchenettes and one is a suite. They also have a small selection of vehicles for guests to rent.

Along the Kulik River between Nonvianuk and Kulik Lakes, this remote wilderness lodge sits in the northwest quadrant of the national park, near the boundary of the preserve. Guests reach the lodge by floatplane as a part of three- and four-day (or more) packages that include meals, boat, and guide service on the Kulik River, flights to Brooks Lodge for bear viewing, tours of the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes, and other excursions. The lodge accommodates up to 28 people, and is popular with anglers as a base for fly-out fishing at hot spots in surrounding Katmai lakes and streams. Guests stay in cabins with electricity and private baths. In the evening, everyone gathers in the spruce lodge, which has a large stone fireplace, dining area, and bar.

This B&B filled with ivory carvings and scrimshaw by local artists makes everyone feel welcome. The place offers a variety of room set-ups, along with kitchen areas and a full breakfast that comes with the room. They also offer other meals, like a family-style dinner for $32 and lunches for $18.

The architecture and kitschy interiors of the Nugget Inn combine every cliché of the Victorian gold-rush era—it's not very authentic, but it is quite fun. Outside, a signpost marks the mileage to various points, serious and silly, around the globe. Inside, frontier memorabilia abounds in the lobby and lounge. Rooms are small and clean, although not nearly as atmospheric as the public spaces. Many Arctic tour groups stay here.

Although it's been a Kotzebue fixture since 1975, the Nullagvik Hotel offers the most modern rooms in town, along with communal areas, like a meeting room for 100 and a third-floor observation lounge overlooking the Chukchi Sea. Amenities include Wi-Fi, televisions, microwaves, and mini-refrigerators, along with access to an exercise area and a restaurant on the first floor. The lobby coffee stand will satisfy those looking for lattes.

This hotel near the end of the road at Deadhorse primarily serves workers employed in the Prudhoe Bay oil fields, but tourists are also welcome. The rooms are dormitory-style, and not all of them have their own bathroom. The hotel includes a cafeteria-style dining hall with specific hours for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Food and drinks can be purchased from vending machines around the clock. The hotel is within walking distance to Deadhorse Airport.

Like all lodging in Prudhoe Bay, the Aurora focuses on what oil workers need when rotating in and out of the area, so most of the rooms have one twin bed, while some have queens. All rooms are clean and practical, with meals included in the price. Smoking, alcohol, and pets are prohibited, but there's a smoking lounge on-site, along with a commissary, gym, library, and coffee shop.

On the shores of the Arctic Ocean, this tiered and multicolored hotel is minimalist but comes with the modern conveniences expected by most travelers. A life-size stuffed polar bear and the mounted head of another greet visitors in the lobby. The community television is a great spot to mix and mingle with locals and guests alike. Modern, spacious rooms have sitting areas and some have kitchenettes; ask for a room with an ocean view.