7 Best Hotels in Fairbanks, the Yukon, and the Interior, Alaska

Log columns and beams support the high ceiling in the lobby of this hotel and conference center designed to remind guests of the city's gold-rush past. More than 20,000 flowering plants grace the grounds, a ½-mile walk along the Chena River borders the property, and kids enjoy visiting the resident ducks at the Lucky Duck Hotel out back. Green touches include solar panels, carpets made from recycled materials, and a greenhouse that university students tend. The lodge contains several warm and cozy common areas, including a piano room and a fireplace lounge, as well as wet and dry saunas. There's a 24/7 shuttle for the airport and train station, a nightly ice cream social, a northern lights viewing area, and a small movie theater. Riverfront rooms cost a bit more but offer scenic views. If you're looking for a more Alaska experience, try one of the 28 rustic log cabins.

In the heart of downtown Fairbanks, just above the Chena River, the Bridgewater welcomes guests with overflowing flower baskets and comfortable, modern rooms. The lobby is clean and elegant with historic photos from the town's early days as a gold mining town. The Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center is within walking distance, as are downtown shops and restaurants. 

Fuel, tire repairs, and towing are available here, along with basic and clean rooms built from surplus pipeline-worker housing. The 24-hour restaurant serves generous portions of truck-stop fare. It's the only facility within 100 miles or more. Adventure-travel options include flightseeing and river rafting in summer and aurora safaris and dog mushing in winter. The complex has a post office and RV spaces with hookups—they're nothing fancy. There's no dump station.

If you want the privacy of a cottage, a bit of elbow room, and many of the amenities of a full-service hotel, book a room at this resort on the bank of the Chena River. The individual cottages, some of them fronting the river and surrounded by beautifully landscaped grounds, have patios or garden spaces. On summer evenings you can sit outside and watch canoes, rafts, and powerboats pass by. Chena's Alaskan Grill serves dinner and has a deck overlooking the river.

Its quiet location and very helpful staff make this spacious hotel near the airport one of Fairbanks's best. It has comfy furniture, rich upholstery, and Alaskan artwork throughout. If you don't feel like dining out, these suites include full kitchens and are a short walk from two large grocery stores. Or just head to Zach's, the hotel restaurant which serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner; menu items incorporate ingredients grown in the hotel's flower-filled on-site gardens.

At the center of the commercial district's former heart, the SpringHill Suites has 148 very comfortable suites, each with a microwave, a refrigerator, and a well-lit work and sitting area. The hotel provides a complimentary continental breakfast buffet, and the in-house restaurant, Lavelle's, is among the city's top restaurants. Ask for a room facing the river, on the hotel's scenic side. 

The motel, built from surplus pipeline-worker housing, is basic and clean with shared bathrooms. You can buy gasoline, diesel, and propane here but only during business hours. The restaurant serves meals from 9 am to 10 pm, with shorter hours in winter.