13 Best Hotels in The Kenai Peninsula and Southcentral Alaska, Alaska

This fantastic lodge comprising eight standalone cabins either situated creekside or around a pond feels serene, even when there's live music at the restaurant or a loud concert down the road. Each cabin has a wood stove and an electric heater. Interior walls are chinked logs, beds have colorful quilts, and the lighting fixtures are modeled after gold rush–era styles. The cabins vary in size, but the largest sleeps up to six and has its own bath. A central bathhouse has hot showers and toilets, and all guests have access to the sauna. The excellent Dirty Skillet restaurant offers great food and live music on the weekends.

This converted cannery at the end of the road offers a peek into what life in the region must have been like in the 1880s. Whitewashed boarding rooms overlook the bay where otters and waterfowl abound. In addition to beautiful lodgings and a café that serves excellent freshly caught seafood, Orca offers a long list of adventures, among them fishing, kayaking, river rafting, hiking, bear viewing, and flightseeing. There's also the opportunity to fly out to one of Orca's remote wilderness camps for fishing or just relaxing. An additional perk to staying at this end-of-the-road getaway is the fantastic dining at their on-site restaurant, which serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner seven days a week.

This popular inn is set inside the converted old Fairview Dairy barn, and each of the spacious, log-partitioned rooms is decorated according to a theme. The Denali Room has posters of the mountain, snowshoes, crampons, and other climbing gear. A dogsled and other race paraphernalia mark the Iditarod Room. A rooftop common room has a spectacular 360-degree panorama of the mountains and river valleys. You can also sleep in the stand-alone log cabin—it has its own wood stove but no bathroom.

On the bank of the Susitna River and an easy half-mile walk from downtown Talkeetna, this year-round lodge is idyllic. All four of the two-story cabins have gorgeous river views, and three of the cabins face Denali. Gazebos and firepits are set between every other cabin and in front of the lodge, which holds four suites. One of the suites is handicap accessible and has a private entrance onto the deck. The cabins all have kitchenettes and coffee makers; small TVs and DVDs can be checked out at the office.

Rooms here have soothing floral decor, and some overlook the harbor. The Chart Room Restaurant has harbor views and serves local seafood and American fare, including steak and pasta.

This well-maintained resort on Lake Lucille provides easy access to several recreational activities, including boating in summer and ice-skating and snowmachining in winter. Half of the inn's bright and cheery rooms have private balconies overlooking the lake.

Near the harbor, this hotel comes complete with views of mountains, sea otters, seals, and waterfowl. The standard-issue decor is nothing to write home about, but the views make up for it. The rooms are a little compact, but everything is within walking distance, and there's little need to spend much time in them.

Across the street from the small-boat harbor, this modern 100-room hotel is very convenient if you're planning an early-morning fishing trip. One wing has four suites with jetted tubs, and an annex building has two suites overlooking the harbor. On the first floor is the popular restaurant. It's open year-round.

Owned and operated by a fifth-generation Kodiak Alaskan, this emerald-isle favorite has sea views and is conveniently located less than 1 mile from downtown Kodiak. Hosts Mary and Ron Doubt are well-known for their hospitality, offering local knowledge and home-cooked breakfasts; there is a self-contained apartment (with kitchen, bath, and deck) as well as a studio, two guest rooms, a shared lounge area, and a lovely dining room with bay windows overlooking the channel.

This charming resort offers seven rooms and one cabin along with a shared kitchen and beautiful outdoor areas. It's ideal for folks who can stay awhile and enjoy some peace and quiet while still being a five-minute walk to downtown Glennallen.

This hotel is within easy walking distance of shops, restaurants, and the small boat harbor, the center of summertime activity in Valdez. Nothing about it screams personality, but the service is consistent, and the on-site restaurant is convenient.

At this waterfront fisherman's hotel you can watch the commercial-fishing fleet and other maritime traffic sail by. Be sure to ask for a harbor-view room to watch for otters and waterfowl at play. Many of the nautical-theme rooms overlook the harbor, as does the large, south-facing deck of the Reluctant Fisherman Restaurant. Microwaves and refrigerators are available for a small charge, and two of the suites offer a kitchenette.

Built in 1916 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Van Gilder is steeped in local history. Early 20th-century photos of Seward adorn the walls, beds are brass or carved wood, and the common rooms foster a cozy B&B feel. This is definitely not a mass-market chain hotel, and the extremely friendly staff gives tours of the property, pointing out interesting historical information. Spend time in the sitting room with books of local interest or by the piano player in the lobby.