The busy summer travel season is fast approaching in Alaska, and with it comes the opening of several new hotels and significant renovations to others. It’s been a busy offseason in the 49th State.
• The Alyeska Resort in Girdwood opened its Black Diamond Club in January, bringing exclusive services and amenities to guests staying in the eighth-floor accommodations.
The club’s 36 renovated units range from 325-square-foot rooms to a 1,971-square-foot presidential suite, each equipped with a 50-inch smart TV, Dyson hair dryer, Nespresso coffee machine, Bamford bath products and a pillow menu.
The eighth-floor lounge has glacier and mountain views, and the venue serves complimentary breakfast and afternoon apres-ski cocktails. Black Diamond Club guests can also access private concierge assistance, VIP ski valet services and snowcat-skiing and heli-skiing outings via the resort’s helipad.
Last summer, the 300-room resort introduced a seasonal skybridge experience set 2,500 feet above the valley floor. That followed the debut of its 50,000-square-foot Nordic spa in 2022.
• Rustic Roots opened this winter on Resurrection Bay in Seward. Formerly the adults-only Angels Rest, Rustic Roots comprises three seaside cabins and four greenhouse suites with new furnishings and fixtures. Cabins share gardens, campfire rings, a deck and an outdoor kitchen.
The property also has a small wellness center and yoga studio with gear for guests’ use. Rustic Roots is adjacent to Salted Roots, a sister property that opened in early 2020. There, travelers can choose from two glass-front A-frames, two modern cottages with roll-up glass doors and roof decks or a loft cabin built around a bus from the 1970s.
The properties offer adventure, family fun and winter wellness packages for groups of two to six, combining accommodations, tours and gift cards for local cafes and restaurants. Families and corporate groups can also reserve the adjoining properties for private events of up to 42 guests.
• Mollie and Sean Busby added a new building to their Arctic Hive near the village of Wiseman, 63 miles north of the Arctic Circle in the Brooks Range. The new structure includes a gathering space and the property’s main kitchen. After this summer, they’re planning to add a dedicated dining room and additional guestrooms; the property currently consists of four off-the-grid cabins.
Arctic Hive hosts year-round guided adventures, cultural experiences and wellness workshops. The Harvest of the Heart retreat will return for its second presentation in September, with five days of backcountry fall-color hikes and optional yoga sessions.
After selling out two REWild experiences this winter, the property is adding three 2025 dates for the four-night northern lights-viewing, yoga and winter sports retreat. Arctic Hive also added two winter yoga training workshops for women for this year and next.
• BlueWater BaseCamp will welcome its first guests this spring. Set 35 miles northeast of Anchorage in Eklutna Valley, the property accommodates independent travelers and private groups of up to 22 people.
Modern cabins hold two to six guests each, with cozy living, dining, sleeping and bathroom spaces. Outdoor decks offer mountain and glacier views. Select cabins have wheelchair-accessible first-floor spaces with zero-threshold showers, roll-under sinks and a four-foot turning radius in the main bedroom. BlueWater BaseCamp is near Chugach State Park hiking trails, kayaking outings on Eklutna Lake and outdoor activities at Hatcher Pass and the Matanuska Glacier.
• The former Aviator Hotel is scheduled to reopen in phases starting this spring, as crews complete a $40 million renovation of the downtown Anchorage property, which has yet to be renamed. The hotel will have 250 refreshed rooms and suites, three conference rooms, a restaurant and brewery and a roof deck with city and water views. It is also a short walk from the city’s restaurants, shops and attractions.