I visited the newly built ALoft hotel in Anchorage Alaska to check out Marriot Bonvoy's newest addition in the area. Featuring a 24 hour fitness center, indoor pool, and an on site restaurant/bar, my hopes were high.
"Designed for the ‘always on’ next Gen traveler, Aloft embodies a “different by design” philosophy that injects personality, color, and an obsession with music – and the culture it creates – into the "select service" category. Aloft is best known for its emphasis on a lively, in-hotel social scene and innovative music programming, highlighting emerging artists and other music activations through the Live At Aloft Hotels global program." - Marriot International
Having worked in tourism for 10 years, I've been to every type of hotel you can imagine. In Alaska we have a lot of hotels that were developed and built in the 1990s with high volume of visitors, and haven't had many updates since then. When a new lodging operation begins in town, it's exciting to see some more modern offerings! While a lot of older places offer neutral color pallets and "hunting lodge boutique charm", it can make things a bit dated.
My First Impressions
Upon walking in I was immediately taken by surprised at the pleasant upbeat music they had playing on the speakers, and the fun bright environment that welcomed me. The first floor is open concept with the bar and lounge, breakfast + 24 hour snack area, and social spaces all laid out there. Check in was smooth, and I was happy to find out that you need a key card to get to your floor, making this a secure building. As a female solo traveler, that is a great bonus.
Time to Relax | Room Review
This is now my favorite hotel room in Alaska. Aloft hotels are known for their decluttered spaces, and creative yet practical additions to each room. I could see that the moment I walked in the door! Hotels can be guilty of not making smart choices when utilizing space, but this was not one of those cases. The layout of the room was cleverly divided with a wall in the middle of the room that lets light through on both sides. Instead of your standard drywall, it acts like its own piece of art.
The bathroom is immediately to your right upon entering and offers space for your luggage, shoes and a rack to hang any coats/garments you may have. Some of the amenities in the bathroom included refillable high end hair + bath products, a full size rain showerhead, hair dryer, and steamer for clothing that may need some love after traveling a long distance.
Inside the room itself there was a nice L shaped sofa seating area with a table, mini fridge, coffee maker + supplies and 55" TV. The hotel offers 2 room configurations of 1 King, or 2 Queens. With the property being so new, it appears some folks have complained of stiff beds as they have not been "worn in" yet. Due to this, they offer padded bed toppers upon request. I personally had a great nights sleep here!
Around The Property
On the main floor I found a fun courtyard great for gathering located just outside of the pool area. It creates a great social space that also makes you forget for a moment that you're in the city. With the outdoor nature of this space, I'm curious what it looks like in the winter with snowy weather.
The indoor pool has an accessible lift, making it a friendly place for people of all abilities. A fun northern lights visual light show happens on the ceiling above the water, trying to bring some of the outdoors inside. There is a music panel on the side of the room, where I believe the guests can make some selections from a curated list? I thought that was unique! Of course there is also a nice jacuzzi tub in the pool area as well. Next to the pool you'll find a 24 hour gym space! With people traveling at all hours, this was a brilliant addition for guests. The equipment is brand new and in peak condition, and features a wide variety for a good work out while away from your home gym.
Sips & Snacks | Overall Opinion
I wanted to make use of the fact this location offers an onsite restaurant and bar, along with a selection of signature cocktails. WXYZ is the eatery you'll find at ALoft branded hotels, and it is meant to create a fun social area encouraging people to mingle. Filled with different seating options, It does a great job at letting you decide if you'd like to be more secluded or not.
The menu featured some classic bar food offerings such as tacos, wings, sliders, gourmet flatbreads and loaded fries. I decided to get one of their signature cocktails, the Radio Star. It had a Chivas Regal 12 year base, with fruit forward additions like passionfruit juice and pineapple angostura bitters. This reminded me of some classic tiki cocktails I enjoy! For my meal I went with their "loaded cheesy fries" and beef bulgogi tacos. While you can rarely go wrong with cheesy fries, the tacos were a miss on this occasion. Too much ice cold slaw and not fully ripened avocado took the lime light away from the beef bulgogi, and was generally unpleasant. However, with all new operations there will be bumps along the way. If I can say the only feedback for improvement is on the tacos, I'd say they've done really well!
I really enjoyed my stay at the Aloft Hotel in Anchorage, and I can say with confidence I will 100% be returning. This will be my new go-to overnight location when I am traveling through town, or someone needs a recommendation! Their airport shuttle service makes it even more of a slam dunk.
Further more, I now look forward to visiting other ALoft properties around the world. Have you stayed at an ALoft property by Marriot Bonvoy? Share your experience below.
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