Aurora Villa

I’ve never written a review before, but this experience was so disappointing that I felt compelled to share it. The hotel lacks proper management, cleaning, and maintenance. The soundproofing is poor, and since it’s a self-check-in hotel, the cleanliness depends entirely on the guests. Unfortunately, during our stay, shared spaces were messy, with shoes and even a jacket left on the floor. My girlfriend and I planned to stay for two nights, but the noise and disorder forced us to book another hotel for a peaceful stay. A large Chinese family occupied the shared space as if it were their own—children ran around screaming in the morning, and the kitchen was always taken, making it difficult for others to use. Their belongings and trash were scattered everywhere, creating a chaotic environment. Other guests, including us, had to retreat to our rooms just to get some peace. As a native Chinese speaker, I felt embarrassed by their behavior. I hope future visitors respect shared spaces, as this is not a private residence. The owner should take responsibility for maintaining cleanliness and service quality—otherwise, the high price is simply unjustified.

Recommend this stay! Great view, clean rooms, and such a well maintained place! Loved how the check in was and had no issues throughout our stay. We didn’t see the northern lights due to the weather but it’s a great place to stay at, regardless of this factor.

The soundproofing of the room is very poor — I can clearly hear loud noises from the common area, where children are running and shouting for a long time without any supervision from their parents. Unfortunately, no hotel staff came to address the situation. This has made it very difficult to rest and enjoy my stay.

Stayed in the V-lodge. It was a beautiful lodge with great space to relax and share family dinners cooked in the full kitchen. The area is gorgeous and we watched the Aurora Borealis from the deck. Everything we expected and more.

Absolutely the biggest scam of a hotel I have ever been to. There is no one on site to help with anything. I don’t know how they claim to be a 4 star hotel with no service available. It is absolutely not worth the $700 a night we paid to be there. When we arrived the main room was filthy, trashes overflowing, table dirty, sink full of dishes and no one came to clean up during our entire stay. The included “Breakfast” was freezer burned Jimmy Deans or stale cereal. There was one other couple there during our stay and you could absolutely hear every little thing they did from our rooms. The decor was cool but impractical and uncomfortable. We actually went to Walmart to buy our own pillows. Over all it was a pretty miserable stay and a waste of money.

We checked into Aurora Villa with high expectations. It is about 20 minutes from the city center. Great location. The room and public areas are clean and tidy. Everything is self-service. No complaints with all these. However, if you want to have a quiet and comfortable rest, please do not choose this property. You can hear everything from your neighbors even with earplugs… walking, talking, singing, even sneezing…

Pros: - Rooms and facility were very clean and comfortable. Unlike other reviewers, I was never once disturbed by sounds from other guests. I also thought the mattress was incredibly comfortable and was going to look at it to see if I could buy one for myself. - Views were incredible. Unfortunately, it was cloudy and snowy during our stay so we did not see the Lights, but that’s just nature and weather. - The hill out the windows was perfect for sledding. - With regards to removing shoes before entering: you do this inside the facility in an entryway with benches to sit on and complimentary slippers. I chose to wear my own slippers that I brought with. After seeing another party not remove their boots before entering, and seeing all the snow and mud they tracked around, I can appreciate why they want boots off before entering. I didn’t not feel like this was an inconvenience in any way, shape, or form. - It appears that some of the complaints from other reviews have been addressed, which tells me the owners care about the feedback and want this to be a positive experience. - They offer a light breakfast but actually have several food items that are more “lunch” or “snack” in nature, so we don’t go hungry between meals. - Personally, I loved the contactless check-in. No issues. Love not having a room key to carry around and potentially lose. - Staff were readily available by text whenever I had to reach out. Cons: - I would have liked a little more space to store personal food. As mentioned in other reviews, there is very little nearby. I would suggest that people review the “Terms and Conditions” on their website as it addresses many of the things other people seem to have questions about.

Had a very nice stay near Fairbanks. Room was modern and clean. Lots of towels provided in the room. Great pillows. Free snacks and drinks available 24/7 in the kitchen area. Best feature is incredible views of the Northern Lights from outside the property AND from inside our room. I actually got better pictures of the aurora from our room where we were nice and warm. Although it is mostly a “contactless experience”, the onsite staff person helped us to resolve an issue. Another guest took the extension cord for our rental car while it was plugged in outside. The staff person offered to reimburse us for a new cord which was very kind. But even more so the next time we came back to the room, he had gotten a new extension cord for us. That was above and beyond what I would have expected.

Upon arrival (after self check in via text and not seeing ONE person) we found towels with what looked like blue tooth paste on them and an empty can of soda sitting in bathroom. No one on-site to handle things like this. No way to obtain an extra blanket etc. Beautiful property however it's run like an AirBnB and not a hotel. Views are amazing however it is very isolated. Our car was only one in parking lot. However we found out later other people were staying there. Maybe using cab service? Just found whole situation odd including the slippers they asked guests to wear while in building. Over priced for what was offered.

This is a hostel, not a hotel. Worth about $250/night. I would describe this place as remote, beautiful, but "cold". Not homey, not comfy, not very welcoming. But pretty. Pros: - Easy check in & out remote process. - Fabulous views, possibly great Aurora viewing but it snowed on us every night so we just had wonderful forest & valley views. Remote location means very little light pollution from Fairbanks or other neighbors. - Huge bathroom with sooo many towels and toiletries - Hot water was very hot and always available. - TV easy to operate for Netflix & Hulu (best early morning, late evening or mid-day when fewer guests were on wifi). - Kitchenette area was always stocked with coffee, hot cocoa & hot cider. - Bed comforter was very warm and cozy. Cons: - Guests helping each other with parking issues, key code questions, etc. since there was no staff around at all. - Water was turned off completely on our last day without any notification, so no showers or toilet flushing for over an hour. We finally left rather than wait for issue to be resolved. - Lobby was not a nice place to be. Couches look trendy, but are really not comfortable. There are no blankets provided for cozy night aurora watching. The wood benches again look fun, but really not welcoming. The whole room is meant to look good in a photo, but is not a very usable space. - WiFi was not strong enough for multiple guest usage, which is odd considering there are only 7 rooms in the entire place. - No staff on-site at all. Check in & out are all done by email, text and phone. - No food provided, even though pics on their website are labeled "restaurant". It does not exist. Small microwave & toaster for heating food, but no ability to "cook" food. - Remote location makes it a 25-min drive from Fairbanks. It is located in a suburban cabin area, the only business around for 10 miles. You definitely need an all-wheel drive vehicle to get here in winter as roads & parking lot are only lightly plowed. - Parking is difficult when all rooms are occupied, one parking space per room but no one on-site to help with this. There are also no electrical plugs in parking lot area. We were very lucky that temperatures were a bit warmer in early April and our car engine didn't freeze overnight. We would have been stuck all day!! - Beds are futons. Very firm. No extra bedding or blankets are provided.

Aurora Vill looks like Scandinavian bliss on the outside. We experienced non-stop chaos on the inside. You'll pay Ritz Carlton prices, but feel like you're staying at a 10-story youth hostel. During our five night stay, we experienced students camped out in the common area all day and all night, constant noise over our heads -- walking, running, dragging furniture, and dropping objects -- and constant running up and down the stairs. Each night, the noise lasted until midnight -- some nights until 2am. We felt like we were sharing a romantic weekend with other people's selfie-taking, oblivious teenagers. Nice way to piss away $3k. Do yourself a favor and stay at $100 a night chain hotel. At least you'll get to relax and sleep.

The view is stunning the setting is gorgeous. The guest rooms and common great room are warm despite the subzero temperatures outside. However -unbelievably- the hotel hosts rented out the great room to a wedding party preventing the paying hotel guests from using it from 2 pm -9 pm!!!! In what universe are hotel guests prevented from using the primary space they paid for? Some guests left and requested a refund as we are currently doing, so far to no avail. The wedding guests were loud and sound (Rolling Stones, Rod Stewart anyone? ) traveled into theguest rooms and throughout the whole facility. The 30 or so attendees were also unmasked and at the time Alaska had the highest Covid rate in the US, It was a case of incredibly poor judgment by the hotel and we have requested a partial refund for the time we were denied access to the only common space we had paid a premium for. Thus far we have not received any apology, or willingness to compensate us.

Gorgeous hotel, luxurious rooms, amazing location! Unfortunately it was cloudy when we stayed, but it would be a great place to see the Aurora. Nice that they have coffee/hot choc/cider avail 24/7 in the lobby. Given the price tag, it's too bad that they haven't yet figured out a way to offer breakfast; they could have muffins or packaged goods very easily. Our neighbors rented a car and said the drive up the street was dicey in the snow (something the proprietors warned us about in a welcome email); we came in by Lyft and had no problem.

The very best! Breathtaking views! Best hotel in Fairbanks. Highly recommend especially if you're looking to see the northern lights.

Don't know where to start to express my enormous appreciation and gratitude to this amazing dream spot to have made my first Alaskan trip one of the best experiences of my life! I was extremely excited by the pictures I had seen, but that was nothing compared to what you actually find there! The Villa is stunning! I wish I took more pictures of the interiors but I was too busy to catch the amazing view outside! Everything was absolutely perfect! Only few rooms, very studied in detail with huge windows. You can literally lay on your bed and enjoy the spectacular Aurora from your room! The living/dining room is spacious and has all the comforts needed to enjoy a nice breakfast and (why not?) lunch too. Emily was absolutely fantastic and she took great care of us! Oh girl, I miss you already!! I am so happy to have chosen this place and to have lived such a epic experience! Can't wait to go back in summer time!

I am 60 years old and have spent my career traveling. I have stayed in more hotels than I can count. And I can say with certainty that Aurora Villa gave my husband and me the most-unique, most-exceptional stay of my life. Here is why - and please note - this review is for an Aurora-hunting trip in the winter... Aurora Villa has been carefully positioned to provide its guests with excellent views during both the day and the night. During the day, we saw a beautiful, pristine valley. And the view faces north, so at night, we had the opportunity to see the Aurora in its glory. Aurora Villa has a sophisticated décor and a plentiful make-your-own breakfast buffet. But enough about the building blocks. What makes Aurora Villa exceptional is its staff. Never have I encountered a staff that cared so deeply about our experience while in their space. To see the Aurora that you've seen in photographs, conditions need to be near perfect. Unfortunately, three of the four nights we stayed at Aurora Villa, Fairbanks was socked in with clouds. Our disappointment was acute; staff to the rescue. The staff - and even the contractors who work for the staff - fully understood that we were there in the winter to see the Aurora. So they did not rest until they did everything in their power to help us see the Aurora. And what is so incredible (and I do not use that word lightly) is that their interest in our happiness was genuine. We've all stayed in hotels where the staff's demeanor was deferential, or robotic, or rehearsed, or bored. That cannot be said of Aurora Villa's staff. Their demeanor was one of sincere interest in - and enthusiasm about - our satisfaction. They know that spotting the Aurora can be tricky. So, they go above and beyond. Laura, the woman who worked the night shift, checked for the Aurora's appearance all night, and knocked on our door to awaken us when it appeared even slightly. Emily, the PR & marketing director, called in every favor she could to find us a guide to take us out from under the cloud bank, so that we could, indeed, see the Aurora. Even Tiffany, the woman who owns the cleaning service that cleans Aurora Villa every day, offered to borrow her brother-in-law's four-wheel drive vehicle to take us to a cloudless viewing spot. We were overwhelmed by the sincere, genuine concern for our happiness. Another note - we could not help but notice how incredibly hard the small team at Aurora Villa works. Interestingly, they were all women - very, very hard-working women - who ensured that Aurora Villa's offerings were all excellent, despite treacherous driving conditions and unbelievable cold. They did what needed to be done, with no excuses or grumbling. One final note - the staff was savvy. Some of us enjoyed talking with them (they've led fascinating lives). Other guests preferred to not talk to the staff. So the staff was savvy and accommodated each guest's preference. Talking with the staff was one of the highlights of our trip because, let's face it, there are many hours to pass until the Aurora makes its appearance. A few tips for your winter stay: * Don't rent a car. To get to Aurora Villa, you will need a vehicle with four-wheel drive. The rental car companies, for some inexplicable reason, do not offer those vehicles. We saw many tourists stuck in the snow. Call a cab to take you to Aurora Villa. It will be a pricey cab ride, because Aurora Villa is a distance from Fairbanks, but it will be worth every penny. * Stop at a grocery store on your way to Aurora Villa. Aurora Villa provides breakfast, but not lunch, dinner or snacks. Take your own. They have a small refrigerator with one shelf dedicated to guests' groceries, a microwave, a toaster, and several kettles, along with lots of plates, bowls and utensils. Emily will give you the information for the one restaurant that will deliver to Aurora Villa - a Chinese restaurant. * Take your entertainment subscription passwords. Aurora Villa is too far out of town to get television reception. But the internet is robust. So, we logged on to Netflix and entertained ourselves with movies. You can log on to all of the major internet subscription services, to wait for dark skies. * Let Emily and the staff know if you want to get a guide to take you to a prime viewing location, in the event that you can't see the Aurora from Aurora Villa.