Aurora Villa

We stayed as a family in the lodge. It was a great and seem less experience. The place was clean. The beds were super comfortable and all the little extras from the thank you gift, slippers, toiletries and the fresh fruit and juice and water upon arrival were super helpful. ||It’s the perfect spot. We weren’t able to see the lights from the cabin due to clouds. But the scenery was great. So quiet. The Wi-Fi worked great and had access to streaming Roku device which was great for the family after a day in the snow.||Thanks for a memorable stay.

The fridge is stock with drinks and the freezer has some breakfast food. The road in is a little rocky but otherwise fine. Overall great stay.

The room was spacious and clean comparing to other hotels in Fairbanks, there is no similar hotel around the area. The staffs were mostly not presented but was friendly and helpful especially when the cleaners always made sure we have been taken care of. It was a bit of drive but can understand for the purpose of viewing the northern light.

Our 4 night stay was a disappointment especially given the price which is substantially higher than other places. This is not a hotel but rather a contactless airbnb type facility with no services. We never saw any staff except a housekeeper the first day. To start with, we arrived to an empty facility and it was extremely confusing how to check in. We were given the room code by phone and entered an unmade room. The room wasn’t made up until 3:45 pm (3 pm check in) which was unwelcome news after a full day of travel. It was disappointing there was no housekeeping or even cleaning supplies to clean ourselves so our room was filthy by the end of the stay. We were told they would clean our room day 3 upon us asking for this but this didn’t happen. The common room was dirty including old takeout food in the dirty frig( which didn’t belong to anyone- we were the only guest initially) a filthy microwave and food in the trash. On day 2 I asked for an extra blanket because it was well below zero and was told there were plenty in the cabinet but there were actually none, which made sleeping difficult throughout the stay. It’s a remote location, treacherous via car in the winter and There were no block car engine heater plug in’s so we had to deal with scary warnings in the car to plug in and fears we would get stranded. During our stay, we were either the only guest or just one other so it made me feel uneasy if something were to happen in such a remote location without any staff on premises to help us. On a positive note- the location is beautiful and we could see the aurora. Common room was pretty for photos but uncomfortable furniture (couches without backs and hard chairs) so I didn’t spend time there. Rooms were pretty with quality towels and toiletries, plus heated floors and a nice tv. But there was almost no place to store things like drawers and only a few hangers for jackets…and little counter space in bathroom so we had to live out of the suitcases and everything felt cluttered. No breakfast anymore since COVID and be aware there’s no food or stores within 20 minutes, and it’s not an easy thing to go in and out especially if it’s snowing. Overall do not recommend.

I am giving an overall rating of a 3 because this property is expensive and it’s not a hotel. It’s more like a shared 7 bedroom Airbnb only without a stove or pantry or even vending machine making it hard to justify a 4-star hotel listing. In addition it’s all contactless check-in and no option for housekeeping. There’s no one working at the desk they built. And because everything is designed so minimally with hard lines the acoustics are harsh. Hence the strict rules about noise after 10. But it didn’t matter. Guests would return at 2-3 am and their walking around and talking sounded like they were outside my room. Again, if all of this was half the price perhaps this would be better justified. In addition instead of receiving a waiver of all the rules not to break it would have been optimal to receive a welcome packet with suggestions of where to order food or where to food shop before arriving since it’s a food desert near the property. Despite what I describe above I have to share that the location is unmatched and the big wall of window makes for the most incredible views. If the conditions align, it is out of this world to be able to watch the Aurora from your room. It was truly incredible. Everything in the room was very clean. When housekeeping would come to clean a room they were always lovely and helpful. When I felt cold my first night I could text and was given options and direction to find comfort. The bedding was great and my room was comfortable once I got the thermostat right. I truly looked for all the places where things were outstanding but some 4-star opportunities were missed.

This contemporary hotel offered a wonderfully pristine environment during my stay. The Northern Lights view was a remarkable highlight, leaving me utterly delighted. It's worth noting that while it's about a 25-minute drive from downtown, this distance is a definite advantage for avoiding light pollution, enhancing the magic of the Aurora experience.

It was a fantastic stay at a modern and impeccable clean hotel. The highlight was the breathtaking view of the Northern Lights via the floor to ceiling windows , which left me in awe and made my stay truly memorable.

We went to Fairbanks to see the Northern Lights and chose the this property because of a referral in a travel magazine. This is a love/hate review, the love is nature and the lights came through 3 nights in a row. The property is located 15 miles from Fairbanks, difficult to get to with snow covered roads. This place is completely handled like Covid is still active, there are no employees there to help with any questions of any kind. To find out anything you call a local number and a male answers who very difficult to understand and doesn’t know hardly anything about the area. This place is being advertised as a B&B but there is no breakfast unless they consider coffee offered (you make yourself) to be breakfast. The rooms are adequate with large windows and the common area has big windows too for viewing the Northern Lights. The problem is their exit and security lights are on which interferes with viewing and taking pictures of the Aurora light show so you need to be outside away from the building. The building is two levels and you can hear footsteps upstairs a lot and other guests making a lot of noise. A part time employee comes in every day to take out trash and clean rooms of those who have checked out. They threaten you with financial penalties if you don’t check out at 11:00 am.|Other than a generally pretty location there is absolutely nothing good to report here. Oh, by the way the price for this awful experience is $600/ night, takes a lot of nerve to charge this but I assume something has to give or they will close their doors.

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.