Sarah C.
Yelp
Salmon Berry Tours arranged our 10-day stay in Alaska and it began with 4 nights at the Copper Whale Inn (please see separate review for Salmon Berry Tours). We arrived at 1:30am and had clear instructions on how to enter the Inn and how to get into our rooms because Lorene, the General Manager, texted a few days before our arrival to give instructions. Our keys were just where she told us they would be and we got into our rooms easily. After a full day of traveling we really appreciated the easy access and extremely comfortable beds.
My teenage kids were in the Pilot's Lounge which had a queen bed and pull out couch with a private bathroom. It was perfect for their needs. My kids enjoyed the tea kettle and coffee maker. My husband and I got the Inlet View room which was a bit bigger and also had a private bath and a great view of the Cook Inlet. I appreciated that the room had a refrigerator, microwave and coffee maker. On our third day there we were able to use the washer and dryer after 6pm for a nominal fee. The entire place is extremely clean and cleverly decorated.
The breakfast is something to rave about! Star carefully sets breakfast out very early in the summer mornings. The spread, while we were there, included boiled eggs, many varieties of yogurt, granola, cereal, pastries, meats, cheese, bagels, lox, fruit and more. We really appreciated the gluten free bread and oat milk. The coffee was the best we had in Alaska! We enjoyed sitting with other guests and talking to them about their Alaskan adventures.
We loved our time at the Copper Whale Inn. Lorene treated us like family and made sure that we felt welcome. She planned a special getaway for our family which kick-started our amazing stay in Alaska. Her attention to customer service really sets this place apart from the other hotels we stayed at while in Alaska.
On our 4th day we had an early train and had to leave at 5:30am. Star was setting up for breakfast and offered us food to go. We got to the train station and one of my kids realized that they did not have their phone. We were in a panic trying to figure out what to do, when the other kid yelled "Look, there is Star". Yep, Star saw the phone and water bottle in the kitchen and got into the car to find us. Disaster averted until that same kid later realized they also lost their wallet. We had to get on the train, but we texted Lorene and asked if Star could check the room. Star tore the room apart with no luck. No other hotel would provide this type of personal care. Oh, It turns out that my husband had the wallet in a secret pocket of his back pack- sorry Star!!
We ended our trip back at the Copper Whale Inn. We were very excited to go "home" for one last night. The kids got the same room and my husband and I got the SpeakEasy which was super cool. The bed in that room was also extremely comfortable. We found the hotel to be very quiet and we slept with the windows open with no issues. Outside of SpeakEasy there is a nice water feature that is not only gorgeous, but provides white noise. The deck outside of the room was being replaced while we were there and that will be super nice when completed.
Again, we loved this establishment. Star and Lorene put it over the top. Thank you for taking such care in providing a memorable experience y'all! We hope to be back there next year,