Anchorage hotels: where to stay in Alaska's largest city.

Anchorage is Alaska’s metro base. Roughly 40% of the state’s population lives here, most trips begin or end here, and the Chugach mountains sit behind the city close enough that you can be at a trailhead 20 minutes from the downtown hotels. The hotel geography splits into four practical zones.

Where to stay in Anchorage

Downtown is where cruise passengers and business travellers stay. Walking-distance restaurants, the Anchorage Museum, the Alaska Native Heritage Center via a short drive, Alaska Railroad depot, and the Ted Stevens Anchorage International airport shuttle. Hotel Captain Cook and the Historic Anchorage Hotel anchor this area.

Midtown around 36th Avenue and the Northern Lights corridor holds mid-price chains and business hotels close to shopping. Cheaper than downtown by roughly $40 to $70 per night.

Spenard around Lake Hood is where floatplane charters leave from; convenient for anyone doing a flightseeing day or booking a bush-plane leg.

Airport area is convenient for early flights, less so for anything else. The Marriott and Hilton airport properties dominate.

The 10 best hotels in Anchorage

Full grid coming week 3 of the launch cadence. Provisional order by search demand: Hotel Captain Cook, Anchorage Marriott Downtown, Hilton Anchorage, Sheraton Anchorage, Historic Anchorage Hotel, Anchorage Grand Hotel, Puffin Inn, Springhill Suites Anchorage Midtown, Coast International Inn, Embassy Suites.

Getting to Anchorage

Ted Stevens Anchorage International is the primary Alaska gateway (Alaska, Delta, United direct from Seattle, LAX, ORD, JFK seasonally). Alaska Railroad runs to Seward (4h) and Denali (8h) then Fairbanks. Driving north to Denali is 4h 30 to 5h in summer, longer with construction; south to Seward is 2h 30 to 3h on the Seward Highway (one of the great drives in North America).