I too booked a "grand view" room 4 months in advance ($700 for 2 nites) and when I checked in, was given a view of the parking lot. However, I "fussed" at the desk, showed them my confirmation of a "grand view" room and was eventually given a room with a view. I think I had some luck because I arrived early, i.e. before the tour buses. I should note, I think that the percentage of rooms with a view is less than 75% because even if you get a room facing the canyon, if you're in the rear building and have a room on the 1st or 2nd floors (there are 3 floors in that building), you'll only have a view of the building in front of you.

Re the staff, yes, they are inexperienced and clueless but they are very pleasant. Re location, if you have your own car, it's not a problem. If you don't, I can see where it has the potential for being a problem. Since the hotel is at the top a mountain (with a very long and winding road leading to it) I can see how it would be a problem if there is only limited van service. We ate at the restaurant which was fairly expensive but with a car, at least had the option to go elsewhere.

I don't really know anything about the other places in the area but I would definitely check out other options.

We booked a two day trip to Denali National Park through the Alaska Railroad. So our stay at the Grande was part of our package. It was a wonderful experience. We were there the last weekend of August, 2006. We had our name put on a list for a wake up call if the Northern Lights were visible. The first night of our stay we saw the Lights right from our hotel room. It was a magnificent sight. The rooms were very nice, clean and well stocked every morning. If we had any negative thing to say it was the wait staff at the restaurant were mostly foreign students working there for the summer and their English was not as good as it could have been. They were not very attentive to those of us who were not part of a tour group. It was like they didn't know what to do with Non-groupies. But the food was good and the views made up for any deficiencies.

My family (no children) stayed at the Grande Denali Lodge for two nights in late June, and on the whole we had an enjoyable time. We traveled by train from Anchorage, and were greeted by a shuttle at the train station (not a luxury coach, but it got us from point A to B safely). Our bags were placed in our room, and our tickets for a next day tour were prompty delivered to us. The lodge is perched atop a mountain, with amazing views of the valley. We called ahead and secured a view room, and the hotel manager/staff was very courteous. I understand some people have had issues with this, but a simple phone call put us at ease. Our room was clean, the beds were comfortable, and everything we needed was there. It wasn't as posh as a high end Marriott, but it was nice... and it was what we expected it to be.
The lodge had good food, a bit on the higher priced side, but good quality. Also, some of the local eateries offered complimentary shuttles from the hotels to thier establishments which made getting around easier. There are not a ton of activities or amenities (i.e. no pool, sauna), but the stay itself is pleasant if you don't expect a "five star spa retreat " and instead go to take in the scenery and the pleasantry of the locals.
Our family enjoyed this hotel, and we hope you do too!

We stayed here one night as part of a two-week cruise tour booked through Royal Caribbean. Our room was nice and clean. It overlooked a parking lot, which was fine. We were really only there to sleep. The lack of shuttles down the hill didn't bother us since we were there on a tour. We got in late, slept, got up and ate a highly-overpriced breakfast in the hotel's restaurant, and left for our next destination. Were I looking for a place to stay if I was booking independently, I don't think I'd choose to stay here (unless, maybe, I had my own transportation with me). Some in our group were very bothered by the steep, windy road up to/down from the hotel. One way in and one way out.