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McKinley Chalet Resort: Traveler Reviews

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating:
  • A summary score based on quality, quantity and age of traveler ratings.
3 of 5 stars 37 reviews
37 Reviews
5.0 of 5 stars
4
4.0 of 5 stars
15
3.0 of 5 stars
1
2.0 of 5 stars
8
1.0 of 5 stars
9
TripAdvisor Popularity Index:
  • Measures overall traveler satisfaction based on ratings, reviews and other sources.
#2 of 7 hotels in Denali National Park and Preserve
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  • Hotel class: 3 of 5
  • Rooms: 345
Description: Rustic All-Suite Chalet Resort situated in wilderness area, 1 1/2 miles from Park. This description is based on information provided by the hotel.
Address:
Milepost 238, George Parks Hwy
Denali National Park and Preserve, AK 99755
Check Rates: $246 Avg. Price
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TripAdvisor Traveler Reviews

Reviews of McKinley Chalet Resort

( 9-13 of 37 )
“What a disappointment!”

McKinley Chalet Resort

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2 of 5 stars
Gatlinburg, TN
Aug 13, 2007
4/4 found this review helpful

After walking into a stunningly beautiful and modern lobby, we were sorely disappointed when we were taken to our room in the "Z" building. This is in the older part of the property, which I would guess was built in the 60's. It was in terrible need of a complete refurb (or tear-down and start over). Smoke detector was GONE and only 2 wires hung out of the wall. Furniture was right out of the 60's. Sound insulation was non-existent. I would NOT recommend this property in that you don't know where you'll end up staying. Newer rooms might have been ok, but after seeing a beautiful lobby, store, restaurant, and courtyard, we hardly believed we were in the same place when we saw our room. Very disappointing.

  • This TripAdvisor Member:
    • Liked — Lobby and public areas
    • Disliked — Room
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
turninghawk's Summary
Date of Stay: August 2007
Traveled with: Spouse / significant other
Visit was for: Quality time with family
Age group: 50-64
Member since: December 04, 2006
  • My ratings for this hotel are:
    • 2 of 5 stars Value
    • 1 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 2 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 3 of 5 stars Check in / front desk
    • 3 of 5 stars Service
Would I recommend this hotel to my best friend?
no way!
I do not recommend this hotel for:
Young singles, An amazing honeymoon, A romantic getaway, Girlfriend getaway, People with disabilities, Older travelers, Families with young children, Families with teenagers, Tourists
I selected this hotel as a top choice for:
Outdoor / Adventure
Was this review helpful? Yes No
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Average price*: $246 (year-round)
Call now to book: 1-800-454-6835 from hotels.com

“Loved the stay”

McKinley Chalet Resort

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4 of 5 stars
Washington, D.C.
Aug 3, 2007
2/2 found this review helpful

Stayed for one night and loved the wilderness setting in the woods. the rooms were very large and generous and all round well-maintained.
Dinner at the nennana river view grille was fantastic, although a little pricey - My experience with the front desk was amazing! We had
mis-booked a river trip and Brett walked us through re-arranging the trip made all the phone calls and helped us all be able to raft together. he also got us an additional seat on the Tundra wilderness tour which is also ran by Aramark as well. The trip was truly amazing
and will be cherished for the rest of my life... kudos to the aramark
team.

  • This TripAdvisor Member:
    • Liked — Front Desk Staff
    • Disliked — Price - but everything is pricey in Denali
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
jthatch1's Summary
Date of Stay: June 2007
Traveled with: Family (extended)
Visit was for: Hobbies / interest / culture
Age group: 18-24
Member since: March 08, 2005
  • My ratings for this hotel are:
    • 3 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Check in / front desk
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
    • 2 of 5 stars Business service
Would I recommend this hotel to my best friend?
most likely
I recommend this hotel for:
People with disabilities, Older travelers, Families with young children, Families with teenagers, Tourists
I do not recommend this hotel for:
Young singles, An amazing honeymoon, A romantic getaway, Girlfriend getaway, Pet owners
I selected this hotel as a top choice for:
Outdoor / Adventure
Was this review helpful? Yes No
Check Rates
Average price*: $246 (year-round)
Call now to book: 1-800-454-6835 from hotels.com
“A nice place to stay for a night or 2”

McKinley Chalet Resort

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2 of 5 stars
Southern California
Jul 17, 2007
3/5 found this review helpful

My family of 4 recently stayed on the McKinley Chalet Resort in Denali, Alaska at the end of June, 2007 for 2 nights. The resort is more like a bunch of motel rooms which resemble cabin like lodging. The location is very nice in a forest type setting in the mountains, but our room was very remote where we had to take a shuttle to get anywhere. The wait for the shuttle was about 20-30 minutes. And our room was only accessible by stairs, so if you had alot of luggage or handicapped forget about it. Room was decent, but small w/ 2 twin beds in the bedroom & a double pullout bed in the living room (when you opened it up took up the entire living room). The beds were a just a little comfortable. The bathroom sink was located in the bedroom, not the bathroom.No pool, no jacuzzi, no spa/excercise center and its called a resort. Tried the luncheon buffet and it was ok and the service was so-so for $15/pp. The dinner show was fun at the hotel, but pricey. Overall, an ok place to stay for a night or 2, but that was it.

  • This TripAdvisor Member:
    • Liked — NICE LOCATION
    • Disliked — SMALL ROOMS & THE SHUTTLE SERVICE
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
juicygirlfruit's Summary
Date of Stay: June 2007
Traveled with: Family with young children
Visit was for: Quality time with family
Age group: 35-49
Member since: July 17, 2007
  • My ratings for this hotel are:
    • 2 of 5 stars Value
    • 2 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 2 of 5 stars Location
    • 2 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 3 of 5 stars Check in / front desk
    • 2 of 5 stars Service
    • 1 of 5 stars Business service
Would I recommend this hotel to my best friend?
probably not
I recommend this hotel for:
Older travelers
I do not recommend this hotel for:
Young singles, An amazing honeymoon, A romantic getaway, Girlfriend getaway, People with disabilities, Great pool scene, Pet owners, Families with young children, Families with teenagers, Tourists
I selected this hotel as a top choice for:
Outdoor / Adventure
Was this review helpful? Yes No
Check Rates
Average price*: $246 (year-round)
Call now to book: 1-800-454-6835 from hotels.com
“Beware!”

McKinley Chalet Resort

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1 of 5 stars
Illinois
Jul 16, 2007
8/10 found this review helpful

What a disappointment! When we tried to check in we were told that some guests fell ill and extended their stay, so there were no rooms available for us. We made our reservations directly with the hotel back in February, so I thought we were safe. No such luck. We were sent 8 miles away to the McKinley Lodge...not a bad place, but not what we had counted on. So beware when you have reservations at the McKinley Chalet. They want your money in full when you book the room but don't care if they actually have a room for you when you arrive.

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Jack037's Summary
Date of Stay: July 2007
Traveled with: Family (extended)
Visit was for: Quality time with family
Age group: 35-49
Member since: July 16, 2007
  • My ratings for this hotel are:
    • 1 of 5 stars Value
    • 1 of 5 stars Check in / front desk
Would I recommend this hotel to my best friend?
no way!
I recommend this hotel for:
Older travelers
I do not recommend this hotel for:
Young singles, An amazing honeymoon, A romantic getaway, Girlfriend getaway, People with disabilities, Older travelers, Great pool scene, Pet owners, Families with young children, Families with teenagers, Tourists
I selected this hotel as a top choice for:
Outdoor / Adventure
Was this review helpful? Yes No
Check Rates
Average price*: $246 (year-round)
Call now to book: 1-800-454-6835 from hotels.com
“Don't book Aramark properties at Denali!”

McKinley Chalet Resort

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1 of 5 stars
atp21780
Jul 1, 2007
5/7 found this review helpful

We had reservations at this hotel for mid-June and when we showed up were advised that "some guests extended their stay and by law we can't kick them out" so we have no rooms for you. Instead we were "upgraded" to the Grande Denali cabins where we had to hike down a dirt road or a very steep path to access our accomodations which are not at all as described on Aramark's website. They have a queen bed, a sofa bed with a 2 inch thick mattress and a loveseat bed with a marginally better mattress. The "kitchenette" consists of a dorm size refrigerator and a microwave, no utensils, plates, glasses, cookware, etc. We met 3 other families who also got "upgraded" from the McKinley Chalet resort, one of whom said this was the second time it had happened to them. The "tour desk" consists of a rack of brochures on the wall next to the registration desk. When I asked the front desk clerk for assistance, she advised just to take the brochures and call them myself. The service in the Alpenglow restaurant was extremely slow and the food only mediocre; definitely not worth the price. I highly recommend booking non-Aramark properties at Denali.

  • This TripAdvisor Member:
    • Liked — View
    • Disliked — Most everything else
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
atp21780's Summary
Date of Stay: June 2007
Traveled with: Family (extended)
Visit was for: Hobbies / interest / culture
Age group: 50-64
Member since: July 01, 2007
  • My ratings for this hotel are:
    • 1 of 5 stars Value
    • 1 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 1 of 5 stars Location
    • 3 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 1 of 5 stars Check in / front desk
    • 1 of 5 stars Service
    • 3 of 5 stars Business service
Would I recommend this hotel to my best friend?
no way!
I recommend this hotel for:
Older travelers
I do not recommend this hotel for:
Young singles, An amazing honeymoon, A romantic getaway, Girlfriend getaway, People with disabilities, Older travelers, Families with young children, Families with teenagers, Tourists
I selected this hotel as a top choice for:
Outdoor / Adventure
Was this review helpful? Yes No
Management Response
AHL-Alaska, Customer Service Manager
(Management representative)
Aug 28, 2007
I am very sorry to hear about the experience you had with us in Denali. I apologize that you did not find the cabins to be an upgrade over our normal hotel rooms; typically our guests are quite pleased by their spaciousness, balconies and sweeping views. As for the poor service you experienced from our staff, I am very disappointed to hear that those you encountered were so unhelpful. I can certainly understand why they left a negative impression, and we will focus next year on more extensive customer service training for our employees. Please feel free to contact me directly with any additional feedback.
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Check Rates
Average price*: $246 (year-round)
Call now to book: 1-800-454-6835 from hotels.com

Reviews of McKinley Chalet Resort

( 9-13 of 37 )
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McKinley Chalet Resort Address

Milepost 238, George Parks Hwy, Denali National Park and Preserve, AK 99755