We planned our second trip to Alaska for summer 2007 using knowledge from our last trip a few years ago. Hotel rooms are expensive during the summer at Denali, so anyone planning a trip should prepare themselves for high prices, even on rustic accomodations. We chose the Bluffs because the price was the most reasonable. Lets be honest, you don't travel so long and far to sit inside a hotel room with millions of acres to explore outside.. We stay at deluxe hotels often, but I don't feel the need for that in Denali.

We stayed at the Bluffs for three days at the end of July, before we drove to Whittier to hop on the Island Princess for a cruise down to Vancouver. I can understand that travellers who only enjoy 4+ star hotels would not like the Bluffs. We went to Denali to spend time in the wilderness, so for us, the Bluffs fit the bill.
The room was dark, but because of extended hours of light in the summer, I found this to be a positive. The sink is outside the bathroom, which some reviewers said was a negative. For us, this is a positive so more than one person can be preparing for the day (or night). Our balcony view was blocked by trees, but considering what we paid compared to some of the other hotels, I wasn't bothered by this. Really, this hotel is not fancy. But it is clean, convenient, and less exensive than the others.

The location of Denali Bluffs Hotel is convenient to the National Park, as well as the few shops in the area. There aren't as many hotels as one might imagine in Denali, so I suggest you book early if you are planning a summer trip. Cruise ship passengers take up huge blocks of rooms at Denali area hotels, so we booked our stay 10 months before our trip.

The staff at the hotel was very friendly and helpful. Luggage assistance was quick and efficient, with a 6-wheeled Gator(?) being the vehicle of choice. Check in was very fast and convenient. There is a small restaurant and also a nice gift shop on site as well.

The shuttle system between the hotels and the park is great. We made reservations at the Cabin Night Dinner (which was fun!), and the Tundra Wilderness Tour (another must do). We got off at the wrong location by accident, and had no transportation. We called the hotel for help and they sent a van to come pick us up inside the park. Now that is service!

Fear of Heights/Cliffs warning: For those of you who think that riding on a school-type bus along sheer cliffs (dirt road, no guard rails) would be frightening, consider anther park tour besides the Tundra Wilderness Tour. Driving along the cliff area is only about an hour of time, but was very difficult for a few people on the bus. It has the definite possiblity of inducing an anxiety attack. However, it was such a fabulous tour- we saw an incredible amount of wildlife in the wilderness, including 10+ bears, many moose, caribou, and a wolf that passed right along side the bus.

Overall, I would have no problem staying at the Bluffs again when we plan another trip to Alaska in the next few years. It's not fancy, but serves the purpose nicely for us.