Newly refurbished??? when? in 1975? we thought this place was a dump. The room was tiny and even the lobby and communal areas looked shabby and frankly a bit grubby.
We ate in the restaurant (Annabels) on one night and weren't impressed with that either.
We agree with another Tripadvisor reviewer who mentioned the unfriendly staff. The receptionist was particularly clueless!

Stayed at the Gilmore on the way to Wrangell Is. for a few days. Stairs, stairs, stairs & lot’s of em’. If you have luggage I hope your in shape no bell hop here. The lack of an elevator is a factor. Front desk was just ok, not very friendly, un-Alaskan in my opinion. Not bad, but not very helpful compared to other hotels. Rick the van driver was the exception.

Rooms are really small and baths are dated. Noise can be factor especially when the Totem Bar lets out in the wee hours of the morning. You can’t close the window with the lack of ac. There are better places in Ketchikan to spend the night.
You get what you pay for.

Family run. Friendly staff. The shuttle driver is one of the owners.
Very clean. They vacuumed and dusted every day while we were there--even the banisters and pictures.
We were the only hotel guests who ate breakfast. (Most didn't get up before 9 a.m.) But the hotel spread out the whole deal every day--different cereals, bagels, yogurt, cream cheese, muffins, tarts, butter, juices and coffee every day. They served it at Annabelle's which is the restaurant attached to the hotel.
No bathtub. Just a shower. Rooms were small. New bedspreads.
The heater knob was stuck; they fixed it. The sink clogged up;they fixed it. They offered to move us to another room.
On the first stairway landing, they offered free computer and internet access.
No elevator. No bell hop to carry your bags. The rooms are on the 2nd and 3rd floors.
Inspite of the noisy radiator and water heater, we enjoyed our stay. Found it so charming and quaint. The place reminded us of European hostels.
Best of all, they gave us two nights free for staying the whole week.

I travel to Ketchikan all the time. This is where I stay. It has the most convenient location. Yes, the rooms are small and, yes, no elevator is an issue. Cannot deny that. But, it is the right room at the right price.

Those that do not like the Gilmore have not had the experience of staying somewhere else in Ketchikan. Other locations are either in an inconvenient location, are overpriced even more, or are not as well kept.