Eagle River is growing community on the northern outskirts of the municipality of Anchorage. Nestled in the foothills of the Chugach Range, it is an attractive alternative to the busy-ness of Anchorage. It’s small enough to have that “hometown” feel, yet large enough to provide convenient access to goods and services.

I recently stayed at the Microtel Inn in Eagle River. During the tourist season, it is extremely difficult to find a hotel for less than $150 a night in Anchorage. Typically, prices are closer to $200 a night for a clean, comfortable room with standard amenities. At just under $125 per night (single occupancy), the Eagle River Microtel was an attractive alternative despite the fact that I had to backtrack to Anchorage to finish errands in the morning before heading home.

Upon checking in, I was greeted by a very friendly, yet businesslike young man at the front desk. He asked about my trip into town, commented on the weather – generalized small talk while waiting for the computer to process my reservation. I appreciated the casual demeanor that gave the impression of a family operated business rather than a national franchise chain. The room I was assigned was a handicap accessible room on the end of the building (which meant for me, that fire alarms/smoke detectors were strobes instead of sound only and the television had an accessible closed-caption menu, which is not always the case even when the TV does have the capability). The bathroom, therefore, was wheelchair accessible – large, uncluttered, with plenty of room to maneuver – but unfortunately for me, had very little counter space for toiletries, a minor inconvenience. Overall the room was rather small, but clean and simple in design and nicely laid out. I especially liked the lighting over the bed (as opposed to a lamp on a nightstand) with a light switch that was easily accessible while lying down. The queen sized bed was firm and comfortable.

My only complaint about my stay there was the lack of quiet. Despite being deaf, I can hear vehicles and traffic noise. As I was on the end of the building closest to the main road in town, I got an earful until quite late into the night. I kept checking to see if the window was open due to the loudness of the traffic in the room. That was a definite negative to my overnight stay there and will be weighed against the monetary savings in the future.

Amenities are limited, but include high speed internet, free local calls, and a free continental breakfast. Items on the continental breakfast menu include bagels, muffins, cold cereal, and instant oatmeal. Coffee (regular and decaf) and hot water for tea are available 24 hrs. Pets are allowed at this hotel and a nice pet area is located behind the building.

Eagle River has quite a few fast food restaurants (McDonald’s, KFC, Carl’s Jr, etc) as well as Chinese and Mexican restaurants and a number of pizza places. Gas stations are numerous (and on my last visit, cheaper than Anchorage prices); there are two grocery stores, a Carr’s and a Fred Meyer. Overall, Eagle River’s Microtel is a convenient and viable alternative to Anchorage accommodations.

The Microtel is conveniently located on the Old Glenn Highway on the northern end of Eagle River. Depending on traffic conditions, it is fifteen to twenty minutes to downtown Anchorage.