Guests in Anchorage for this month's Iditarod will find a refurbished and renamed official host hotel for the sled dog race when they walk through the front door of the Lakefront Anchorage.
The nearly $10 million refurbishing of the former Millennium Alaskan Hotel Anchorage began in 2013 and was completed in time for the March 5 race start. During the Iditarod, many visitors will stay at the Lakefront, which underwent a full remodeling of its 248 guestrooms and with other upgrades gives the look of an upscale lodge.
Upgrades were also made to the lobby, meetings spaces, Fancy Moose Bar, Flying Machine Restaurant and the outdoor deck.
Lakefront Anchorage General Manager Carol Fraser worked with a Denver-based designer to give the hotel a look of "rustic elegance," said Director of Operations Greg Beltz. The changes included the outdoor deck where guests can watch small planes land on the lake as well as the refurbished polar and grizzly bear mounts in the lobby.
This is the 29th time the hotel has been the host for the Iditarod, and as always, guests can expect to find a musher or two relaxing in the hotel lounge.
Numerous events are planned around the race, including a mushers meeting, dog handler instruction and an educational presentation.
But it is at the hotel's three Iditarod parties where guests might be able to wish their favorite mushers good luck for the 1,000-mile race from Anchorage to Nome.
"Those parties are your best opportunity to mingle with mushers," Beltz said.
A suite at the Lakefront Anchorage. All 248 rooms were remodeled.
The race fills the rooms. Normally, the hotel is about half full in late winter, but during the Iditarod, occupancy is at least 95%.
Rates start at $119 in low season, $229 in high season. Visit www.millenniumhotels.com/usa/millenniumanchorage.
Other accommodations
For Iditarod fans looking for someplace smaller, Anchorage has bed-and-breakfasts to fit just about any style. Big Bear Bed and Breakfast owner Carol Ross said she is expecting guests from as far away as Pennsylvania and West Virginia to the log house that her father built in 1949. Ross serves up sourdough pancakes, and guests can see uniquely Alaskan items, including a mastodon tusk.
Urban Retreat owner Karen Rey describes the clean, modern look of her B&B as "corporate style." It has a sauna, kitchenette and private entrance and in the summer has a lovely flower garden. Her establishment is just a few blocks from the Iditarod starting line, close enough to hear the whirring of news helicopters overhead and the dogs barking. Rey is expecting guests from as far away as Georgia.
"They have heard a lot about the Iditarod," Rey said. "They are so excited."