Fountainhead Development (907/452-6661 or 800/528-4916, www.fountainheadhotels.com [1]) owns three Fairbanks [2] lodging places: Bridgewater Hotel, Sophie Station Hotel, and Wedgewood Resort. All three include free airport and train depot shuttles, along with guest computers. There is free Wi-Fi throughout Sophie Station, plus in the lobby area and some rooms at Wedgewood and Bridgewater.
Conveniently located downtown, Bridgewater Hotel (723 1st Ave., mid-May–mid-Sept., $145 d) has attractive rooms; ask for a corner unit overlooking the river.
Sophie Station Hotel (1717 University Ave., 907/479-3650, $185 d) provides large and attractive suites—all with full kitchens. It’s also smoke-free, with a fitness center, a restaurant, and a lounge on the premises.
On the north side of town, Wedgewood Resort (212 Wedgewood Dr.) offers homey apartment-style units, all with full kitchens, living rooms, and dining rooms. One-bedroom units are $170 d or $190 for four people, and two-bedroom units run $220 d or $260 for six people. Also on the resort grounds is the seasonal Bear Lodge, with standard hotel rooms for $170 d, along with the Alaska Bird Observatory.
Regency Fairbanks (95 10th Ave., 907/452-3200 or 800/478-1320, www.regencyfairbankshotel.com [3], standard rooms $162–172 d, suites $210 d) is a large, centrally located hotel where the well-kept guest rooms all have full kitchens. The Regency provides a free airport and railroad shuttle, plus a business center, a workout room, and Wi-Fi.
Extended Stay Deluxe (4580 Old Airport Rd., 907/457-2288 or 888/595-2151, www.extendedstaydeluxe.com [4], $125–135 d) has all the amenities travelers have come to expect: an indoor pool, a hot tub, an exercise room, a business center, in-room fridges, microwaves, Wi-Fi, free airport and train shuttles, and a continental breakfast. Standard rooms, family suites, Jacuzzi suites, and suites with full kitchens and king beds are all the same price.
Similarly set up, and brand-new in 2009, the 101-room Hampton Inn & Suites (433 Harold Bentley Ave., 907/451-1502 or 800/426-7866, www.hamptoninn.com [5], $189 d) has an indoor pool, a hot tub, an exercise facility, a hot breakfast, big TVs, microwaves, fridges, Wi-Fi, and a business center. It’s located across from Wal-Mart off Johansen Expressway.
Links:
[1] http://www.fountainheadhotels.com
[2] http://www.moon.com/destinations/alaska/the-interior/fairbanks
[3] http://www.regencyfairbankshotel.com
[4] http://www.extendedstaydeluxe.com
[5] http://www.hamptoninn.com