Alaska summer heats up with new and renovated properties

27.03.2024 - 15:38 / travelweekly.com

The busy summer travel season is fast approaching in Alaska, and with it comes the opening of several new hotels and significant renovations to others. It's been a busy offseason in the 49th State.

• The Alyeska Resort in Girdwood opened its Black Diamond Club in January, bringing exclusive services and amenities to guests staying in the eighth-floor accommodations.

The club's 36 renovated units range from 325-square-foot rooms to a 1,971-square-foot presidential suite, each equipped with a 50-inch smart TV, Dyson hair dryer, Nespresso coffee machine, Bamford bath products and a pillow menu.

The eighth-floor lounge has glacier and mountain views, and the venue serves complimentary breakfast and afternoon apres-ski cocktails. Black Diamond Club guests can also access private concierge assistance, VIP ski valet services and snowcat-skiing and heli-skiing outings via the resort's helipad.

Last summer, the 300-room resort introduced a seasonal skybridge experience set 2,500 feet above the valley floor. That followed the debut of its 50,000-square-foot Nordic spa in 2022.

• Rustic Roots opened this winter on Resurrection Bay in Seward. Formerly the adults-only Angels Rest, Rustic Roots comprises three seaside cabins and four greenhouse suites with new furnishings and fixtures. Cabins share gardens, campfire rings, a deck and an outdoor kitchen.

The property also has a small wellness center and yoga studio with gear for guests' use. Rustic Roots is adjacent to Salted Roots, a sister property that opened in early 2020. There, travelers can choose from two glass-front A-frames, two modern cottages with roll-up glass doors and roof decks or a loft cabin built around a bus from the 1970s.

The properties offer adventure, family fun and winter wellness packages for groups of two to six, combining accommodations, tours and gift cards for local cafes and restaurants. Families and corporate groups can also reserve the adjoining properties for private events of up to 42 guests.

• Mollie and Sean Busby added a new building to their Arctic Hive near the village of Wiseman, 63 miles north of the Arctic Circle in the Brooks Range. The new structure includes a gathering space and the property's main kitchen. After this summer, they're planning to add a dedicated dining room and additional guestrooms; the property currently consists of four off-the-grid cabins.

Arctic Hive hosts year-round guided adventures, cultural experiences and wellness workshops. The Harvest of the Heart retreat will return for its second presentation in September, with five days of backcountry