Baranof Bubble Room - Juneau

If you're in the know, you know where to stay. Book an upper-level room with a view of the water, where you can see the cruise ships, and make sure to connect with Kelis, the concierge. It's best to call a month before your visit to get insider tips on excursions to Mendenhall Glacier, hiking trails, and dining options from the concierge in the lobby. The staff here is extremely friendly and attentive, making sure you have a great experience. This hotel often hosts politicians during their sessions, which means it can get busy and securing a good room might be tricky. However, you're just a short walk away from many attractions in the heart of Juneau, such as the Tram, Tracy's Crab Shack, Amalga Distillery, and numerous shops! Trust me, Keli will provide you with excellent recommendations!

I had a feeling I should stay awake a bit longer that night and, to my horror, I noticed a large bug crawling on my pillow (see pictures). I jumped out of bed and found two smaller bugs nearby. I called the front desk, but the receptionist seemed completely indifferent. It was a hassle for her to find me another room, and she even asked what I wanted her to do about the situation. Seriously? I simply wanted to be moved to a different room. I insisted they send someone to help me move my belongings, and the maintenance staff assisted me in checking the mattress in the new room for bugs. Thankfully, there were none. However, I received no apology from either employee, and no one has followed up to express regret about my experience. I am appalled not only by the hotel’s condition but also by the staff's lack of professionalism. If there's a bug infestation, they should not be placing guests in those rooms until the issue is resolved. I am currently spending a lot of time and money making sure my belongings aren't infested. If possible, I highly recommend avoiding this hotel entirely.

However, the rest of the experience was disappointing. The hotel is currently under construction, a fact that went unmentioned at check-in. I was assigned room 331, which was small and severely dated. I struggled to find available outlets, so I called the front desk, and they seemed skeptical at first. I requested a power strip, which the front desk staff promptly brought, acknowledging the lack of outlets and promising to inform the maintenance team. The room lacked any temperature controls! The only options were a small fan in the corner or opening a window to cool down the space; unfortunately, I ended up sweating all night. The walls were quite thin, allowing me to hear the person next door snoring, and I was disturbed at 3 AM by a woman laughing or crying in the hallway. I called the front desk again, and they handled the situation quickly. Another oddity was the unusually loud flushing toilets, which echoed down the hall. The bathtub was tiny, and instead of individual toiletries, they used large, wall-mounted containers for shampoo, conditioner, and body wash, which I found rather strange. Safety was also a concern as my room lacked a safety latch to prevent someone with a key from entering. The cleanliness was subpar; I discovered women’s hair on the blankets. The most frustrating aspect for business travelers like us was the inability to receive a receipt for our stay, as their systems were down—a situation that had apparently persisted for some time. This will make it quite a headache to secure reimbursement from my employer. Honestly, after checking in, I wanted to find another hotel, but I couldn’t for work reasons and worried that this might be the best option in Juneau. Given some of the glowing reviews, I can't help but wonder if some of these are paid endorsements or outright fake.

This place really is a dump. I had to call the front desk several times for hand soap as the room stewards said they were out. The wall are paper thin and the noise levels are intolerable. The cafe downs stairs is now closed and the main restaurant is not the same. The halibut I had for dinner was rubbery and was flavorless. Front staff including the manager are not friendly.

I really enjoyed this hotel. It backs up to the scenic mountain. I recommend getting a room on the back side of the hotel so you can see the mountain with it's snow and waterfalls, and the cute homes painted different colors. The Baranof is surrounded by shops, restaurants, and banks... killer window shopping! The restaurant within the restaurant is reasonably priced, with none of the dinner options surpassing $20. The rooms are cozy. The one thing I don't like about the hotel is that it seems like they are always doing construction. Last time I was there, 4+ months ago, they were redoing the walls of the lobby. This time they were working on hotel rooms on one of the floors and they had closed the Starbucks that used to be in the lobby. They are doing something else with the space but it is... you guessed it... under construction.