Mt McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge

Laura Edwards

We participated in a Princess Cruise-Tour. One of our stops was Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge. First I have to say thank goodness we were only there one night. There is no A/C. I understand it's not always needed in certain climates (I live in Colorado in a house with no A/C), however our room was HOT. There was one window which makes circulating air difficult (the buildings look like any standard hotel in the US where A/C would be installed). We did have a fan in our room (from what we could tell all rooms had ceiling fans and a second standing fan) so clearly this is a known issue. It would have been nice if our window had been opened before our arrival to help with the room temperature (I really cannot understate just how stuffy our room was). This problem more a design flaw, not really a reflection on the management or people working at the lodge. This section I included in multiple reviews: We were part of a Princess Cruise-Tour. One component I didn't fully understand was how you move from lodge to lodge. It starts with your arrival. At each lodge you get an envelope, it has your room key, important information about the lodge (including any reservations you have made for activities or dining) and luggage tags. You remove your current luggage tag and place the new tag on your suitcase before putting it outside in the morning (the information envelope tells you the time it must be outside). The staff then take your luggage and transport it to the next stop. You go about your day and in the evening at your next lodge the process repeats. It is a seamless way of making this travel managable and fun. There is no check-in line, no delay when you arrive waiting on room keys. The minute you have your envelope the time is yours to relax, explore, eat, drink, socialize. This was a fantastic way to vacation - like a road trip without the stress of a road trip.

Ron and Mare Hessler

This lodge is a little outdated but still nice. However, it is in the middle of nowhere and thus you have to eat there and the restaurants were very understaffed. Everyone was very nice but waiting an hour to eat when you have no other options was frustrating. And it was definitely staffing, the place was half empty, they just have no one to wait on the tables. This is 100% Princess's fault. They surely know they do not have enough staff, so why on earth do they book people into a property that cannot handle that many guests? Unfortunately, they served my child raw chicken tenders. Thankfully she asked a grown up to cut them for her and so we noticed before she ingested any of it but it was gross. The food was otherwise good but to be honest, we were all checking carefully that everything was cooked after that . It was quiet and peaceful and the shuttle system down to Talkeetna was great. The ranger exhibit in the lobby was very cool for the kids. The gift shop was very nice.

Mags

(late may trip) It is going to be hard to find a place that can beat the views of Denali in the clear that you can see from the lodges porch! Such a wonderful group of people on staff and such a clean lodge. The rooms were lovely although they are super spread out across the area so please do indicate in a reservation if you need accommodations to allow you to be closer to the lodge! Coming back from covid has been difficult as they lacked some resources for the coffee shop and its menu. Though the bar had wonderful cocktails! Around the outside of the lodge some of the trails need some maintenance. Otherwise an absolutely wonderful place!!

Nathan DeMers

My wife and I had a fantastic time here. The staff were very helpful and polite. The view of Denali from this lodge is just jaw dropping. Food was great and so was the beer. We took a nice walk around the property and enjoyed the view. It was a great way to wind down, after our 11 day honeymoon with Princess.