"
The Land of the Midnight Sun" beckons visitors to Fairbanks, Alaska.
Fairbanks is often called "The Golden Heart City" by both residents and visitors for its friendliness, can-do spirit and community-mindedness. It is also the heart of interior Alaska with summer days of almost endless sunshine, long winter nights with the Northern Lights glowing, and all-year business, social and sports activities. The city of just over 35,000 residents swells with summer visitors. The city's hotels range from the mom-and-pop variety to the grand hotels of 400-plus guestrooms. Among these is the Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge, owned and operated by Princess Cruises as part of its complete Alaska tour packages.
Alaska's Princess Cruises Hotels
Princess Cruises owns five lodges in Alaska and combines its cruise packages with bus and train excursions to these resorts. Besides a Fairbanks location, Princess also has locations at Kenai peninsula, Mt. McKinley, Denali and Copper River. The Fairbanks lodge is the furthest north and second-largest lodge.
Fairbanks Location
Just a few miles from the Fairbanks International Airport and on the banks of the Chena River, the Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge first opened in 1993 and completed remodeling in 2001. From May to September, it is a key destination for Princess Cruises' tours. It also attracts a high percentage of other tourists during summer and year-round, and hosts local and business events. The lodge is in a wilderness setting and yet close to downtown Fairbanks with the convenience of nearby shops and restaurants. The University of Alaska Fairbanks is nearby, too.
Atmosphere
In winter months at "The Princess" in Fairbanks, you can often observe the Northern Lights.
Over 100 years ago, merchants set up a trading post at "the fair banks" near the confluence of the Chena and Tanana Rivers to serve miners and steamboat travelers. The Princess lodge was designed to retain some of those pioneer days yet with the comforts that today's traveler expects. From the lodge's 100-seat dining room and outdoor deck, take in expansive views of the Chena River. In summer, wine and dine in late-evening sunshine in three restaurants. During long winter nights, beginning in late afternoon, you can often observe the Northern Lights.
Costs
"The Princess" has 325 rooms, furnished with two double beds or one king bed, cable TV and data ports. Views from most rooms are of the Chena River and woods. All guests have access to a fitness center with a steam room. Summer rates, from June through September as of 2010, start at $99 per standard room, plus taxes. In other months, the rate is as low as $75 per night.
Business Center
The lodge offers five meeting rooms with audio-visual media support. The Marble, Copper and Board rooms appeal to smaller groups of up to 100 attendees. The Jade Room--with its rustic fireplace--seats up to 210 guests. Rooms can be combined to seat up to 370 people plus food service setup and media equipment. For small gatherings, the Fireside, Sterling and Lodgepole suites offer executive meetings for smaller groups.
Business Meetings Contact:
Yvette Hebard
General Manager
yhebard@princess.com
Activities
From Fairbanks, tourists can board bush planes and helicopters for adventure sightseeing.
The Princess Lodge is a takeoff point for other interior Alaska tours. You can take the free shuttle to the airport and go on the Arctic Circle Air Adventure to the Yukon River, Arctic Circle and Brooks Range. Or go by bush plane in search of moose and Dall sheep. If you prefer boating, you can go on a river raft float down the Chena River. Another option is the Riverboat Discovery Cruise to the confluence of the Chena and Tanana Rivers. Four-wheel drives and ATV tours will take you to the Alaska Pipeline, gold camps, Alaska Salmon Bake at Pioneer Park and the "Golden Heart Revue" at the Palace Theatre. For "hot and cold" you can visit Chena Hot Springs and the Ice Museum for "a world of ice and snow" featuring a life-size igloo, 12-foot polar bear displays and ice galleries.
