Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Fairbanks

This three-pearl property from the Holiday Inn chain occupies a five-story brick building with a brick accented porte cochere entrance. Rustic lodge-like touches, like exposed stone walls and wooden columns, add a touch of coziness to otherwise fairly chainlike interiors, plus there are wooden skis, snowshoes, and other knick-knacks adorning the walls that add a bit more character to the common spaces. The lobby offers a couple of striped armchairs for seating, and there's more seating in the breakfast room, including armchairs in front of a fireplace. A fair share of the clientele are business travelers, though the hotel also gets some  tourists, particularly Northern lights seekers and those using Fairbanks as a stopover during a longer journey.

The hotel is situated off of Route 4 on the outer edge Fairbanks. There is a shopping complex with several shops (like Old Navy and Barnes & Noble) that's a two-minute walk from the property. Plus there's a Walmart Supercenter that's a four-minute drive or eight-minute walk from the hotel. There are also a couple of fast food dining options (like Carl's Jr and Great Alaska Pizza Company) nearby. The city center, where guests can find more restaurants, bars, and shops, is about a 10-minute drive away, and the hotel offers a free shuttle service. Area attractions include the Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum (four-minute drive), the Fairbanks Ice Museum (seven-minute drive), the Fairbanks Children's Museum (seven-minute drive), Pioneer Park (eight-minute drive), and the University of Alaska Museum of the North (12-minute drive). The train station is a six-minute drive away. Fairbanks International Airport is around a 15-minute drive from the hotel. Anchorage is about a six-hour drive from here, or around 12 hours by train.

Rooms here are lackluster in terms of decor and could use a style update, but they're clean and fairly spacious (especially the suites). Carpeted floors and mostly bare walls (save for an occasional print and mirrors hanging above desks) are paired with striped curtains and traditional wooden furniture like beds, nightstands, and dressers. Beds are topped with white linens. All rooms have desks and striped ergonomic chairs. Other standard amenities include flat-screen TVs, coffeemakers, mini-fridges, microwaves, irons/ironing boards, and free Wi-Fi. Suites have living areas with sofas and armchairs, plus some have in-room whirlpool tubs. Beige bathrooms are standard with shower/tub combos and spacious sink vanities that offer a good amount of storage space. Toiletries and wall-mounted hairdryers are provided.

The hotel as an indoor pool and hot tub. It's a bit tired, and the surrounding pool deck is lined with a couple of chairs. The other wellness feature is a fitness room that's equipped with a handful of cardio machines and free weights. A free full breakfast is served in a pleasant dining room, and includes hot items such as make-your-own pancakes. Free coffee is available in the lobby throughout the day. Other amenities include a business center with computers and printers, as well as free Wi-Fi throughout the property. The hotel provides a free area shuttle service that covers transportation to the convention center. There's free on-site parking.