Aurora Villa - Fairbanks, Alaska

jim L.

I’ve never written a review before, but this experience was so disappointing that I felt compelled to share it. The hotel lacks proper management, cleaning, and maintenance. The soundproofing is poor, and since it’s a self-check-in hotel, the cleanliness depends entirely on the guests. Unfortunately, during our stay, shared spaces were messy, with shoes and even a jacket left on the floor.

My girlfriend and I planned to stay for two nights, but the noise and disorder forced us to book another hotel for a peaceful stay. A large Chinese family occupied the shared space as if it were their own—children ran around screaming in the morning, and the kitchen was always taken, making it difficult for others to use. Their belongings and trash were scattered everywhere, creating a chaotic environment.

Other guests, including us, had to retreat to our rooms just to get some peace. As a native Chinese speaker, I felt embarrassed by their behavior.

I hope future visitors respect shared spaces, as this is not a private residence. The owner should take responsibility for maintaining cleanliness and service quality—otherwise, the high price is simply unjustified.

Suhas G.

Recommend this stay! Great view, clean rooms, and such a well maintained place! Loved how the check in was and had no issues throughout our stay.

We didn’t see the northern lights due to the weather but it’s a great place to stay at, regardless of this factor.

Andrea J.

Absolutely the biggest scam of a hotel I have ever been to. There is no one on site to help with anything. I don’t know how they claim to be a 4 star hotel with no service available. It is absolutely not worth the $700 a night we paid to be there. When we arrived the main room was filthy, trashes overflowing, table dirty, sink full of dishes and no one came to clean up during our entire stay. The included “Breakfast” was freezer burned Jimmy Deans or stale cereal. There was one other couple there during our stay and you could absolutely hear every little thing they did from our rooms. The decor was cool but impractical and uncomfortable. We actually went to Walmart to buy our own pillows. Over all it was a pretty miserable stay and a waste of money.

J W.

We checked into Aurora Villa with high expectations. It is about 20 minutes from the city center. Great location. The room and public areas are clean and tidy. Everything is self-service. No complaints with all these. However, if you want to have a quiet and comfortable rest, please do not choose this property. You can hear everything from your neighbors even with earplugs… walking, talking, singing, even sneezing…

Noah B.

Stayed in the V-lodge. It was a beautiful lodge with great space to relax and share family dinners cooked in the full kitchen. The area is gorgeous and we watched the Aurora Borealis from the deck. Everything we expected and more.

Mark B.

Had a very nice stay near Fairbanks. Room was modern and clean. Lots of towels provided in the room. Great pillows. Free snacks and drinks available 24/7 in the kitchen area. Best feature is incredible views of the Northern Lights from outside the property AND from inside our room. I actually got better pictures of the aurora from our room where we were nice and warm.

Although it is mostly a “contactless experience”, the onsite staff person helped us to resolve an issue. Another guest took the extension cord for our rental car while it was plugged in outside. The staff person offered to reimburse us for a new cord which was very kind. But even more so the next time we came back to the room, he had gotten a new extension cord for us. That was above and beyond what I would have expected.

Rui H.

The soundproofing of the room is very poor — I can clearly hear loud noises from the common area, where children are running and shouting for a long time without any supervision from their parents. Unfortunately, no hotel staff came to address the situation. This has made it very difficult to rest and enjoy my stay.

Shane R.

Pros:
- Rooms and facility were very clean and comfortable. Unlike other reviewers, I was never once disturbed by sounds from other guests. I also thought the mattress was incredibly comfortable and was going to look at it to see if I could buy one for myself.
- Views were incredible. Unfortunately, it was cloudy and snowy during our stay so we did not see the Lights, but that’s just nature and weather.
- The hill out the windows was perfect for sledding.
- With regards to removing shoes before entering: you do this inside the facility in an entryway with benches to sit on and complimentary slippers. I chose to wear my own slippers that I brought with. After seeing another party not remove their boots before entering, and seeing all the snow and mud they tracked around, I can appreciate why they want boots off before entering. I didn’t not feel like this was an inconvenience in any way, shape, or form.
- It appears that some of the complaints from other reviews have been addressed, which tells me the owners care about the feedback and want this to be a positive experience.
- They offer a light breakfast but actually have several food items that are more “lunch” or “snack” in nature, so we don’t go hungry between meals.
- Personally, I loved the contactless check-in. No issues. Love not having a room key to carry around and potentially lose.
- Staff were readily available by text whenever I had to reach out.

Cons:
- I would have liked a little more space to store personal food. As mentioned in other reviews, there is very little nearby.

I would suggest that people review the “Terms and Conditions” on their website as it addresses many of the things other people seem to have questions about.