Aurora Inn and Executive Suites

Last minute stay in Nome due to flight cancellation. I was supposed to be in Nome only for the day, but a flight cancellation forced me to stay overnight. Room was a little small, but served its purpose and was clean. Coffee in the rooms, downstairs, and a coffee bar on site.

Nice room with plenty of space to spread out. Room was a bit on the warm side but open windows let in some noise. Staff was great and helpful. The only difficulty for us was the lack of elevators and we were on the second floor. Minor inconvenience. Should add that they also rent vehicles and the one we used was super.

We were impressed by the Aurora Inn, finding it to be a very modern and comfortable hotel especially given that it is located in a small, remote town in Alaska. The hotel is located across the road from the beach right near the eastern end of Front Street, the main waterfront street in Nome. Unfortunately, we didn’t get an ocean view room, instead having a back parking lot view. The room was large, clean, and well-maintained. There was a small kitchenette however there were no plates, silverware, utensils, etc. so not really very useful. There was Wifi at the hotel but you generally have to pay extra for it which we didn’t like. The town is small enough such that you can pretty much walk everywhere – restaurants, supermarkets, rec center, etc. There was no gym on site so we made use of the nearby rec center where they had a great weight room. The front desk staff were all very friendly and helpful. We also rented a car (Ford Explorer) from the hotel for the duration of our stay and were very happy with that – no problems. Overall we had a great stay and would definitely recommend this place to other visitors to Nome.

This was my second trip to Nome. We stayed at the Aurora Inn both times. Each time the staff was fantastic, friendly and accommodating. Rooms were clean, nothing overly fancy but very comfortable. Great location for being close by to see mushers finishing Iditarod. You can see the mushers pass by just across the street or walk or drive a few short blocks to the Burled Arch.

We've stayed at the Aurora Inn multiple times over the years - the last being 2018. It's always been the most convenient lodging option in Nome, although not the cheapest. We were very pleased this year to see a lobby and room renovation had been done. They did a nice job! Along with the renovation however, has come a steep increase in prices - approximately 65% since our last visit 4 years ago. We usually book an executive suite which is spacious and has a full kitchen since we almost always cook our own meals when we are in Nome. This was however, where we encountered significant problems during our stay. When we arrived we found there were only 2 dinner knives, 2 tablespoons, and one small serrated knife - no other cutlery was found. I asked at the desk and was told "we don't provide that". We knew from past experience this wasn't true so we pressed for more cutlery. Eventually a couple of forks and teaspoons were found. We also noted only 2 glasses, 2 mugs, no bowl larger than a cereal bowl, no baking pans whatsoever, and no large cooking pot. There was only one usable 8" fry pan, the other one being a 10" pan sporting a shredded teflon coating - I wasn't about to use that one! There was no toaster, the refrigerator was old and on the small side, the oven didn't work well, and 1 of 2 microwaves wasn't working. So, while the room got a face-lift, it seems the kitchen missed out. Even the most basic kitchen tools - measuring cup, whisk, grater, vegetable peeler, and tongs - were missing. It appears this is a full kitchen you're not supposed to actually cook in! Like many hotels of late, there isn't any daily maid service. If you want your trash removed or towels replaced during your stay you must leave them in the hallway and ask for replacements. I suspect this has more to do with a lack of housekeeping staff than it does with COVID avoidance. On the positive side, the room is spacious and the king bed was comfortable. The front desk staff are friendly and mostly helpful. The WiFi is slow but usable, and if you are an AT&T customer you will get a weak cell signal in town, not great but at least it's something.