I had the misfortune of being booked here through a package tour that took me from Anchorage, to Denali, to Fairbanks, back to Palmer, then to Valdez, to Girdwood, then back to Anchorage. I had been to Valdez before, and I can honestly say that this dump nearly ruined my time there.

For starters, the road into the B&B was terrible...we are lucky our rental car survived the huge heaves in the unpaved and unmowed "road," if you can even call it that. The young girl who was running it was probably the most unfriendly person I encountered in Alaska. She could not have cared less about how we were.

After a night of complete confusion over how the hell we even got to this terrible place, we woke up and were subjected to eat an awkward breakfast with 10 or so other guests that were about as bewildered as we were. Quite possibly the ONLY thing that was nice was the fact that internet was stable and the house itself is nice...though I would struggle to see how it is a place that guests should be staying in.

There are cats everywhere, I walked through a hall one day and had the distinct pleasure of stepping in cat vomit, I could hear mice creeping around in the heaters (not uncommon, nor did it really bother me...the cats grossed me out much more). I was glad to have internet access....other than that, this place is gross. I feel bad that my mother had to come along with me and experience one of the most wonderful parts of Alaska in such a crappy "Bed & Breakfast." This should be rated #14 out of 13 places to stay.

Our stay at the Lake House was booked directly with the owner. He was a delightful gentleman over the phone. What he failed to tell us was that he would not be there and the Lake House was left in the hands of his grandchildren. We arrived to a young man using the driveway as a restroom. He waived as we passed. The house was in process of having vinyl siding installed and we were given the room promised with a view of the lake. The problem there was that was also where they were installing the siding. The deck had a large board across it being used as a scaffold.

Our room was a queen, but the bed was such that we were afraid it would collapse. The 'antique' furniture was so shaky that we were afraid to sit on it.

I wandered to the living room while my husband napped. It was a rainy, cold day and the room was drafty and cold. There was a definate odor of old books, etc.

Breakfast was a joke. The coffee must have been brewed the night before and left in the thermos. There was dry cereal but no milk for it. We left and found something to eat in Valdez.

I do not recommend this to even my worst enemy. It has the potential to be a decent place, but will take much work.

OH, we did have the promised bottle of wine in our room when we arrived, which we enjoyed a few days later.

This place is not horrible - especially by Alaska standards. However, I would not stay there again. The surrounding mountains offer spectacular views but the house and the rooms were very small, had an odd odor, and not very clean. The bathroom in the room was barely large enough to close the door while occupied and the sink, which was in the sleeping area of the room, was in an alcove too narrow to accommodate the width of my shoulders. The furniture was old and musty.

No hot breakfast was provided however a "continental" breakfast was available with cold cereal, toast, etc.

The negatives: I don't know which bedroom that is pictured on their website, but it's not the one we stayed in, which was a dump. This was a $70 room at the very best.

There was a closet for our use, but we couldn't open it because it was sealed in by newer carpet that seemed at least 20 years old. There was an armoire there, with no way of hanging anything in it. No iron, ironing board, the sink was in the bedroom outside the bathroom that was really dirty in the corners and had a chronically dirty toilet (BLEACH anyone?). The bed was well-used and beginning to sag in the center. The fan in the bathroom was installed apparently years ago as there's clumps of dust in the gap between it and the hole that was sawed out of the drywall to put it there. In the shower, they set out individual packets of "Breck conditioning shampoo" and I was surprised to know that stuff's still being made... somewhere.

Breakfast was continental style, with an assortment of cereals and toastables, which is fine, but there's no protein on offer so be warned, and it's all set out the night before so the hosts aren't available first thing in the morning even if the coffee is terrible or has run out.

I think the worst part of the room was the popcorned walls that had apparent water damage and there were parts of it that had slid downward with gravity. Paired with the 1960, tall, green glass lamp, it was a little disconcerting.

The general quarters were dusty and somewhat disheveled. There is a jukebox there, and a piano, but neither seemed to be in use so no one even considered it. The pictures hanging are all crooked - all. The coffee table is covered with big sweeping smudges, like whomever cleaned it used a dirty rag and didn't bother to make it right. Dust covered everything. There's a lot of clutter, like the place is a family home rather than a business... which, I suppose, it is, but something should be set right before asking people to pony up $140 per night.

Frankly, if this had been anywhere other than an extremely northern climate, I would have been wary of roaches and other critters.

The positives: The owner and house manager seemed very nice. They have a very loving cat named Lady, and the view of Robe Lake from our very dumpy room was lovely. Our bed was made for us every day. We met some nice other guests as well.

Overall: I think I'm just really disappointed that this "Best of Alaska" b&b has that rating at all, when it so clearly does not deserve it.