This was the worst hotel I have ever stayed at If I had a tent and sleeping bag with me I would have happily used them instead of this very dirty, disgusting place. I couldn't believe the grime on the telephone, light switch and other places. The lobby area was totally filthy and the continental breakfast was mostly non-existent. Never again will I try to save a few dollars on lodging unless I am sure about the property.

My husband and I stayed at this hotel with our two little children. We were planning to stay 6 nights and stayed only 2. We would have stayed less if we could have arranged for another place sooner.

First, I must admit the positive things about this hotel: Low cost, no extra charge for our children, downtown location, early check in time, fridge in room, air conditioner in the room. The room had a phone and a TV (as you'd expect) and a cheap-looking table serving as a desk, which was fine. The room was clean.

However, the cons outweighed the pros. Prominently placed signs at the entrance announced, "All visitors must check in at the front desk" and "We no longer offer smoking rooms." (We don't smoke and didn't anticipate visitors, but the signs made us feel like the hotel distrusts their patrons.) From the musty smell in our room and the cigarette burns in the bedspread and carpet it was evident that the room had previously been designated smoking. Since the window opened only to the inside of the hotel, we couldn't get fresh air. (The ceiling fan was too loud and unstable for our taste, but the air conditioner helped de-stagnate the atmosphere somewhat.) Our bathroom had no tub, just a shower. Our room had no iron, ironing board or alarm clock. Our chair was broken. The beds were stiff. The dim lighting, lack of natural light, and sparse decorations gave the room a slightly dismal feeling. The continental breakfast was a box of muffins. The "guest kitchen" was a table and a microwave. No internet. Somehow our room got missed by the housekeeping staff.

I asked to be moved to a room with a window and they didn't have one available but were polite about it. When we checked out early nobody asked us why we weren't staying for the whole six days. They didn't give us a cancellation charge for leaving early, either. The guy at the desk seemed kind of happy to have another room to give to someone else.

In general, I don't need a super nice hotel with lots of amenities. I've never checked out of a hotel early before. For me, the combination of the smell and the window was the biggest problem. In a pinch, I could probably put up with the other problems.

If you're looking for a clean bed to crash in and you're fortunate enough to be without a sense of smell, go for it.

The room (301) was clean, despite cigarette burns on the floor and a lack of basic ammenities like the promised ironning board mentioned on their website. I managed to get an iron from the friendly folks at reception, but had to figure out creative ways to use it without any proper ironning surface.

This slightly-better-than-roach motel has a sushi restaurant in it, and the smell of fish that probably shouldn't be eaten permeates the hallways and common space.

The "complimentary breakfast" consisted of watered-down juice and cookies. The free hotel shuttle was quick and usefull, but driven by a man who seemed incapable of communicating without the use of expletives.

The area of town... well to be fair there don't seem to be nice areas of Anchorage, but this was certainly less than a desirable neighbourhood. The 'car lot' district featured no nearby amenities short of a Chevron store to buy food and drinks at. Want a beer to make you feel more comfortable about the fact the roof gives easy access to your windows? Nope, no liquor stores anywhere nearby.

Again, if you just need a clean place to crash and can deal with the smell, it's bearable, but as a strapping young man I felt safe... can't say I'd have let my girlfriend stay there and I certainly wouldn't let children run around here.

Anchorage hotels are expensive, and even the Marriot I upgraded to was far from worth the money, but really... do you have to stay here? You can probably find some other area of your trip to skimp on instead of your Anchorage hotel now, can't you?

The Econo Inn is basic but very good value in my opinion. In a town where hotel prices rocket in the summer, good value is hard to come by. I actually stayed here on 2 separate occasions and if you are looking for somewhere clean and cheap to rest your head for the night only 10 minutes walk from the centre, this is a good place. Apparently the rooms are small by US standars as a Brit, I thought they were fine. There was also a portable air conditioning unit in the room. The 'Downtown Deli' on 5th is a must for breakfast.