Accomodations Alaska style! (Travel & Tourism).

• Author: Pardes, Joan

You can sit in a hot tub and view the northern lights, or cozy up to a warm fire in the lobby of one of Alaska's finest hotels or lodges. This state offers much in the way of accommodations.

Alaska. Just the mention of our state's name packs a punch to just about anyone who doesn't live here. From well-meaning family members to our southern neighbors and friends, the thought of living in-or sometimes even visiting-The Last Frontier seems to be an unattainable dream. For some, it's a nightmare bereft of all creature comforts and for others it's a romantic vision filled with unbridled adventure. You can almost see the movie playing in some peoples' heads; there they are in the expansive white north driving a dog team surrounded by nature's best display of the aurora borealis, or roughing out a howling storm in a crude log cabin or, better yet, camping under the same blanket of stars that envelop grizzly bears, caribou and moose.

Now while Alaskans might have the opportunity to experience all of these scenarios and more, the reality is that most of us sleep in beds at night. And when we're not at home, we have countless choices of where we might choose to spend the night, from national hotel chains to luxury (or rustic) wilderness lodges that can be found all over the state. We may live in Alaska, but in the 21st century, The Last Frontier offers travelers accommodations that compare with the finest lodging opportunities in the Lower 48. Add in a little Alaskana, and we've got the some of the best places to stay in the world. In Alaska's largest city, for example, there are plenty of offerings.

"Anchorage accommodations run the gamut, from airport motels to a luxury four-diamond property," said Jeannette Anderson Moores of the Anchorage Convention and Visitors Bureau. "Nearly all the major hotel chains are represented here and we have all the amenities of any major city, but we also have easy access to the lodges that have the flavor of the Last Frontier."

With 600 rooms, the Hilton Anchorage weighs in as the largest hotel in the city with the Captain Cook Hotel (a member of the preferred hotel chain) right behind it with similar amenities and 547 rooms. In the same downtown neighborhood, travelers can find the Anchorage Marriott Downtown, the Anchorage Hotel and the Westmark Anchorage.

Forty minutes outside the city, the Alyeska Prince Resort, an AAA four-diamond property, offers world-class accommodations, skiing and spa facilities in the...