Whoop Whoop was a wonderful time
Clean room, easy check in, close shopping for walking, quiet and felt safe
My family and I stayed at the Kenai Inn for a two-day trip to a high school football game. Take this review with a grain of salt, but after a few days of reflection, here’s my honest impression.
Upon arrival, my very first thought was of the great Eagles song “Hotel California.” Earlier that afternoon, Michelle, the hotel manager, had texted me the access codes for the front door and our room, explaining that this was a virtual check-in and to simply text when we arrived and checked out.
Walking in, the place gave off a charmingly rustic 70s vibe. The quiet, empty lobby and lack of a front desk greeting added to the “Hotel California” atmosphere—no one to check us in, and, as it turned out, no other guests all weekend. Slightly eerie… but also kind of cool.
Our room was on the second floor and featured two queen beds. It was surprisingly spacious and much more modern inside than I expected. The beds were comfortable, the bathroom worked just fine, and the water? Scalding hot perfection!
The only hiccup came later that night—it got pretty warm, and there was no thermostat in sight. After some good old-fashioned “man skills” tinkering, I managed to crack open the window and let in that crisp Kenai air. Problem solved.
Bonus perk: there’s a local coffee hut right outside. Just a fair warning—when I knocked on the window at 7 a.m. to say good morning, I nearly gave the poor barista a heart attack.
All in all, if you’re looking
This is a remote service motel. I did not see any staff during my stay. All were through text messages. That worked well to me.
Even though the building is old and isn’t as visually appealing as others around, the room was comfortable, warm, hot water, coffee pot, microwave, refrigerator, and there was a drive through coffee shop out front.