Everything approaches high-end at Denali, since the season is short and the demand is high. Wherever you decide on staying, book early--by the first of year, accommodations for your dates may already be in short supply.

If you go with those expectations, you'll be very comfortable at Princess' Denali location. It's one of two Princess lodges related to Mt. McKinley--the other, the Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge, is closer to Talkeetna, 100 miles south and designed to give you a view of the Great One itself. This one can't offer the view but is right on the Nenana River, with the lodge's dining room balcony overlooking the river. About 2 miles from the park entrance, it's fairly convenient. The central lodge itself is very new and very pleasant: high ceilings, a wonderful stone fireplace, and lots of comfortable seating areas may make you wonder whether you're really in the wilderness at all. (The large number of people heading in and out and the bus traffic at the entrance may contribute to that, too.)

The rooms are pleasant but standard motel-style rooms, with a smallish bath and two double (not queen) beds (or a king). All the accommodation buildings share the same timber-based construction, which gives the complex a nice feel. It is a complex, though, and don't be surprised to see employees ferrying themselves, luggage, and guests around the blacktop pathways in golf carts.

We ate only one meal there, a lunch in the bistro, and it was fine, but, as with many things in this location, a little pricey. The River Run Espresso/Deli works well for breakfast and filling your knapsack before heading into the park. And the prices were competitive with the other stores nearby, as I discovered to my dismay after running across the road in the rain thinking I'd save a buck or two.

If you're interested in a kitschy good time, you may want to try the Music of Denali Dinner Theatre. The story is a little hokey, and (if you're a newcomer to this sort of thing) it may take you a while to realize that your server for your family-style seating is an actor who gave you their nom de plume. The food is plentiful and pretty good, and if you let yourself join in the spirit of things, you'll have fun.

All in all, it's a good base from which to explore Denali, but don't be surprised to find rooms hard to come by and in the $200 to $250/night range.

It was approximately a 2-hour bus ride from Fairbanks to Denali. We arrived at the Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge during the early afternoon. There were a lot of buses crowding the entrance to the property. After a short wait and the distribution of room keys and itineraries, we were allowed to get off the bus.

The Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge is located approximately one mile from the entrance of Denali National Park and is composed of several buildings, including several motel-like lodges, a theater, several restaurants, and a main lodge that houses registration and a souvenir shop. Each of the buildings has somewhat of a rustic look, with a wooden exterior and a red roof.

Our rooms were a decent size. However, it was a warm, sunny June day, which meant that our rooms were hot when we first arrived. The rooms do not have air-conditioning, so we opened the windows and then left to get a bite to eat. The hotel staff will bring you a fan if you request one. We didn't have a need for this. The rooms were comfortable when we returned later.

This lodge was only average, some would call it rustic, but it had all the necessities, and we didn''t expect anything better on this part of the tour. Don''t expect land tour facilities to be as nice as the ship accommodations on cruise/tours, especially in remote areas like this.