Cordova Rose Lodge

Cordova Rose Lodge was the first place we stayed in Cordova. The homemade breakfast was exceptional. The rooms comfortable. Very quaint with a lovely lighthouse and gazebo. Gary is very knowledgeable of the area, fishing, birding and Cordova history. There is kayaking, boardwalk hiking, birding, fishing, and the dirt/gravel road has amazing views of Childs Glacier from. Seeing the Million Dollar Bridge is worth the drive. From the lodge, the Cordova boat harbor and restaurants are close by; walking distance. In the late summer, early fall there is salmon fishing right in town. Definitely rent a car and explore the area though. The fish cleaning station and freezer space here make it a prime choice for your Alaskan Stream or Ocean Fishing Adventure.

We booked the “Blue Room” 6 months in advance, paid our deposit (by mailing a check - seemed odd that they wanted check by mail, not credit card). When we arrived, we were NOT given the room that we booked but instead were given a newly converted closet (literally it was a closet before we arrived and they squeezed a small bed in there that was up against the wall on one side and had about 18” on the other). The owner told us someone else was going to be in the Blue Room and he no other rooms he could give us either. We were told we could ONLY stay in the closet and share a bath with another couple. And since we did not pay by credit card we had no way to dispute and get our deposit back. He said, “I’ll give you a discount” but never said how much. The Blue Room is a private suite with an ocean view, sitting room, suitcase room and closet and it’s own bathroom and we had contracted it for 6 nights at $185 per night. The ‘closet’ room has none of that… no private bathroom, no storage or closet (it was a closet), no view, no sitting room, nothing. This would not be worth half the rate we contracted. And the breakfasts that were also supposed to included had been eliminated without any notification. We were on our own for breakfast, unless we wanted to microwave a frozen muffin. Our last night there, on our way to bed, the owner stopped us and said that we needed to settle our bill right then. He told us that we needed to pay $185/night for the closet room. When we asked about the discount that he promised he said that it should be $285 but he was discounting it to $185. When I told him that the room wasn’t even close to what we had contracted for and that it should be a lot less, he said to pay the full amount or leave immediately (it was after 9pm and he knew we couldn’t easily find another place) At that point he refused to discuss anything but instead said “leave or I’m calling the cops”. I encouraged him to call the police. When they showed up, they were very professional and helped ease the tension but he didn’t budge on his demands for a lot more money. The bottom line we were able to find another room in town (10 times the size, with a view, private bath, living room, queen bed in a separate bedroom, full kitchen and very clean — for $135 per night and that included a free ride to the airport in the morning). We would suggest that if you are even thinking about staying here, think again… this is not the Cordova Rose it once was… do your research… there a so many other great choices.

Gary was a wonderful host. Very comfortable accommodations in the Admiral's Quarters. Perfect for a family. Driveway is hidden and steep but worth the stay in this classic Alaskan fishing town. Great hikes along the Copper River Highway.

Looking forward to staying here one day.