Ma Johnson’s Historic Hotel in McCarthy, Alaska
After seeing numerous ads for this place, we decided to leave our RV in Kenny Lake and drive our car out to McCarthy … then spend the night there.
Ma Johnson’s is a small, historic restored 1920’s frontier hotel right in ‘downtown’ McCarthy (if there is such a thing!). There is also another building separate from the main hotel called the Rose House, which is where we stayed. It apparently used to be a brothel!
The main lobby is like a museum – very cool and interesting but small. The rooms are VERY VERY small … basically space for a bed and 2 very small tables. Do NOT bring a big suitcase, it will not fit.
Ma Johnson’s front desk and lounge
Our room in the Rose House which was the brothel
Be warned that the town of McCarthy is only accessible via foot traffic. You can either walk from the parking lot before the bridge or take a shuttle – which if $5/pp.
On looking at their website just now I found out that the hotel includes the shuttle in your room price … it would have been really nice to have been told that as then we wouldn’t have had to schlepp our duffel bags, camera equipment and bag of toiletries the ½ mile into town. This would have been (I think) an important thing to mention in our email confirmation! I’m a big grouchy about that right now!
Anyway, as I said the rooms were very small and we found out that in the Rose House, there are 4 rooms all sharing one bathroom. This was news to me. I knew we’d be sharing, but the way the write-up sounded … there was perhaps a bathroom for every 2 rooms?
There was no problem, but it made for some uneasy bathroom trips during the night!
Each room had towels, soap, lotion – but no shampoo. We had to ask for it … and they do have it but not in your room.
You are given a robe and slippers to use while at the hotel as well. The bed was very comfortable and clean and soft linens.
It was nice and quaint and cool, but for $229/night – even with the included breakfast (buffet with eggs, bacon, potatoes, fruit, biscuits, coffee & juice) – it seemed excessive. It was an experience so I don’t regret it, but knowing what I know now … not sure I’d do it again.
The REALLY good thing tho was the McCarthy Lodge Restaurant … the BEST meal I think I’ve ever had. You HAVE to do this!
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