Ma Johnson's Hotel

You cannot find a better place to experience Alaska. Ma Johnsons is a beautifully restored hotel with comfortable accommodations. The journey is worth the stay. So much to see and do. The staff is very friendly and helpful. You cannot drive across the river, but there is a shuttle bus to the hotel. Food at the local restaurants is very good too!

The staff was kind. Our room was very small, barely enough space for two bunkbeds and our backpacks. Its sole use was for sleeping. There were no welcoming places to sit or drink coffee. We would do so in the lobby where the dust added to the historical hotel. I would expect a place like this to have complimentary drinks at the minimum, but everything required an added cost. The complimentary breakfast was nothing to write home about, although it was a kind gesture. If you don't come when breakfast starts, they will run out of croissants and bagels. Highly recommend The Potato restaurant where we ate most of our meals. We stayed for two nights, on our last night before an eight hour drive, a band, 20 yards away, was playing until after midnight. The music was good and normally we would enjoy this event, but it was very loud and we were not able to sleep in preparation from the next day. Mind you, this music was significantly louder considering we were placed next to the bar, away from the main, advertised building. Needless to say, we do not recommend.

I stayed there for a day in June as employee. It has very bad heating. The owner tends to keep employees in cold tents with no conditions and attempts to get rid of them after July 4 peak of the season. On cool works site he says employees get free housing and nothing about inhuman conditions in tents.

Ma Johnson's is a converted bunkhouse that has great history. Its location is convenient for the adventures one can have in McCarthy and Kennicott. The rooms are quite small, but certainly adequate. While all the bathrooms are shared we did not have trouble accessing them, and we had a sink in our room. Staff was very friendly and helpful. The breakfast that were included at the Salmon and Bear restaurant were great.

We slept so comfortably in the beds at Ma Johnson’s… what a treat to have a hot shower in the middle of the wilderness. Ma Johnson’s is also one of the cleanest hotels we’ve ever stayed in. Just wow. Neil met us at the footbridge with the van for our luggage, and we promptly sat down for an amazing light dinner at the Golden Saloon across the way. We had a group of 17 and not one person was disappointed! The included breakfast at the Salmon and Bear was phenomenal — high marks for the in-house bakery. Our chef travel companion loved Sergio’s Copper River Red Salmon dish for dinner. We will be back for sure, the staff’s local knowledge makes for an adventure specifically tailored to your wants and needs! As Alaskans we’re used to roughing it out in the wilderness; being pampered for a weekend by the staff at Ma Johnson’s really allowed us to relax and enjoy our surroundings.

Quaint but very pricy

The city of McCarthy is totally unique and a great place to visit. If you're in need of transportation, check out Overflow Van transportation.

The hotel is historic property and guests should be prepared for the limitations that entails including no electrical outlets in the rooms and bathrooms down the hall. It is, however, comfortable, friendly, cozy, and altogether delightful.