Woodlands Inn & Suites

“Great place to stay!!!!”

Far exceeded our expectations. So much nicer than so many other motels on the Alcan Hwy. As a Hilton lifetime diamond member, I have high standards and would rarely even consider a local place. locally owned and operated!

“Can’t Ask For Better”

Room was clean and quiet. The bed was great as were the pillows. We enjoyed having the small restaurant in lobby. Canadian beer on tap was a real plus +. Front Desk personnel were friendly. Interesting water feature out our window. All in all a perfect stay.

“Practical, Clean & Comfortable.”

If you arrive expecting a luxury hotel, this probably isn’t your place. The Woodlands Inn & Suites feels much more like a northern work camp or industrial lodge than a traditional hotel — built almost entirely from cinderblock inside and out. It’s clearly designed for durability and practicality, s… more

If you arrive expecting a luxury hotel, this probably isn’t your place. The Woodlands Inn & Suites feels much more like a northern work camp or industrial lodge than a traditional hotel — built almost entirely from cinderblock inside and out. It’s clearly designed for durability and practicality, serving a lot of loggers, natural gas workers, and folks traveling through this very remote part of northern BC. That said, for Fort Nelson, it honestly makes a lot of sense and ended up being a solid stay. The room was clean, surprisingly quiet, and functional. Having laundry facilities available was a huge plus on a long northern road trip, and the restaurant served a genuinely good meal after a long day of driving. The biggest highlight was the staff. Everyone at the front desk was very kind, helpful, and welcoming, which goes a long way in a place this remote. No, it’s not a polished 5-star resort — but it also isn’t pretending to be. For its location and purpose, it’s probably the best option in Fort Nelson and a dependable stop along the Alaska Highway.

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“a cut above the competition”

My room was reasonably large, though most of the space was taken up with two king beds (one would have been enough for me!). The room stayed cool despite high heat outside (+30) even without use of the A/C. The full bathroom was appreciated, and a fridge was provided – though was oddly situated ins… more

My room was reasonably large, though most of the space was taken up with two king beds (one would have been enough for me!). The room stayed cool despite high heat outside (+30) even without use of the A/C. The full bathroom was appreciated, and a fridge was provided – though was oddly situated inside a wooden cabinet. There was a table and a microwave, but not a full kitchen. The wifi was rather poor and I was repeatedly asked to log in, leading to slow loading of an MSN news page on my laptop that I didn’t want and promptly closed. My phone rejected the connection altogether due to security issues. Given rather poor mobile service in Fort Nelson this was all rather annoying. The restaurant dinner menu was well written though the food was rather ordinary, and there was little on offer for vegetarians. Still, the luxury of a proper restaurant for breakfast was appreciated, instead of the usual pile of paper plates and plastic cutlery and little to choose from beyond self-made waffles. The breakfast credit in the restaurant is, nevertheless, a bit of a hassle, unless you want the standard meaty offering. With CAD 16.50 of credit per person, the charge passed to one’s room bill can be anything from CAD 0 to 20 per person, and you are left wondering whether and how to give a tip and on what figure to calculate it. Raising the credit to CAD 25 per person would make life a bit simpler for most travellers, and adding CAD 8.50 to the room rate would hardly be noticed. In effect, making breakfast included, like in Europe. Maybe a first step towards abolishing the demeaning tipping system entirely, which should not exist in what is, in effect, a nordic social democracy with a legislated minimum wage system. Lastly, the toilet in my room got blocked, despite me putting nothing untoward into it. A man with a plunger came to the rescue. Despite these irritations, Woodlands Inn is a cut above most places to stay on this first section of the Alaska Highway, dominated by sparsely spaced industrial towns, and a nice starting point for the spectacular scenery to come.

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