Inuvik Capital Suites

Important things to note: Staff were courteous and kind; There seems to be a staff shortage. We arrived on a Wednesday and checked in. We had booked a junior suite from the website (I think this is a standard room but that's not what I thought I was getting when I booked it). No one else was able to check-in who flew in from Yellowknife. They waited in the lobby for 2+ hours, not certain how we were lucky enough to get into our room and others could not. I booked this hotel because it's newer and it had amenities such as the market where you can get small grocery items such as milk or eggs (based on the photos from the Capital Suites website). Inuvik's Capital Suites does not have these items. They have something that looks like a "canteen" from your camp days as a kid. We didn't get anything from the Capital Suites market and went to the local grocery store down the street. The stock photos online do not match the reality of the hotel, IMO. I'm not certain if it's due to a shortage in staff but the hotel is dirty. I get why as many companies come here so there are a lot of guests who work in the field, but dust, dirt, and grime is everywhere in the public spaces. The fireplace is covered in dirt and people left their footprints on the base just because they could. The stairs are covered in dirt. Our room still had garbage left over from the previous guests (pizza boxes, chip bags etc). We did a few minor repairs while we were in the room, the door stopper was hanging off the wall, we fixed it. Upon entering the room, we discovered that the air conditioning unit was leaking water everywhere so we tried to mop it up with the items in our room (not easy to do with carpet but we definitely left the room in better condition then when we arrived). Not what I typically would think I'd have to do on a vacation trip, but getting staff was tricky. Again, when we did have any conversations with a staff member, they were kind. We ate at the restaurant at the Mackenzie Hotel. That establishment is in way better condition and I'd highly recommend it over Capital Suites. We entered in through the lobby whenever we were going to the restaurant & someone was always cleaning, dusting, and mopping floors. The Capital Suites had a clean bed and hot showers but for $203 a night, I expect a little bit more. I'd think the price would be fair if the hotel was cleaner and in better condition than it currently is.

Best described as a limited service motel (stress on ‘limited’) that is screaming for some capital investment. Temperature controls in the room do not work. Very hot, all the time. Our first room had no air conditioning ( to counteract that heat). But there was a hole in the wall for the a/c unit’s port that had a towel stuffed in it. The new room was equally hot, but had a/c. The room was never serviced, though we asked. And internet is at best spotty and weak. Excuses were made, half-heartedly, but other locations in Inuvik had no problems. And you had to jiggle the toilet handle to get it to stop running. The place is clean (when they do clean). Go the MacKenzie Hotel instead.

We were scheduled to stay here on our way to Tuk. We booked almost 4 months in advance. Before we booked, we called to make sure they would accept our service dogs, we were told it was not a problem. Fast forward to the night before we were to be staying there. We get a phone call from the hotel stating that they just noticed that we were bringing dogs and that they are not a pet friendly hotel. We explained that we had called, we also explained that they are service animals. We were told it didn't matter, they were not pet friendly, end of story. We asked about the laws in Canada in regards to service animals, and were told that she had no idea what the laws were, but this is their policy. Later that evening they sent an email stating that they were completely booked and would not be able to honor our reservation! Of course this left us scrambling for somewhere to stay since we were already on our way. Would never recommend someone to stay here.

We entered our full suite to find 2 fans were operating to circulate extremely hot air, air conditioner wouldn't turn on, replacement stopped working in the middle of the night, room temp was 96 when we woke up exhausted. Broken mirror, and hand rail in tub, no phone. Corporation should be ashamed of themselves, leaving their employees with an outdated, poorly operating hotel that is ill equiped to offer proper comfort to clients. Manager was sorry but her hands are tied. Would have gone elsewhere but everything was all booked in the area.

We were here in late July. Not much to pick from in town. Very unfriendly (surly) staff and our room was unbearably hot with no way to regulate the temperature other than a freestanding air conditioner in the bedroom which didn’t help the rest of the suite. We were on the first floor so we weren’t comfortable leaving the screenless windows open. The blinds in the bedroom were broken so we had 24 hour daylight streaming in. The toilet paper holder was broken and surely housekeeping noticed it because they set the roll on the vanity. Coffeemaker was limited to one Keurig pod per person, so if you like more than one small cup you can bring your own or get charged for extra. Ridiculous. If I were to return to Inuvik I would look elsewhere. Not the hotel’s fault, but if you’re in town on a Sunday there are no dining options but there is a grocery store.

Overall, our two night stay in a studio suite was okay. In the north, because so many streets are not paved, like with the parking lot of this hotel, the lobby floor, stairwell and hallways were very dirty. The gentlemen working at the front desk was disinterested and not friendly. At checkout, the ladies at the front desk were friendly. Our unit was missing several items relating to the kitchenette, cutlery, dishes, etc. They did bring us an extra pillow when requested and they did come up with glassware, but we had to get it ourselves at the front desk. There weren't a lot of plugins in the room, so charging up our devices meant a lot of juggling. Because it is an all suite hotel, we did notice some cooking smells. Otherwise, we were very happy with the downtown location. Some rooms overlook the outdoor smoking area, and so opening windows wasn't an option despite the heat.