Ribbon Cutting at The Wildbirch Hotel Signals Downtown Anchorage Revitalization
Mark Begich wields scissors at the ceremonial ribbon cutting of The Wildbirch Hotel, flanked by his property development partner Sheldon Fisher and Anchorage Mayor Suzanne LaFrance.
Photo Credit: Alaska Business
Champagne bubbled in the Kenai River Ballroom, the top-floor gathering space where a ceremonial ribbon was cut for The Wildbirch Hotel, billed as Anchorage’s first “lifestyle boutique property.” The rebranding of the former Holiday Inn, doing business until days ago as the Aviator Hotel, marks the formal affiliation with JdV by Hyatt, which stands for “joie de vivre” and refers to a collection of independent hotels marked by neighborhood spirit.
Renovating the hotel is the first phase of revitalizing the Downtown Anchorage neighborhood, as envisioned by the property’s developer, MASH LLC, a partnership of former mayor and US senator Mark Begich and Sheldon Fisher, who formerly led the Alaska Department of Revenue.
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“It’s our great pleasure to introduce The Wildbirch Hotel to Anchorage,” Begich says. “This property offers a unique, modern Alaska experience unlike anywhere else.”
Begich’s Alaska Hotel Group purchased the property in 2020. With 250 rooms plus a restaurant, bar, and brewery inside its 200,000 square feet, it’s the largest hotel to open in Downtown in more than twenty years, employing about 100 workers.
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“Watching this place come to life has been an honor,” says Haje Thurau, general manager of The Wildbirch Hotel. “It’s very special to see our overnight guests immerse themselves in the Anchorage lifestyle, engage with locals and discover what makes our little corner of Alaska such a magical place.”
MASH has collaborated with Springboard Hospitality, a hotel management company, to operate the hotel. Midnight Sun Brewing Co. is also partnering on a brewery and tasting room called Undertap, scheduled to open this fall.
Property developer MASH LLC, a partnership of Mark Begich and Sheldon Fisher, owns both The Wildbirch Hotel on the right side of C Street and the Post Office Mall on the left.
Photo Credit: Alaska Business
The hotel already boasts a signature restaurant, Crimson, helmed by Executive Chef La Mont Caldwell. Open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner, the creative menu offers high-end twists on Alaska staples, all with a touch of Pan-American Latin flair in a warm and inviting atmosphere. Outdoor dining is available seasonally on Crimson’s terrace, and small groups up to sixteen people can reserve a private dining room.
“We are confident Crimson will make its mark on Anchorage’s buzzing dining scene,” says Gary McCutcheon, the hotel’s director of food and beverage. “Chef La Mont is extremely talented and we’re looking forward to treating our hotel guests to classic Alaska dishes, while surprising and delighting our Alaskans with a few twists on old favorites.”
Canteen Coffee Co., located in the lobby of The Wildbirch Hotel, offers unique provisions and souvenirs from local artisans alongside espresso, coffee, fresh juices, grab-and-go food options, and more. Guests can enter the space through the hotel lobby or order through its streetside walk-up window.
The sidewalk interface is part of the Downtown revitalization vision, which extends across C Street to the former Post Office Mall. MASH is redeveloping that property as well, with residential condos upstairs, an indoor market off Fourth Avenue, and possibly a supermarket tenant in the lower level off Third Avenue.
Begich revealed little about Phase 2 during the Wildbirch Hotel ribbon cutting, except to say that the blue building won’t be blue much longer.
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