Frequently Asked Questions

Alaska Airlines has regularly scheduled flights in and out of Sitka year-round, with additional flights in the summer. For more leisurely travel, check out the Alaska Marine Highway ferry system. Once you are in Southeast Alaska, you can travel by ferry or by small plane on a number of flight services.

We are unable to provide transportation, but there are many options to get you to the Penthouse. Several days before you arrive, we email you a local resource guide. The guide includes names and phone numbers for taxi, tour and shuttle transportation services. From the airport, the Penthouse is a one-mile walk, mostly on flat land but with an up- and down-hill segment over the O’Connell bridge. You can also rent a car at the airport.

Please give us advance notice if you need an early check-in or late check-out. We try to accommodate those requests as often as possible. If we have guests checking in or out the same day as your arrival or departure, housekeeping has a limited time to prepare the Penthouse for the next guests. In those cases, we may not be able to fulfill your request.

We do not currently have a secure area to hold your bags and luggage before or after your stay.

The Penthouse has a secured wireless network. We’ll give you the password when you check in. Sitka Free network is also available. (Our internet connection has limited speed and throughput. It can accommodate streaming video, but we ask that you do not attempt large downloads.) We also have a landline phone located in the game room.

Most cell phones work in Sitka; please check with your carrier if you have questions.

Access is by door code. We give you the codes to the outside door to the building and the interior door to the Penthouse by email a few days before you check in. You will also receive an information sheet with Penthouse information, including the door codes, the Penthouse Wifi code, and important contact numbers, when you check in.

Before you leave the Penthouse, please wash the dishes in the dishwasher and put them back in place in the cupboards. Place all used towels on the bathroom floor; strip used sheets off the beds and place them on the bedroom floor. Please place all trash in one of the large cans by the side of the building. Our housekeepers will take care of all other cleaning.

Alaska Airlines has regularly scheduled flights in and out of Sitka year-round, with additional flights in the summer. Delta Airlines has regular flights during the summer.

In a nutshell, be prepared for anything! Spring, summer and autumn days can be warm and sunny with cooler evenings, or they can be overcast, cold, wet and windy. Winter weather ranges from cool and clear to chilly or cold, sometimes with snow and ice. Pack with layering in mind. For a good weather history site, go to www.weatherunderground.com ; there you can check weather history for Sitka by month and year.

Our longest summer day has about 18 hours of sunlight while our shortest winter day has about 7 hours between sunrise and sunset.

Sitkans love to stay busy and entertained, so something is happening year-round. Activities include music festivals, Alaska Native culture activities, local art and history exhibits, hiking, kayaking, museums, historic parks and buildings to visit, sports and more. You can even play golf or surf here!

For more information, check the links on our Area Attractions page.

Sitka does not have a nanny or babysitting service. You can do an internet search for babysitters in Sitka, AK to find websites with local babysitter listings.

For our guests traveling with small children, the Penthouse has a pack ‘n play playpen, high chair/booster seat, several  board games, card games, puzzles and a DVD/Blu-ray player for your movies.

A list of local restaurants, eateries and coffee shops is included in your Welcome email, and in the Penthouse information binder. We email a copy to you, along with the resource guide, several days before your check in date.

Fishing and hunting are favorite activities in Sitka, and there are many options for charter and guide services, depending on your needs. Great resources include Visit Sitka, Sitka.com and Sitka Through Four Seasons for more information.

Information is also available on the Area Attractions page and in the Penthouse information binder.

We recommend making reservations before you arrive in Sitka. Check the State of Alaska Fish and Game website for information about licenses and regulations.

Sitka’s longest summer day has about 18 hours of sunlight while the shortest winter day has about 7 hours between sunrise and sunset.

Street parking is available, but most parking spaces have 2 hour limits that are enforced. Limited parking with longer time limits is available in the Crescent Harbor parking lot, located one minute away from the Penthouse. Ask for information on getting into the lot when you check in.

If you enjoy walking and don’t mind occasionally using a taxi or shuttle, a car may not be necessary. Transportation from the airport and the ferry terminal is available with local companies; bus or van tours are also available. 

Many activities are close to downtown, within easy walking distance from the Penthouse. Bicycles are available to rent; Yellow Jersey Bike Shop is on the ground floor of the Troutte Center, where the Penthouse is located.

Local transportation information is listed on the resource guide we send before your reservation begins.

There are three grocery stores in Sitka. The names and addresses are listed on the local resource guide in your check-in folder and in the Penthouse information binder.  We will email you a copy of the resource guide several days before your check-in date.

The Penthouse has a laundry room with a washer, dryer, and a deep sink. We provide detergent and other laundry amenities, plus an ironing board and iron.

Unfortunately we do not have a barbecue grill. Our kitchen is equipped with a glass-top range and 2 ovens, and has everything you need for complete meal preparation.

We provide:

  • laundry soap, dish soap, dishwasher detergent, all paper supplies, trash bags
  • coffee, tea, hot cocoa, sweeteners

We also have:

  • an iron and ironing board
  • hair dryers in each bathroom
  • all towels and sheets
  • board games, puzzles, cards
  • BluRay/DVD player, 2 TVs and FireStick streaming, audio players and clock radios

You provide:

  • toiletries (shampoo, conditioner, body wash)
  • food to prepare
  • fishing equipment and anything else you need to have fun!

The Harbor Heights Penthouse is furnished as a home with living, dining, and gathering areas. The media room has a table with comfortable seating for four; the TV in the media room can be connected to a laptop and used for presentations, and a secure wireless network is available for internet connections. The large dining room table seats eight comfortably and can be used for conference meetings.

If your meeting needs are more extensive, other properties with meeting areas include:

Harrigan Centennial Hall (907) 747-3225
Westmark Hotel Sitka (907) 747-6241
Sitka Fine Arts Camp (907) 747-3085
University of Alaska Southeast (907) 747-7700