Colony Suites
380 S Colony Way
Palmer, AK
Three generations of Alaskans on the street the colonists named. The mountains haven't moved.
About Colony Suites
Colony Suites opened in 2018 on Colony Way in Palmer, Alaska, named for the 1935 New Deal agricultural colony that Franklin Roosevelt planted here: one of the Depression era's most ambitious experiments, sending 203 Midwestern farm families to homestead Alaska. The property is owned and operated by a three-generation Alaska family; Kyle runs the day-to-day and signs every guest response personally. Guests expecting basic Alaska roadside lodging consistently come away surprised. The full kitchen suites serve as a practical base for extended Alaska travel: the Matanuska Glacier, Hatcher Pass, and the Alaska State Fair grounds are all within easy reach from the valley.
What Colony Suites Is Known For
Colony Suites holds a standard of finish and hospitality that stands apart in the Palmer lodging market, where most of the competition is chain hotels in Wasilla or basic rooms sized for overnight stops. The quartz and marble, the heated floors, the fully stocked kitchens: guests consistently arrive expecting one thing and find something different. The family has maintained that standard across more than five years of operation. The three-bedroom suites represent the most well-equipped multi-room lodging option in the Mat-Su Valley for a group that needs space, a kitchen, and laundry: the kind of combination that only matters until you need it, at which point nothing else will do.
Amenities
- WiFi
- Full kitchen with oven, stovetop, and dishwasher
- In-suite washer and dryer with supplies included
- Heated floors
- Private patio or balcony
- Laptop-friendly workspace
- Room-darkening shades
- Mountain views from most suites
- Three-bedroom suites with two full bathrooms
- Coffee and spices stocked in the kitchen
- Pack-and-play crib available on request
What Guests Love
- In-suite washer and dryer in every suite, with laundry pods and dryer sheets provided: on a week-long Alaska road trip where the glacier gets into everything you wear, this is the amenity that changes what kind of trip you can actually take.
- The family runs it personally: Kyle signs every guest response, the team texts back quickly, and guests who needed extra bedding found it waiting at arrival. This is not managed remotely.
- Heated floors throughout: stepping onto a warm floor is the right start to a Mat-Su Valley morning, especially in shoulder season when outside temperatures can still be genuinely cold.
- Two three-bedroom, two-bathroom suites for families, groups, or wedding parties who need real space and a functional kitchen to share.
- Full kitchen with oven, stovetop, and dishwasher: Palmer has good restaurants within walking distance, and the kitchen is there for the mornings and evenings when you do not want to leave.
Worth Knowing
- No air conditioning, which the Matanuska Valley doesn't require: summer temperatures rarely push above the mid-70s, and the valley runs cool. Open the windows.
- Self check-in via a private door code sent before arrival. The family is reachable by text and responds quickly, but there is no staffed front desk on site.
- No pets. Service animals only.
- Some suites are on an upper floor. If ground-floor access is important, mention it when booking.
- The three-bedroom suites are the highest-demand option and fill earliest, particularly for Alaska State Fair visitors in late August and September. Book early if you need the larger configuration.
The Room
The one-bedroom suites are individually decorated, with quartz countertops, heated floors, pillow-top mattresses, and a full kitchen stocked with the real thing: oven, stovetop, dishwasher, blender, kettle, toaster, and even wine glasses, plus coffee and spices waiting so the first morning does not start with a grocery run. Every suite includes an in-suite washer and dryer with laundry supplies stocked and ready. A laptop-friendly workspace and the fastest WiFi in the area make it a genuine place to work if the trip calls for it, and room-darkening shades keep the room dark through Alaska's long solstice evenings. No air conditioning is installed or needed: the Matanuska Valley's cool summer nights regulate any warmth. The three-bedroom suites run two full bathrooms and a living room that fits a full family, group, or wedding party.
The Grounds
Three low white buildings with green metal roofs sit on S Colony Way, two blocks from the center of downtown Palmer. Parking is directly in front of each ground-floor suite entrance: pull in, walk ten feet, and the door is yours. Each suite has its own private patio or balcony, the right place to sit out under the long northern light. The grounds are well-maintained and quiet despite the downtown proximity, with very little traffic on Colony Way itself. Mountain views extend in several directions: the Chugach Range to the southeast, the Talkeetnas to the north, and the Alaska Range on clear days further west. The iconic Palmer water tower, which has marked the town center since the colony era, is visible from several suites. Summer evenings in the Mat-Su Valley run light past ten at night in June.
The Experience
Colony Suites works the way an Alaska base camp should. The full kitchen means guests eating well after a long day at Matanuska Glacier or hiking Hatcher Pass don't need to find a restaurant. The in-suite laundry means that a week into an Alaska road trip, the gear that came back wet from the glacier gets dry and the clothes that spent three days on the trail get clean. Alaska road trips are long by definition: the distances are real, the terrain gets into your gear, and travelers returning from the backcountry understand what a washer and dryer means at the end of a day that covered serious ground. The family runs bookings personally, responds by text, and has shown up with what guests need before they ask.
Details
Palmer, AK 99645
The Boutel designation is earned, not purchased. Boutels is editorially independent and has no financial relationship with any listed property.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Colony Suites have EV charging?
No, Colony Suites does not have EV charging.
Does Colony Suites have WiFi?
Yes, Colony Suites has WiFi.
What is there to do near Colony Suites?
Colony House Museum: 0.2 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can walk. Hatcher Pass: 21 miles, about a 40 minute drive. Matanuska Glacier: 90 miles, about a 180 minute drive.
How far is Colony Suites from Colony House Museum?
0.2 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can walk.
How far is Colony Suites from Hatcher Pass?
21 miles, about a 40 minute drive.
How far is Colony Suites from Matanuska Glacier?
90 miles, about a 180 minute drive.
Does Colony Suites have laundry?
Yes. Every suite has a private washer and dryer with supplies: laundry pods and dryer sheets are included in each unit. On a longer Alaska road trip, this tends to be the amenity guests mention most.
Is Colony Suites pet friendly?
No. Colony Suites does not accommodate pets. Certified service animals are the exception.
How far is Colony Suites from the Matanuska Glacier?
The Matanuska Glacier is approximately 90 miles northeast of Palmer via the Glenn Highway, about a 90-minute drive. By Alaska standards, this is practically next door. Palmer is the closest downtown base camp on the route.
How far is Colony Suites from Hatcher Pass?
Hatcher Pass is 21 miles northwest of Palmer, about a 30-minute drive via Palmer-Fishhook Road. The pass leads to Independence Mine, alpine tundra, and the Talkeetna Mountains.
Is Colony Suites walkable to downtown Palmer?
Yes. Colony Suites is two blocks from downtown Palmer on S Colony Way, within a 5-minute walk of Turkey Red, Vagabond Blues Coffee, Matanuska Brewing, the Palmer Alehouse, and the Colony House Museum.
Can you see the Northern Lights from Palmer?
Yes. The Palmer area is well-positioned for Northern Lights viewing from September through April, when darkness returns to the Matanuska-Susitna Valley. The valley is dark enough outside town to see the aurora without driving far. Plan for at least two nights to improve your chances, and ask Colony Suites staff about current forecast conditions during your stay.
What is the history of Palmer, Alaska?
Palmer was established in 1935 as part of a New Deal agricultural colony: the Federal Emergency Relief Administration relocated 202 farming families from Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota to the Matanuska Valley to develop agriculture in Alaska. The project gave Palmer its distinctive Midwestern character and its productive farmland. The valley's long summer daylight and rich glacial soil produce the giant vegetables Palmer is known for at the Alaska State Fair each August.
Does Colony Suites have a pool?
Colony Suites does not have a pool.
Is parking available at Colony Suites?
Yes. Free on-site parking is available at Colony Suites.
Does Colony Suites include breakfast?
No. Breakfast is not included at Colony Suites.
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Things to Do Near The Matanuska-Susitna Valley
Colony House Museum
0.2 miles, about a 5 minute drive, or you can walk.
The original 1935 Matanuska Colony house, now a museum documenting the New Deal farming experiment that founded Palmer and gave Colony Way its name. The street Colony Suites sits on is named for this history. Adjacent to the property.
Hatcher Pass
21 miles, about a 40 minute drive.
21 miles northwest, about a 30-minute drive via Palmer-Fishhook Road. The Talkeetna Mountains rise into alpine tundra, wildflower meadows, and the ruins of Independence Mine, a 1930s gold operation. One of the most scenic half-day drives on the Kenai Peninsula road system.
Matanuska Glacier
90 miles, about a 180 minute drive.
90 miles northeast via the Glenn Highway, about an hour and a half. By Alaska standards, this is a short errand. One of the few glaciers on earth accessible by car, 27 miles long and walk-on with a guide: it is the most common reason guests book Palmer as a base, and Colony Suites is the right place to come home to after.