Alaska Hotels & Lodges

Division Title:
Lodge Maintenance

Division Location:

• Copper River Princess Wilderness Lodge
• Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge
• Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge
• Kenai Princess Wilderness Lodge
• Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge
• Westmark Anchorage Hotel
• Westmark Baranof Hotel (Juneau)
• Westmark Fairbanks Hotel & Conference Center
• Westmark Inn Beaver Creek
• Westmark Inn Dawson City
• Westmark Inn Skagway
• Westmark Inn Tok
• Westmark Klondike Inn (Whitehorse)
• Westmark Whitehorse Hotel & Conference Center

Number of Employees:
Varies at each lodge

Housing Type:
Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge – Self arranged
All others – Onsite employee housing

Typical Season:
May – Sept (May vary by location)

Types of Jobs:

• Maintenance Technicians
• Maintenance Assistants
• Grounds Keepers

Locations & Shop Descriptions

Lodge locations are spread throughout the state with the majority being situated along the railroad corridor. The Kenai lodge and the Copper River lodge are located off the rail corridor but remain on the road system. The location of each lodge makes it unique. The Kenai Lodge is situated on the banks of the Kenai River; Alaska’s most famous sport salmon fishery The Copper River Lodge overlooks the largest national park in America, Wrangle-Saint Elias. The Mt McKinley Lodge is located on a ridge approximately 40 air miles east of the summit of Mount McKinley, the tallest peak in North America. The Denali Lodge is perched on the banks of the Nenana River at the entrance to Denali National Park. The Fairbanks Lodge sets on the banks of the Chena River on the edge of Fairbanks, the largest of Alaska’s interior cities and the second largest city in the state.

The Fairbanks Princess Lodge operates year round, all others operate seasonally. The seasonal lodges maintain a staff of full time maintenance personnel year round to facilitate major inspections, improvements and renovations.

Shops vary from location to location but all are equipped to address any maintenance task that may arise at a given property. Shops also maintain an inventory of common replacement parts and the necessary tools to facilitate the repairs. A technician can expect to diagnose and repair all ranges of equipment ranging from commercial kitchen appliances, (electric and gas models), modern plumbing fixtures and systems, waste water treatment facilities, power generation plants, stand by generators, gas and oil heating systems and air conditioning systems. Princess has developed an effective training program to quickly bring newly hired maintenance personnel up to speed.

Equipment Descriptions

Our lodges are built to fit their environment and to provide our guests a memorable experience. The equipment and furnishing are all selected to enhance our guest’s experiences. Maintenance personnel are expected to have the skills necessary to maintain all aspects of a given lodge. The physical aspect of the various lodges varies greatly by location, from single level terraced campuses to three story complexes. Major systems include central air conditioning, central and local heating systems, plumbing, commercial kitchen equipment and computerized building climate controls and monitoring systems. Princess has established a rigorous preventive maintenance program that prevents many mechanical breakdowns but technicians are relied on to implement the program and perform reactive maintenance when the need arises.

Job Descriptions

Maintenance Technician- Perform periodic maintenance inspections and preventative maintenance procedures, perform corrective maintenance, troubles shooting and repair of site utility systems. Structural and Mechanical repairs, minor electrical repairs, and various other site specific tasks and functions are included in the scope of the Maintenance technicians responsibilities. Routinely performs tasks related to state and local requirements, monitors and operates Hot Tubs under the direction of a CPO trained operator.

Maintenance Assistant – Assists senior maintenance staff with various tasks, learns on the job training while repairing systems, does property and equipment inspections and preventative Maintenance, Helps start up and shutdown the property (Winterization and De-winterization.)

Maintenance Grounds – Maintains property Grounds, mowing, weed whipping, flower watering, cleanup, wood splitting and also assists Maintenance staff with Start up and Shut down of the property.

Division Specific

Room and board is available for seasonal staff on site; rooms are dormitory style with common areas. Employee meals are prepared for staff members and served cafeteria style in the employee dining room. Room and board charges are $15 per day. The room and board arrangement is available at all lodges EXCEPT the Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge. Technicians working in Fairbanks are responsible for their own accommodations.

Technicians working at the lodges will have all required tools provided for them. Each lodge maintains a full complement of tools needed to perform any task anticipated at a particular lodge.

Seasonal employees are also eligible for a seasonal bonus after successfully completing the summer season. Bonuses are paid at the rate of one dollar for each house of regular time worked and $1.50 per hour for each hour of overtime worked.

Upon successful completion of the terms of the employment agreement, an attractive discounted travel program may be available including cruises with Princess. Land excursions like river rafting and horseback riding are available at a discounted price.