Fifty years in the heart of Anchorage
The Whale's Tail was born inside one of Alaska's most storied buildings — and over half a century, it became something the hotel never quite expected: a genuine neighborhood institution.
Whale's Tail | Our Story
Walter Hickel's bet on Anchorage
In 1965, former Alaska Governor Walter J. Hickel raised the first tower of the Hotel Captain Cook on a site within sight of where Captain James Cook himself dropped anchor in 1778. It was an audacious wager on Anchorage's future — and the city grew up around it.
The room inside the landmark
Tucked into the Tower I lobby, the Whale's Tail is defined by its stained glass whale window, warm wood paneling, and the kind of amber light that makes an evening feel unhurried. It doesn't feel like a hotel bar — it feels like a room with fifty years of conversations still in the walls.
A living room for downtown
What turned the Whale's Tail from a hotel bar into a neighborhood fixture was a simple instinct: keep the door open to Anchorage. Weekly Nerdvana trivia nights, DJ sets on weekends, and a monthly free comedy open mic with Rubber Ptarmigan have made this a room that regulars return to week after week.
The people behind the bar
Walter J. Hickel Jr. grew up inside this hotel — from the laundry room and bell desk to overseeing the whole operation. Sous Chef Jeremy Claggett, who came to Alaska in 2002, traces his culinary instincts to his grandmother's kitchens and brings that same spirit to every plate.
A legacy that still earns its place
The Hotel Captain Cook is Alaska's only member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts and one of just 315 properties inducted into Historic Hotels of America. The Whale's Tail carries that legacy without calling attention to it — perhaps the truest mark of a place that has lasted.