ALASKAN LODGES

Tutka Bay Lodge Location, Services Offered and Potential Competitors
Many people travel due to various reasons; some do it as part of their daily duty while
others for fun and others do it as part of leisure. Irrespective of the reason, all these people would
love to have a good experience as they make their visits. The United States have numerous
lodges, hotels, and tourism outlets at various locations. Most of this locations are luxurious while
others are just standard lodges. Due to the increased number of these lodges, there is a need to
know what some of them offer (Jenkins, 2015). Moreover, every client would like to know what
is in store for them as they arrange for their visits. Besides, it is important to understand the
quality of services offered and the available alternatives or competitors. It is also imperative to
know their location and average prices at which they offer their services (Tracy, Fleischman,
2012). Nevertheless, there is a need to understand their classification and the segment of the
industry to which they belong. Furthermore, it is critical to understand their target market and
what makes them unique.
The venue focused on in this paper is the Tutka Bay Lodge. The lodge is categorized
under the tourism and hospitality industry. The inn is situated at the end of a cove on the tip of
the Kenai Peninsula, across Kachemak Bay from Homer, Alaska. The lodge prides itself in the
award-winning chef and food writer trained and fashioned at the prestigious Cordon Bleu in
Paris (Tracy, Fleischman, 2012). The inn found deep in the wilderness is possibly not the best
place to expect to find a master chef. Nonetheless, Alaska is full of such astonishments, and
Tutka Bay Lodge, the creation of chef Kirsten Dixon, is just one of those surprises. Moreover,
the inn stands amid tall stands of old-growth Sitka spruces at the mouth of miles-long fjord; since
in deep in the wilderness it has deep roots and a cookery twist (Tessler, Snively, 2014). The

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experience is coupled with an arousing selection of outside activities; the lodge promises an
exclusive look at the food-collecting and preparation processes of Kirsten’s sea-to-table cuisine.
Moreover, guests have the chance to contribute at every stage of the progression; from foraging
and fishing to preparing and, eating.
Numerous characteristics make Tutka Bay Lodge a unique inn. First, the lodge offers
tours and overnight ventures that comprise of a variety of required skill level and determination.
All trips are guided by experienced guides, pilots, and ship captains. The guides are selected
from the finest, well-trained personnel. These guides are knowledgeable about the areas they tour
with the guest (Jenkins, 2015). Moreover, they are equipped in case of an emergency and carry
along field equipment ready for the guests to use. The lodge also prides itself in the guide team
and their accomplishments. These guides include experts in; hiking and interpretive skills, a
world-class sports fishing team, backcountry mountaineering and adventurers that guests enjoy
during their visits.
Second, Tutka Bay Lodge provide the main lodge in all the lodges. This main lodge
allows guests to participate in cooking, dine and yoga classes the guests are also given a chance
to socialize and engage in recreational activities. Moreover, the cabins meant for the guests are
sprinkled throughout the lodging property (Tracy, Fleischman, 2012). These guest cabins are
organized in particular ways so as enable them to have excellent facilities. These amenities
include Beautiful cast iron woodstoves, a private deck with a view, couch, robes, luggage rack,
dresser, desk with chairs, a small living or sitting room, private baths with showers, rocking
chairs and drinking water dispenser. Moreover, Small ceramic French-style heaters are offered so
as to create a steady heat in all the guest cabins and the main lodge. Furthermore, clients can

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check with a travel agent or with their reservations office so as to find out the specifics of the
actual guest cabin they intend to reserve.
Third, the Inn provides daily housekeeping service. The bedrooms and beds are fitted
with high-quality linens, oversized pillows and down duvet covers. Furthermore, the lodges use
L’Occitane amenities in their bathrooms and offer turn-down services. In addition to this
provisions the lodges provide detailed information about the particular guest cabins that are
available (Witteveen, Dann, 2013). The lodge goes an extra mile to provide a complimentary
wellness program that offers a health-giving and healthful lifestyle. The welfare directors offer
one-hour bodywork as well as morning yoga exercises and afternoon stretch classes at Tutka Bay
Lodge every day. To crown it all the lodge offers a therapist who provides an array of
personalized wellness selections.
Fourth, the inn also offers air transport via Seaplanes & Helicopters. These transport
vehicles are used in the touring of various places during the visitors stay. To make touring over
water absorbing, Tutka Bay Lodge lays emphasis on the ocean-based cuisine of Kachemak Bay,
Alaska. Furthermore, visitors can learn about how to harvest oysters and prepare lingcod. The
lodge also offers a natural and beautiful view of Tutka Bay right out the window for the visitors
pleasure.
Fifth, the lodge does no rely on large world class kitchens but rather uses a small but
efficient workspace. The massive deck outside the lodges serves as a second kitchen in the
summertime. The Lodge has the most modern kitchen built by Carl. The kitchen is still a work in
development challenged because they have to fly all the supplies into the lodge by airplane. The
lodge keeps making improvements annually. So as to ensure customer satisfaction, the lodge has

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installed a commercial walk-in refrigerator that it uses in the storage of its summer vegetables.
Conversely, the cooler is used as an insulator during the winter season. The lodge also intends to
add a private employee dining room and a dishwashing room as part of their development plan.
The hostel also offers weekend cooking programs open to the public as well as special
guests staying at the lodge. Extra classes are offered during Each Friday, Saturday and Sunday
during the celebration of a local Kachemak Bay cuisine (Tessler, Snively, 2014). During these
classes, they offer tips and insights into their recipe collections. Furthermore, they also offer
weekly-rotating three-course menus featuring a personalized collection of global recipes
prepared from a regional perspective. The lodge’s unique setting of its cooking school offers
inspiration to explore Alaska’s local products. The school features the local Alaska seafood
including halibut, salmon, crab, and famous Bay oysters (Witteveen, Dann, 2013). The school
also gathers the best of Alaska seasonal ingredients including homegrown vegetables, berries,
mushrooms, Alaska honey, and another local fare. The visitors get a chance to enjoy a seaside
luncheon prepared by the class in a welcoming setting. The lodge provides enough time to
explore hiking trail or meandering the seashore as the sun sets.
The lodge offers national class chefs. The chefs include Kirsten and Chef Mandy Dixon.
Kirsten has been a cook in Alaska for over twenty years. She is a passionate educator, cookery
student, and an avid planter. Kirsten devotes most of her time at the Lodge, where she regularly
teaches culinary classes in the kitchen or offers tours of the herb garden. Kirsten attended
culinary school at the Cordon Bleu in Paris, and she holds a master’s degree in food history from
Adelaide University in Australia. She has published several cookbooks, including The
Winterlake Lodge Cookbook, and is currently working on a new book project.

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The second chef is Mandy Dixon, she frequently instructs at the Culinary School at Tutka
Bay. She joined Le Cordon Bleu cookery school and proceeded her education at the Cookery
Institute of America in St. Helena, California. Mandy worked with Thomas Keller Restaurant
Group before returning to her family business in Alaska. She Is presently the chef at Winterlake
Lodge where she prepares meals and desserts for guests. She oversees and is in charge of the La
Baleine Café in Homer (Tracy, Fleischman, 2012). She regularly travels in pursuit of culinary
education and teachers often. Mandy was recently a presented chef at the James Beard House in
New York. Kirsten and Mandy oversee our team of eight regular chefs that join us at Tutka Bay
Lodge.
Alaska in known for its great and natural rivers, this makes the target markets primarily
fishermen, tourists; both locally and internationally and visitors willing to spend their valuable
time enjoying the Alaskan fresh air. The natural rivers and abundant natural forests make it an
attraction to many tourists intending to spend their holiday visiting exotic places. Furthermore,
the vast wild provides various wild animals that may be of interest to different visitors. The
Alaskan rivers provide a variety of fish, this varied types of fish make the fishing experience
attractive (Jenkins, 2015). Moreover, the various lodges offer flights to different destinations;
this makes the tour complete as the visitor has both tours by land air and sea. The vast
countryside also offers sand shores and a large area for hiking. All these factors attract very
many visitors.
Although Tutka Bay Lodge offers excellent services, it faces competition from other
Alaskan lodges with the same target market. These lodges include; first, Hideaway Cove Lodge.
It offers secluded cabins with world-class views, ocean-front setting and modern bathrooms.

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Flexible tours with memorable guided tours and plenty of personal time. Professional guides
share intriguing stories, unusual locations, and wildlife encounters (Witteveen, Dann, 2013). The
segmentation of tours into small group sizes results in a more personalized service and leads to a
better whole experience. Comprehensive packages make preparation easy and a greater value
associated to expensive luxury lodges. The lodge has a 19-year safety record that states for itself
and twice commended by the New York Times.
Second, Bristol Bay Lodge. This lodge is often recommended to visitors, visiting Alaska
for the first time. The lodge is also referred to as the perfect starting place. The lodge has a
homely, fantastic guide team and a set program that alternates you through many different rivers,
each cycle offering a diverse experience and most providing unique species to target (Alaska,
Supain, 2014). A perfect place for complete novices through to skilled tourists alike. This lodge
has something for everyone. Moreover, they offer Fly outs included in the schedule so as to
explore the near and far waters. This place is the perfect place to take a beginner, someone
looking to take a family member on a memorable experience, or someone traveling on their own.
It is located just a short flight from Anchorage and is the perfect place to start the Alaskan
exploration.
Third, Mission Lodge, it is located close to Bristol Bay Lodge but offers a diverse
experience. Mission Lodge is a one of the most luxurious lodges, with all the modern
installations it uses (Van Veldhuizen, Knight, 2014). This lodge is perhaps the poshest lodge one
can visit in Alaska whereas, still having access to prime fishing, which, of course, is still its
primary focus. The lodge has access to a vast diversity of waters Furthermore the visitor dictates
the schedule. The tourist decides what they want to do, for example where to fish daily.

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Moreover, this total flexibility comes at no extra cost; all the daily fly-outs are encompassed in
the total cost. It is the perfect choice for those that love comforts and especially for smaller
parties.
Fourth, Alaska West, it presents a larger backwoods experience equated to those that
have a lodge within easy range of civilization. As a result of this remoteness, the inn is referred
to as a deluxe tent lodge. It provides spacious and comfortable tents where one can sleep
comfortably. The tents are heated when it gets cold while the floors are carpet covered and
wooden. The lodge provides the visitors with fishing right on their doorstep, the best part is, no
fly-outs are required (Van Veldhuizen, Knight, 2014). The guides do not have to go any further
to find better fishing grounds because it is right outside the front door. Undeniably, as a
consequence of this, the costs are kept low. This lodge makes its operation for at reduced costs.
The quality of customer service offered at Tutka Bay Lodge is of the expected standards.
They satisfy the client’s need for adventure while at the same time provide value for money.
Some of the services provided are; firstly, they offer tours and overnight ventures, the two
provide a thrilling experience to the clients. Secondly, they provide unique lodges fitted with the
best, most secure and comfortable suites of gadgets and amenities for the customers, for
example, warming of the lodges during the cold periods and nights. The inn also provides daily
housekeeping service to all clients (Alaska, Supain, 2014). The hostel also offers air transport via
Seaplanes & Helicopters for visitor willing to visit near and far Alaskan attraction and fishing
sites. The lodge offers its clients with cooking lessons and also provides its services with the
most naturally possible environment. Moreover, the inn also offers health-enhancing programs in

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its daily program including yoga exercises. All these services make Tutka Bay Lodge one of the
best lodges in Alaska.
In conclusion, as various people seek the comfort they need to take them through their
holidays, there are some issues they should consider. Some of these factors include their security,
purpose of their visit, the place to visit and the cost of the stay. Once all these perspectives have
been factored then the clients can easily choose what they want from the provided choices.
Moreover, the available Alaskan lodges provide memorable experiences that can in turn help
touring individuals ease from their daily tiresome tasks and be refreshed. These experiences help
build a healthy body and life of the visitors.

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References:

Alaska, A. K., & Supain, C. C. (2014). A Study on the Relationship between Customer
Satisfaction and Employee Service Delivery at Sutera Sanctuary Lodges’s Front Office
Department at Kinabalu Park, Kundasang, Sabah, Malaysia. In SHS Web of Conferences
(Vol. 12, p. 01079). EDP Sciences.
Jenkins, D. (2015). Impacts of neoliberal policies on non-market fishing economies on the
Yukon River, Alaska. Marine Policy, 61, 356-365.
Tessler, D. F., Snively, M. L., & Gotthardt, T. A. (2014). New insights on the distribution,
ecology, and overwintering behavior of the Little Brown Myotis (Myotis lucifugus) in
Alaska. Northwestern Naturalist, 95(3), 251-263.
Tracy, D. A., Schmidt, J. S., & Fleischman, S. J. (2012). Age Composition and Escapement of
Chinook Salmon in the Karluk, Ayakulik, and Chignik Rivers, Alaska.
Van Veldhuizen, B. M., Zhang, M., & Knight, C. W. (2014). Agronomic Crops Developed in
Alaska.
Witteveen, M. J., & Dann, T. H. (2013). Chinook Salmon Genetics Sampling Along the Alaska
Peninsula and Adjacent Areas Operational Plan, 2013. Alaska Department of Fish and
Game, Division of Sport Fish, Research and Technical Services.