In praise of Alaska's Sheldon Chalet

Each week, we spotlight a hotel recommended by some of the industry's top travel writers. This week's pick is Sheldon Chalet in Denali National Park, Alaska.

Denali's first — and probably last — luxury hotel has been 50 years in the making, said Nikki Ekstein at Bloomberg. Built by the son of a pioneering Alaskan pilot, the 10-guest Sheldon Chalet sits atop an outcropping on the flank of North America's tallest mountain. Guests arrive via helicopter, "a ride that takes them zooming through narrow slots in the surrounding canyons," and they're greeted with champagne and Alaskan crab. The building is plain yet elegant, with wraparound windows that "keep guests' focus squarely on the beauty outdoors."

Read more at Bloomberg, or book a room at SheldonChalet.com. All-inclusive packages start at $2,300 a night.