As Seen on TV: Juneau Tours Trolley on Hotel Impossible
Juneau, Alaska – The Juneau Tours Trolley appears in the Season IV premier of the Travel Channel Show Hotel Impossible. Anthony Melchiorri, hotelier and host came to town on the last week of the travel season to breathe life into The Alaskan, the oldest hotel in Alaska.
The City Trolley
Before heading to the hotel, Anthony jumps on board for a “tram ride through Juneau.” Anthony refers to it as “the tram”, but we call it our City Trolley, not to be confused with the Mt. Roberts Tramway, an overhead cable tramway that travels to the top of Mount Roberts.
Word on the street has it that Anthony nearly had a wild west showdown convincing owners to update the Alaskan in order to lure a few more of the one million visitors who come to the Capital City every year. Did the independent Alaskan spirit keep hotel owners from seeing the opportunity? We’ll see.
Anthony sees the sites on the Juneau Tours trolley.
Kitting out the trolley
When the producer called, we’d already put our City Trolley on mothballs for the season! To avoid turning the show into the first episode of “Trolley Impossible” we spent 3 days detailing the rig from top to bottom for the scheduled May 24th taping, one day before the end of the tour season in Juneau, Alaska. The wood trim got new Sikkens stain, oxidation was buffed out of the panels, and new black paint brightened the bumpers and grill. It worked.
And action!
We’re glad we got a jump on the preparation. On the 23rd, a day early, the producers called and asked if we could get shooting in 45 minutes. “The weather is great! Why wait?” Covered in grime, our Operations Manager Brett Hutchinson, buffed out the remaining wax, grabbed a new hoodie and hat, and headed down to the Cruise Ship Terminal on South Franklin Street next to the Goldbelt Mount Roberts Tramway.
Brett Hutchinson, our stand in Trolley Driver!
The shoot
For two hours, we rode around with Anthony and crew taking shots of Juneau, Alaska and interviewing passengers about their experiences. Anthony did a great job showcasing the spectacular beauty of the city.
“If you go to Alaska, you’ve got to visit Juneau,” he says, “It’s one of the most beautiful cities I’ve ever visited. Kelsey Quinto, Juneau Tours Office Manager and 3-year tour sales veteran appears briefly on the ride along with Ops Manager Brett who filled in for trolley driver Paul Miller who’d gone home for the season.
Kelsey Quinto tells Anthony about the Mendenhall Glacier Ice Caves.
Thank you
Thank you Anthony and Hotel Impossible producers for a great time. Please check out the special features on the Hotel Impossible website including the Juneau Alaska Travel Guide.
Special thanks to Elizabeth Arnett from the Juneau Visitor’s Bureau and Convention Center, who arranged for our participation. They’re great partners and advocates for Juneau!
Our City Trolley Tour
For more information about the Juneau Tours City Trolley, please call (907) 723-9209.
