Our Downtown Juneau Hotel
we go way back
Get to know us
Nothing at Silverbow is half-done. We are decidedly committed to you and unwavering in our loyalty to this place that we love, made up of a community of the very best people. We might seem like a beautiful contradiction, but it’s all in the way you look at us. Yes! We’re playful and active, but Silverbow is also a respite from daily stressors – a bit of calm to last as long as you’re with us. We don’t believe in a cloud-free existence. Rather, we jump in puddles and enjoy the rain. You too? Wonderful! Come as you are.
Questions?
We know Juneau, our home, back and forth. We encourage questions and interactions with our staff because it’s our responsibility and joy to pass along knowledge of what we know and love to you. Please browse the information below and our FAQ page. If you’d like to reach out directly with a question, yes, please! Write to us at hello@silverbowinn.com.
hurry up! we really want to meet you…
Our Team
We’re a woman-owned, woman-run business and we do it with style. At the helm is Jill, owner and genuinely kind person. From Staten Island, New York, Jill graduated from the State University of New York at Binghamton. Then she discovered the Pacific Northwest and couldn’t stay away (understandable). While pursuing her master’s degree at the University of Washington, she met Ken Alper, a fellow East Coast native and master’s degree recipient. The couple moved to Alaska, bought Silverbow, and raised their family there. Jill found and hired the best women in Juneau to be your team (and instant friends) while you adventure with us.
Want to work with us?
Welcome to the Silverbow Inn,
in the historic Messerschmidt Building
Originally built in 1907 as a bakery, the Historic Messerschmidt building in downtown Juneau has been stitched together from four buildings over time to make up the Silverbow Inn Hotel & Suites. She’s not just a hotel though, she’s a collection of her many lives and many loves. As a bakery, she housed a love of food. The top level has been a family home many times over, housing a lot of memories and love. Now Silverbow is home to a larger family, all of us and all of our guests. Yes, you too!
Gus Messerschmidt was a German immigrant who founded the San Francisco Bakery here in 1902. It is the oldest continuously operating bakery in the state of Alaska. The hotel is made up of four separate buildings that have been added over a 110-year period! Silverbow has been owned by only three families, all of whom raised their kids in the building. Gus and four generations of his family lived here until the 1980s when the building was sold and the upstairs apartments were converted to be more conducive to guest stays.
In 1997, our part of the story began when we took over and built the legendary Silverbow Bagel Bakery, which operated from 1997 to 2015. Now it’s your home away from home. We’ll get your room ready.
join our team
Careers
Some people stay with us and they love it so much, they don’t leave. It happens. If you want to work with us too, drop us a line! We’d love to talk with you. We are always interested in growing our team, so we never turn down an opportunity to speak to a hard-working, fun-loving potential teammate. What were you thinking?