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Van Gilder Hotel

2.5 star property
Victorian hotel in historical district in Seward

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Photo gallery for Van Gilder Hotel

Lobby
Shower, free toiletries, hair dryer, towels
Reception
Restaurant
Reception
Experience the charm of Van Gilder Hotel, a historic hotel in the city center. With an art gallery on site, shopping mall at your doorstep and library to get lost in, guests can connect with free WiFi and enjoy perks like self parking and an area shuttle.

Reviews

6.2 out of 10
Good

Popular amenities

  • Free WiFi
  • Free parking

Main amenities (10)

  • Daily housekeeping
  • Free area shuttle
  • Free bus station shuttle
  • Library
  • Microwave in a common area
  • Refrigerator in a common area
  • Concierge services
  • Luggage storage
  • Limited hour front desk
  • Tour/ticket assistance

Feel at home (4)

  • Daily housekeeping
  • Free self parking
  • Free area shuttle
  • Free toiletries
The current price is $223
$247 total
includes taxes & fees
Aug 10 - Aug 11

Room options

Available filters for rooms
Showing 8 of 8 rooms

View all photos for 1 Queen - Shared Bath

1 Queen - Shared Bath | Bathroom sink

1 Queen - Shared Bath

Highlights

Heating
Separate bedroom
Daily housekeeping
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Queen Bed

Classic Double Room

Highlights

Heating
Separate bedroom
Private bathroom
Daily housekeeping
  • Sleeps 4
  • 2 Queen Beds

View all photos for Apartment Annex

1 bedroom, free WiFi, bed sheets

Apartment Annex

Highlights

Heating
Separate bedroom
Private bathroom
Daily housekeeping
Located in an annex building
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Queen Bed

View all photos for Annex 1 Queen Bed

1 bedroom, free WiFi, bed sheets

Annex 1 Queen Bed

Highlights

Heating
Separate bedroom
Daily housekeeping
Located in an annex building
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Queen Bed

View all photos for 2 Full Beds

2 Full Beds | Room amenity

2 Full Beds

Highlights

Heating
Separate bedroom
Private bathroom
Daily housekeeping
  • Sleeps 4
  • 2 Double Beds

View all photos for Queen Bed and 2 Twin Beds

1 bedroom, free WiFi, bed sheets

Queen Bed and 2 Twin Beds

Highlights

Heating
Separate bedroom
Private bathroom
Daily housekeeping
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 Queen Bed and 1 Twin Bed

View all photos for Suite, 2 Bedrooms

1 bedroom, free WiFi, bed sheets

Suite, 2 Bedrooms

Highlights

Heating
2 bedrooms
Private bathroom
Daily housekeeping
  • 2 bedrooms
  • Sleeps 4
  • 2 Queen Beds

View all photos for Classic Room, 1 Queen Bed

1 bedroom, free WiFi, bed sheets

Classic Room, 1 Queen Bed

Highlights

Heating
Separate bedroom
Private bathroom
Daily housekeeping
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Queen Bed

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  • Free WiFi
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About the neighborhood

Map
308 Adams Street, Seward, AK, 99664

What's nearby

  • Kenai Fjords National Park Visitor Center - 3 min walk - 0.3 km
  • Seward Waterfront Park - 4 min walk - 0.4 km
  • Alaska SeaLife Center - 4 min walk - 0.4 km
  • Seward Boat Harbor - 2 min drive - 1.6 km
  • Lowell Point State Recreation Site - 9 min drive - 4.5 km

Getting around

  • Kenai, AK (ENA-Kenai Municipal) - 139 min drive
  • Free area shuttle
  • Free bus station shuttle

Restaurants

  • ‪Starbucks - ‬3 min drive
  • ‪The Highliner Restaurant - ‬1 min walk
  • ‪Harbor Street Creamery - ‬19 min walk
  • ‪Ray's Waterfront - ‬2 min drive
  • ‪Woody's Thai Kitchen - ‬11 min walk

About this property

Van Gilder Hotel

Enjoy your visit to Seward with a stay at Van Gilder Hotel. Guests will have free perks like WiFi and self parking. Fellow travelers love the helpful staff.

Languages

English, Spanish

More about this property

VISIBILITY

At a glance

Hotel size

    • 20 rooms
    • Arranged over 3 floors

Arriving/Leaving

    • Check-in start time: 3:00 PM; Check-in end time: 9:00 PM
    • Express check-out available
    • Late check-in subject to availability
    • Minimum check-in age: 18
    • Check-out time is 11:00 AM

Special check-in instructions

    • The front desk is open daily from 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
    • Guests must contact the property in advance for check-in instructions; front desk staffed during limited hours
    • To make arrangements for check-in please contact the property at least 24 hours before arrival using the information on the booking confirmation
    • If you are planning to arrive after 7:00 PM please contact the property in advance using the information on the booking confirmation

Required at check-in

    • Credit card, debit card, or cash deposit required for incidental charges
    • Government-issued photo ID may be required
    • Minimum check-in age is 18

Children

    • No cribs (infant beds)

Pets

    • Pets not allowed
    • Service animals welcome

Internet

    • Free WiFi in public areas
    • Free WiFi in rooms

Parking

    • Free onsite self parking

Transfers

    • Free bus station shuttle

Offsite

    • Free area shuttle within 25 yards

Other information

    • Designated smoking areas
LOB_HOTELS

Property amenities

Food and drink

  • Shared microwave
  • Shared refrigerator

Traveling with children

  • Free local shuttle

What to do

  • Fishing nearby

Services

  • Front desk (limited hours)
  • Concierge services
  • Tour/ticket assistance
  • Luggage storage

Facilities

  • Built in 1916
  • Library
  • Art gallery on site
  • Shopping mall on site
  • Victorian architecture
ROOM

Room amenities

Home comfort

  • Heating

Sleep well

  • Bed sheets provided

Freshen up

  • Shower only
  • Free toiletries
  • Hair dryer (on request)
  • Towels
  • Toothbrush and toothpaste (on request)

Stay connected

  • Free WiFi

More

  • Daily housekeeping
MONETIZATION_ON

Fees & policies

Renovations and closures

The property is closed between September 10 and May 14.

Policies

Only registered guests are allowed in the guestrooms.
This property does not have elevators.
Guests can rest easy knowing there's a smoke detector on site.
This property accepts credit cards. Cash is not accepted.
Credit cards accepted: Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover

Also known as

Van Gilder
Van Gilder Hotel
Van Gilder Hotel Seward
Van Gilder Seward
Van Gilder Hotel Hotel
Van Gilder Hotel Seward
Van Gilder Hotel Hotel Seward
HELP_OUTLINE

Frequently asked questions

Is Van Gilder Hotel currently open?

The property is closed between September 10 and May 14.

Are pets allowed at Van Gilder Hotel?

Sorry, pets aren't allowed, but service animals are welcome.

Is parking offered on site at Van Gilder Hotel?

Yes, there's free self parking.

What are the check-in and check-out times at Van Gilder Hotel?

Check-in start time: 3:00 PM; Check-in end time: 9:00 PM. Check-out time is 11:00 AM. Express check-out is available.

What is there to do at Van Gilder Hotel and nearby?

Have fun during the warmer months with activities nearby such as fishing.

What's the area around Van Gilder Hotel like?

Van Gilder Hotel is in the heart of Seward, a short 4-minute walk from Kenai Fjords National Park Visitor Center and 4 minutes' walk from Alaska SeaLife Center.

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Van Gilder Hotel Reviews

Reviews

6.2

Good

6.6/10

Cleanliness

7.2/10

Staff & service

5.2/10

Amenities

5.4/10

Property conditions & facilities

6.0/10

Eco-friendliness

Popular mentions

Room
Location
Bed
Building
Service staff
Historical
Shower
Bathroom
Booking
History

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Wonderful and professional staff made our stay easy and enjoyable. Great location.

2/10 Terrible

Location was great
Susan, 1-night trip

10/10 Excellent

Very professional, friendly staff
Michael, 2-night trip

8/10 Good

Coffee area was lovely
Karen, 2-night trip

8/10 Good

Old hotel
Chester, 1-night trip

8/10 Good

Interesting, historic hotel. Beds were extremely comfortable! No elevator. Great location - close to shops, restaurants and the water.
sherri, 2-night trip

10/10 Excellent

Recepcionist was very helpful
Jose Martin, 2-night trip

4/10 Poor

The history was interesting.
Carol, 1-night trip

10/10 Excellent

I felt as though I had stepped back in time.
Mona, 1-night trip

2/10 Terrible

New name, hotel lysol, no hot water. Dump
Kevin, 2-night trip

4/10 Poor

No hot water for two days. No clue from staff on resolution. Very hot in the room and no screens on windows. Could be a nice place someday.
Kyle, 1-night trip

8/10 Good

This is an historic hotel in the heart of Seward. As expected, it was old and lovely. Our rooms were clean and remodeled. The bed was comfortable and the rooms were good size. The hotel is walking distance from restaurants and the Sealife Center as well as the beach. The only thing that I would recommend is have more staff available. We often had to go find the front desk clerk to ask questions and to check in and out. We would recommend if you like old, historic hotels and we would come back.
Roberta, 2-night trip

2/10 Terrible

Property is old, dingy, outdated, and very inconvenient. We had to carry our luggage up 3 flights of stairs, there was no air or ability to open windows which was suffocating, and no hot water for showers. Parking was in a dirt field behind the hotel near private homes.
Brian, 1-night trip

6/10 Okay

We were initially put in a ground floor room which Opened to the back or side street - very unkempt and I didn’t feel safe. We were moved to the second floor thankfully. This is a very worn building, and needs significant maintenance.
Natalie, 3-night trip

8/10 Good

What we like Location Staff Room was ok What we did not like The hotel was to hot The shower did not have cold water so water was to hot to take one
Juan, 5-night trip

4/10 Poor

Very dilapidated old hotel with peeling paint inside and out. Creepy old windows without screens. Ran out of hot water during a short shower. The staff were very nice

4/10 Poor

I really want to like this place, a funky old hotel. But it is well past time for a Renovation. No hot water. Broken (antique) furniture. Limited outlets. Window curtains were falling off and inadequate in blocking light. Staff was not seen when we came in at 10am or before 8am in the morning (but were nice when I saw them). Which directionThe b
Maura, 1-night trip

2/10 Terrible

We were really disappointed. The photos didn’t reflect the fact that the hotel outside paint is falling apart big time. The bed sheets had not been changed so we had to ask for them to be immediately changed. This has been done right away but we stayed with the bad feeling. On the positive side, shower water is perfectly warm, the hotel is quiet and it is great to be downtown. Overall at that night rate we would have expected much better.
Laure, 3-night trip

2/10 Terrible

Didn't like - property condition extremely poor, no hot water at all during stay, no TV for first night but was fixed. Did like - bed, sheets, towels Recommend avoiding this property in its current state.
Ian, 2-night trip

6/10 Okay

We enjoyed our stay except there is not any hot water in any of the rooms. I complained the first night and was given suggestions on how to make it hot. Nothing worked. Second night they allowed me to use a shower downstairs. Other guests had the same problem. When I say no hot water I mean expect it to be to be extremely cold . Like straight out of the glacier cold!
Tiffanie, 2-night trip

2/10 Terrible

The shower head barely had any water coming out. The hotel parking was a way to carry luggage from your vechile. No parking out front to unload luggage. Rooms were quiet and lots of antique furniture in the hotel. Carpet had a few sticky spots on it
Cleo, 1-night trip

2/10 Terrible

This hotel should be shut down by the city of Seward, AK. The condition is terrible, definitely worse than a cheap Motel condition. The room smelled badly, dirty all over the place, no AC, door, window conditions are bad, hallway dirty & bad smell. Expedia should refund my money and de-list this hotel from Expedia site.
UTPAL, 1-night trip

6/10 Okay

The rate was fair for the value received. This place could be so much more but I suppose then the rates would be so much more. In all fairness the bedroom and bathroom were clean and it wasn't that bad. The biggest negative is the radiator would not turn off so we had to keep both the bathroom and bedroom windows open at all times. If you are looking for an inexpensive place in Seward this will work. Just don't panic when you first pull up to the place.
Mark, 3-night trip

2/10 Terrible

Property is obviously very old, which we were hoping would bring charming character. Instead, it was just not well maintained. We had no hot water for the duration of our stay, not even warm. Front desk would only offer a 10% (!!?!??!) discount off of our stay in return. All we wanted after a long day of traveling was a shower, we couldn’t even get that.

2/10 Terrible

Cons- Historic property very poorly maintained. Front desk not staffed even during publishes hours. No hot water. (Major issue) No mosquito nets on most windows. Bugs coming in as the windows were left open by the hotel to cool the room. Room/suite has plaster falling off and on the carpet No easy way to circulate air without getting bugs in. (Major issue) More than $300 per night and Expedia not representing hotel. correctly. No real amenities. No security. Poor and inadequate parking. Positive - is great. Close to restaurants etc. I would recommend not staying here.
Rajiv, 1-night trip