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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
Restaurant
Reception
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
$223 nightly
The total price is $247
Aug 26 - Aug 27
Total with taxes and fees

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 One Queen & 1 Twin

1 bedroom, free WiFi, bed sheets

One Queen & 1 Twin

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

Similar properties

Executive Double Queen | 3 bedrooms, blackout drapes, free WiFi, bed sheets

Hotel Seward

  • Free parking
  • Free WiFi
  • Restaurant
  • Gym
8.0 out of 10, Very Good, 1,001 reviews
$149 nightly
The price is $165
Sep 6 - Sep 7
Total with taxes and fees
Hotel Seward
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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

  • ‪Firebrand BBQ - ‬16 min walk
  • ‪Highliner Restaurant - ‬1 min walk
  • ‪Starbucks - ‬3 min drive
  • ‪Harbor Street Creamery - ‬19 min walk
  • ‪Alaska Seafood Grill - ‬2 min drive

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

At a glance

DONE

Hotel size

    • 20 rooms
    • Arranged over 3 floors
DONE

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
DONE

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
DONE

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
DONE

Children

    • No cribs (infant beds)
DONE

Pets

    • Pets not allowed
    • Service animals welcome
WIFI

Internet

    • Free WiFi in public areas
    • Free WiFi in rooms
LOCAL_PARKING

Parking

    • Free onsite self parking
DONE

Transfers

    • Free bus station shuttle
DONE

Offsite

    • Free area shuttle within 25 yards
DONE

Other information

    • Designated smoking areas

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 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

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

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 Alaska SeaLife Center and 5 minutes' walk from Seward Waterfront Park.

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Van Gilder Hotel Reviews

Reviews

6.2

Good

6.6/10

Cleanliness

7.4/10

Staff & service

5.4/10

Amenities

5.4/10

Property conditions & facilities

6.0/10

Eco-friendliness

Popular mentions

Room
Location
Bed
Building
Service staff
Historical
Shower
Booking
Bathroom
History

Reviews

10/10 Exceptional

Neat, Cool, Historical

Very neat, cool, and interesting place to stay. Historic and interesting stories. Definitely different, but in a good and enjoyable way. Staff (Sash!!) was helpful in accommodating our late arrival.
1-night trip

8/10 Very good

Tolerable

One night stay. The van gilder is an old hotel. It is registered on the national historic register and it's possible they've done little to improve things since achieving that feat. The bed was tolerable, but the shower needs help. It was either hotbor cold.
Claudia, 1-night trip

8/10 Very good

Historic hotel in Seward.

Well located historic building in downtown Seward. Historic means no AC, small shower. Nice staff, sitting rooms with coffee and tea.
Eric, 2-night trip

8/10 Very good

perfect location, old historic building

We had a good stay. The Van Gilder is a historic hotel with some age and issues, but was clean and relatively comfortable. The location was definitely the reason to stay here! It is within walking distance of everything in Seward, with amazing views of the water and downtown.
Holly, 2-night trip

4/10 Fair

Overall was clean and staff friendly, hotel just seems to need some maintenance and we were without power for a day and did not have hot water for our showers which was the worst after a day fishing in cold water and wanting a warm shower.
7-night trip

6/10 Good

The Van Gilder was a great historic place. But . . . when you stay at historic, keep in mind it's older. We enjoyed our "suite" however being on the 3rd floor allowed us the opportunity to get in our exercise whether we wanted it or not. There was no AC, but the desk hostess provided us with a fan. If you want an experience/adventure at a reasonable cost, this is your place!
2-night trip

4/10 Fair

Pillows are original to the room and this place is old!!!
Scott, 2-night trip

4/10 Fair

Use this hotel as a last resort.

This hotel will do in a pinch and that was what we were in. The bed and pillows were comfortable. The TV was good. The WiFi was good. The water pressure was terrible at the sink and almost non-existent at the shower.
David, 2-night trip

2/10 Poor

Dump

Needs to be painted, shower was not working, there was a bug in the bed Worse value
STUART, 1-night trip

4/10 Fair

Shabby.... not shabby chic

The building is falling a part - Peeling paint, crumbling walls, loose floor tiles, sticky carpet floors... The linens were clean but everything else was extremely shabby. One of our nights here we had no hot water and were unable to bathe
Kristina, 2-night trip

6/10 Good

Overall very enjoyable

Really cool and historic building right in the middle of Seward. We walked every where. We stayed downstairs. The bathroom was fristrating. Recommend staying upstairs with a shared shower
Rob, 2-night trip

6/10 Good

The hotel is old and the floor is squeaky. We had to check in and out after and before the office hours. Feel bad for
cameron, 1-night trip

6/10 Good

It was not in as good shape as the pictures indicated. It was VERY hot and stuffy in our room. The water was cold, NO hot water at all. Electrical outlets would not hold a plug(an easy fix). Curtains do not completely cover windows. It was like outdoor camping with a toilet and sink.
russell, 1-night trip

6/10 Good

Historic hotel in need of major renovation

Van Gilder hotel is an historic hotel very old but in need of major renovations from the exterior the front steps were broken concrete and they were not accessible by any ADA standard outside building was a flaking paint and just terrible . The hotel lacked an elevator and we were on the third story and so we had to walk up and carry up all our luggage not very good.. The room was relatively small one small queen bed and bathroom in the room unfortunately the television was in the wrong location. It was 8 feet up in the air and it was at the head head of the bed so if you wanted to watch TV you had to lay in bed facing the wrong way where your feet would be the hotel doesn’t have any air-conditioning and unfortunately, the windows do not have any screens so if you left the windows open, it’s a good chance you come back in your room would be full of flying bugs. Bathroom was acceptable, shower, toilet, etc. that was OK down in front lobby. They had availability of coffee and a small countertop ice machine in the room with the big bear very Alaskan overall hotel might be a great location if and when it ever gets fixed up if not probably it should be a disclaimer that it is not ADA friendly that people who need or unable to climb, massive stairs and hump luggage up should stay away
Peter, 1-night trip

4/10 Fair

Old and it shows almost everywhere

This place is a historical monument, but not kept up well at all. The outside walls and front steps are crumbling. The building next door looks to be condemned. Places in the interior show buckled walls. Most of the interior looks very old and shabby. Our second floor room took several minutes of running water before it would be hot. The faucet in our sink was very loosely attached. If you try to bend your head down near the sink you have to be careful not to hit the storage shelf above it. There is no elevator, so you carry your luggage up and down stairs if not on the first floor. Parking is a gravel lot a half block behind the building connected by a gravel alley, so there is no to surface where you can roll your luggage to or from your car. Either carry them or drop off in front and park later.
Front
Crumbling steps
Lack of maintenance
Buckled wall
Bernard, 1-night trip

10/10 Exceptional

Fantastic location and very friendly/helpful staff. Perfect place to stay while exploring Seward.
Patrick, 1-night trip

10/10 Exceptional

Nice, old historical hotel, well maintained, antique settings in rooms.
Robert, 1-night trip

8/10 Very good

Great location in downtown - cool historic hotel :)
Scott, 2-night trip

8/10 Very good

Very convenient location. Historic hotel.
Valerie, 2-night trip

10/10 Exceptional

A unique hotel and have a sense of history.
Wei, 1-night trip

10/10 Exceptional

Wonderful Hotel

Beautiful historic hotel. Wonderful atmosphere and parking was close by. Seward has a lot to offer. We stayed for two nights and loved the area.
Front of Hotel
Church on 4th St
Resurrection Bay
Heather, 2-night trip

10/10 Exceptional

hotel was quaint, but old - had alot of history which was very interesting
Joanne, 2-night trip

10/10 Exceptional

Quint and historical building in an excellent location
Jim, 2-night trip

10/10 Exceptional

Very cool haunted property 👻
Lynn, 1-night trip

8/10 Very good

Had charm. Staff very friendly, excellent location - a few steps away from the main shopping and dining street.
Margaret, 1-night trip