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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
Reception
Shower, free toiletries, hair dryer, towels
Reception
Restaurant
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

Room options

Check availability for these dates

Tonight
Oct 3 - Oct 4
Check availability for tonight Oct 3 - Oct 4
Tomorrow
Oct 4 - Oct 5
Check availability for tomorrow Oct 4 - Oct 5
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Showing 8 of 8 rooms

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

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

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 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 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 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

Classic Double Room

Highlights

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

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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

  • ‪The Breeze Inn Restaurant - ‬2 min drive
  • ‪Firebrand BBQ - ‬16 min walk
  • ‪Highliner Restaurant - ‬1 min walk
  • ‪The Cookery - ‬3 min walk
  • ‪Ray's Waterfront - ‬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.

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

6.2/10

Eco-friendliness

Popular mentions

Room
Location
Bed
Building
Service staff
Historical
Shower
Bathroom
Booking
History

Reviews

8/10 Very good

Van Gilder Hotel

The place is a little run down but our stay was fine. Love the architecture, quiet and in the center of town an easy walk to everything. If you want a 5 star hotel this isnt for you but my wife and I liked it a lot. If we ever come back to Seward will definitely stay here again.
David, 2-night trip

2/10 Poor

Location was great
Susan, 1-night trip

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

Coffee area was lovely
Karen, 2-night trip

8/10 Very good

The Haunted Hotel

The Van Gilder gave me spooky Haunted vibes but I thought it was great as an experience because of the hauntedness. It would have been better if I was able to check in early and check out later so I didn’t have to carry my bags around Seward. Overall conveniently located lower end of town. Very close walk to waters edge, aquarium, coffee shop and other restaurants and stores. Also the Free Shuttle stop #9 is just outside and across the street.
Kelsi, 1-night trip

8/10 Very good

Old hotel
Chester, 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

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

4/10 Fair

The history was interesting.
Carol, 1-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

2/10 Poor

Don’t stay here

The staff wouldn’t answer the emergency line they gave me if there were any problems. The window wouldn’t lock and it was next to the sketchy alley and it was moldy!
1-night trip

4/10 Fair

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

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

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

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

4/10 Fair

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

2/10 Poor

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 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

2/10 Poor

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

6/10 Good

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 Poor

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.

10/10 Exceptional

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