It all started simply enough, I had heard there was a "rustic" hostel outside of Seward and I was going to be doing some night time-lapse photography and hiking in the area.
I rolled in here to discover there was no room in the hostel proper, but there was room in the "trapper's cabin", for $75. It seemed a bit steep for what was basically a small room with a light in it. (No bathroom, but there was an outhouse with a broken toilet seat!) But, we were tired so I reluctantly agreed, filled out some paper work, and went to hand my credit card for payment. I was informed that they did not take credit cards. I then started asking about if they had tent platforms (I may have enough cash to cover one of those), she said "No, we don't". I said the sign out front said there were tent spots available. She said "well, you can put a tent up if you want"
"How much for that?"
"$25"
(stopping and thinking to myself...don't think I have that much cash on me)
Then she starts pressuring me back into getting the trapper's cabin.
"Well, are you going into Seward sometime tonight or tomorrow?"
"Well, yeah, probably"
"Ok, just get some cash there and pay me tomorrow, no worries"
Ok, cool!
Then the next day, I'm in Seward eating brunch and I get a call from a number I don't recognize. I take it.
It's the owner of the hostel, angry that I hadn't paid her yet, thinking I had skipped town. I told her I was in town eating and I'd bring the money by afterwards.
I did.
I gave her $80, said "here's eighty", and she did not give me change, was rude and short with me, and showed me to the door.
Now I go on this hostel's website (very had to find any information about this hostel's existence on google, by the way) and see that he cabin is priced at $60!
Wow, I guess I was had.
If you're looking to stay in the Seward area and not spend a lot of money, I'd have two recommendations:
1) The Ptarmigan Camp Ground a few miles from this hostel, it's only $12 to put up a tent (compared to $25 here). This was my original plan but all the spots were taken.
2) The Moby Dick hostel near downtown Seward (review coming up), it's $30 and you can walk to the limited but super-fun Seward nightlife.
Don't come here, unless you enjoy paying $80 to stay in a cabin with an unsealed-door (how do you feel about bugs?) and crap in an outhouse. read more