Staying here was an experience. The lobby was very cute and seemed well kept; however, my room was extremely dilapidated. My bathroom in my room was full of black mold. The smoke detector in my room had the battery out and had been taken off the ceiling. Definite safety issues. There were soft towels and a soft blanket for sleeping in the room, so you could tell the owners are trying to do little things; however, the black mold definitely needs taken care of if this place is going to continue to run as a hotel. Honestly, it may be better as a museum. I don't think it is fit for a place to stay. read more

The Van Gilder Hotel - Lobby - Hotels Near Me - Seward, Alaska

Horrible! Dirty. Smelly. We thought an historic hotel would be quaint and fun. Instead we got a totally rundown, dirty, smelly, facility that has never been maintained. There was no way to control the heat in the room and by midnight it had creeped up to over 80 degrees. The mgr tried to find us another room and took us to 2 more rooms but they were worse and one did not even have working hot water. Pictures speak for themselves. read more

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Don't come to this hotel. There were holes in the walls, peeling paint, peeling wallpaper, ripped carpeting, stains everywhere. The shower had no drain cover, just a large hole in the floor rendering it unsafe and unusable. The heat was set on high and could not be controlled. There was a horrid smell in the room and throughout the hotel. And that is just a part of the defects found. We checked out and moved to another hotel. read more

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Spent the night here before the cruise. Positives: historic, clean, friendly helpful staff, common areas to work or hang out, coffee in lobby. The historic element is fun. We had a nice size room on the first floor with its own bathroom. It had a lovely old tub. It's with walking distance of restaurants. The free shuttle around town is across the street. Negatives: There is a smell when you walk in the lobby with a room freshener scent trying to cover it. Our room was also a bit smelly. It is run down. So much so the plaster was literally falling off the wall. There is a definite mold issue. I walked in healthy. The next morning, I was itchy and stuffy from my allergies. The walls are super thin, so you can hear everything. I wouldn't recommend but this could be someone's gem. Ghost hunters would love it. read more

This was the worst hotel I have ever stayed in throughput my extensive travel experience of over 50 years. The property was $300 per sleeping room with a bath room down the hall! The rooms had a sink and the bed is a roll away. I had to put toilet paper rolls on the edges of the bed so I wouldn't break my foot. The one window was moldy and in very poor condition. We had called before we booked regarding the concern over the cleanliness of the rooms. The hotel had committed it was clean! It smelled so badly when we entered the lobby. We understand the historical nature of the property..however this hotel was very poorly maintained and was so disappointing . The front desk woman was not very hospitable..only telling us the rules when we checked in the property. I was very disappointed in this property. Do not recommend in any situation. read more

Very poor, hotel are dirty, feel like never vacuum, our room is felty with foul smell, broken sink. What a waste of money. read more

The Van Gilder Hotel - A broken sink, never used it, the water come out with a yucky smell - Hotels Near Me - Seward, Alaska

Such a disappointment. Old features have been kept yes, but not maintained, more neglected. First walking into our room it smelled like feet. Shoddy electric; lamp by our nightstand was unusable. Many more questionable features, including unrecognizable stains, cracks along the walls, wallpaper falling apart, and many more! Not to mention roughly $250-300 a night solely because it's a "historical" building. Please for your sake and comfort do not book here. read more

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This hotel was horrible. There was no hot water. We reported it and were told that it was an old building, and that the owner was not planning on repairing it. I discussed with about 6 other guests. They by the way all approached me! No one had hot water. Everyone was mad. I asked for compensation and was lied to. The front desk manager told me that Expedia collected my money so I needed to go through Expedia for a refund. She stated that she would have given me a refund had if I did not pay through Expedia. I then checked my credit card and realized that was a lie! The Van Gilder charged my credit card directly. Expedia confirmed that. The hotel was dirty, the hallway lights were out, You could not see your door to put the key in, the walls were stained and disgusting as you can see from my photo, and every guest that I talked to was angry. A British doctor told me that the Van Gilder was the most disgusting hotel she had stayed in anywhere in the world. I had to agree. Alaska is a beautiful state but the Van Gilder ruined our Seward, AK experience. I called Expedia. Expedia tried calling the Van Guilder but stated that no one would answer nor return their calls. I called after leaving and realizing I had been lied to with the same result. No one answers the phone. Do Not Stay at the Van Gilder. Look on VRBO or AirB&B. There are lots of nice places to stay in Seward. I will be personally taking this up with the city of Seward. They really need to revoke the Van Gilder's license to operate. I am also taking this up with my credit card company. I am now in Homer, at a beautiful hotel. Everything is new. Water is hot. TV is 2-3 times the size. I have a freezer and refrigerator, neither of which I had at the Van Gilder, the walls are freshly painted, I have hot water etc. Everything you should expect from a hotel in the USA. read more

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A dump. Paint is peeling, water damage is painted over, smells bad. The lady at the desk was really sweet and helpful, though. read more

The Van Gilder Hotel - Water damage in quite a few places, painted over. - Hotels Near Me - Seward, Alaska

so, last minute booking, take what you can get right ? expedia and orbitz tried to get $320, we showed up in person and got the room for $220. Pretty gnarly smell...but it's old. next, 77 degrees in the room with no AC. went to Carrs at 1100pm to purchase a $96 fan. bathroom gross and food under bed. hopefully just a one off and not indicative of the business. Having said that, I feel $220 was a rip off and I wouldn't recommend to this anyone unless they hate money and hygiene. read more

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Sad. In its day, it looks like it was nice. It's now a run down hotel with hazards. Sad!

If you are looking for a cookie cutter, run of the mill or a perfect hotel... keep looking. If you want interesting history, vintage charm and beautiful imperfections you have reached your destination! From it's front door to its lobby and into your room you'll take a glimpse into its long history. Upon checkout you'll meet George who is not only the manager but the caretaker of this small town gem. Ask him about the hotel's past and it's most noted patron and you'll get a account that will blow you away. Yes it has its flaws and yes it does not have an elevator but that is not why people come to the Van Gilder. You come to experience life of a time long since past. read more

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since the owner has decided to accuse me of lying about not having an employee by the name of Shay who did in fact call another guest a "b!tc#" hence our choosing not to stay here I have attached PROOF that she does work there and texted us to try and confirm our reservation. Not to mention the mold, leaking pipes, rotten smells etc. this is not the place to stay. read more

The reviews were a little iffy but we went for it anyway as other options in town were limited or very pricey. It was a safe place to sleep for the night, and the rooms were clean enough. There is a slight smell when you walk in but it does fade away from notice quickly. Our room had one window that was half boarded over with ply wood and the lower was half thick plastic. No fan in the bathroom. Would not be my first choice next time but it was serviceable for our trip. Like an ok hostel but a much higher price. Appreciated the fridges in the little kitchen area and the Kurig. read more

I haven't stayed in many hotels in Seward, but I would be shocked if there were one cooler than this one. It's historic. This means it's got massive charm. I felt like I was in a Dick Tracy comic. At the very least, I felt like I was a detective sent to a small town to work on a case. The furnishes are nice, the tub is clawed, the shower is weird, the rooms are small, the place...might be haunted? Personally, I freaking loved it. The location is also perfect, you can easily walk to all the downtown Seward bar action. For the right price, I would definitely stay here again. read more

The Van Gilder Hotel - front - Hotels Near Me - Seward, Alaska

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This was a the worst "hotel" I've ever been to. Upon arriving, I was told the queen room I booked through Orbitz was actually off-site. The off-site location was actually a hostel with filthy shared bathrooms/showers, a gross musky odor, and blankets with missing patches. I ended up being scammed into paying $200/night for a filthy hostel room. Avoid at all costs. read more

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I was excited to stay here after reading the reviews and hearing that it was haunted. The pictures also made it very appealing; however, our stay was not what I imagined or had hoped. The hotel is beautiful with all of the historic features that makes the hotel quaint. All of the decorative furniture and other accessories transports one back in time. The young lady at the front desk was extremely helpful and friendly. Our room was located on the 2nd floor and because it is an old building does not have an elevator so we dragged our huge suitcases up the stairs. Upon entering the room, we were hit with a very nasty smell. I can't put my finger on what exactly it smelled like but it was bad. It was unusually hot in Seward and because there is no air conditioning, we had to open the windows. We thought the smell would go away with opening the windows so we unpacked our suitcases. Fortunately our room had a bathroom as some of the rooms do not and have to use the communal bathroom. After a couple of hours the smell had not dissipated so I went to the front desk and asked for a room change. It was not possible so she let us borrow her air freshening machine. We took that to the room and it helped. After a day walking around Seward we turned in for bed. We decided to watch television but it did not work. While others may have had a great experience, this hotel was not for us. read more

This hotel if you can call it that is by far the biggest rip off of my entire life. To put it simply, this place sucks. Must be your very last resort and you are out of your mind for a place to stay. The worst ever. read more

We stayed here with a TourSaver discount, which did not totally give us a free night (it gives you the cost of a shared bath room for free, we upgraded to private bath). It absolutely exceeded expectations. Now. Some of the things in the below reviews are true. The decor is definitely not modern. There is no elevator. The rooms are not big. The Murphy bed is a fold-down wooden tray that is not big enough for a 6-foot adult. The wireless is flaky at the far end of the hall. There is now no breakfast, only coffee and a kitchen. BUT, first off, this is a historic building. They tell you all of the above on their website in plain clear English. Know what you're buying, folks. Second, the manager and staff are incredibly friendly and accommodating. They went out of their way to check icon us, welcome us, and make sure we were comfortable when traveling with a toddler. (The Murphy bed is an excellent kids cot.) I found the water temperature and pressure to be entirely satisfactory. The shades keep out more light than other discount hotels we've been in thus far (though some blackouts would have been nice.) yes, the TV is small. Are you coming to Seward and paying Alaska prices to sit here and watch TV? Are you nuts? In short, it over-delivers for the price most reviewers seem to pay. That is good enough in my book. It certainly exceeded my expectations. read more

Four star for the condition of the hotel. Five stars for the service Danny was a great man. Helped us and was very friendly. Give the man a raise. read more

My husband and I stayed at the Van Gilder Hotel this past August as part of our honeymoon in Alaska. We had booked a 3 night stay well in advance through Expedia, but as our plans evolved, we realized that we needed to stay the 3rd night further north and that it wouldn't make sense for us to back track to Seward. We called the manager Danny and asked if we could arrange for a cancellation or refund. He told us that it wouldn't be an issue and that he would be able to cancel the last night through Expedia at the time we checked out. We then called Expedia to confirm. They stated that as long as the hotel agreed to the cancellation, it wouldn't be a problem. We received both of these assurances over the phone. We really should have made sure we had them in unambiguous language in writing, because we had terrible difficulty trying to get our money back after we were billed incorrectly. The hotel itself is quite charming. It's a turn of the previous century building. The walls are adorned with black and white prints of scenes from Seward's past. The furniture is well worn but comfortable, eclectic and fitting. We were very happy with our interactions with Danny (the only employee we encountered at the hotel). You could tell he was very busy, but he went out of his way to accommodate us, even letting my husband borrow some water proof clothes for a sea kayaking tour we took during our stay there. When we checked in we reminded him that we would be leaving a day early and that we had made an agreement about only paying for the first 2 nights. There was no formal checkout so we left without seeing him the final day. Lo and behold, my husband found on his credit card statement that we had been billed for that 3rd night. We just figured it was a simple mistake. We're thinking "we booked this through Expedia, a big faceless corporation. Maybe they dropped the ball". So my husband called the Danny once, then twice. He got a hold of him for a few minutes and he said he would call back. That didn't happen. Then my husband called Expedia customer service a number of times. Expedia's policy is to honor the hotel's refund policy. They were willing to play ball, but they weren't able to get a hold of Danny either for the first few attempts. On the third attempt, they did respond to my husband that the Van Gilder's policy is not to honor hotel cancellations and that no refund would be offered. My husband gave up and asked me to step in. I tried texting Danny about the refund and was able to drum up a dialogue. He confirmed via text that he would get us our refund, but then he never pulled through. He even asked for our credit card information again. We suspect that he didn't actually have the power to make good on his promise and offer us a refund and didn't want to go to his boss about it, but we don't know that for sure. Anyways, eventually the tourist season ended and the hotel closed for the season. We didn't have enough written evidence to have a successful credit dispute and so we're SOL. Even though there's no longer any way to get what we were promised, we still thought it was worth while to record our experience in this review. Our hope is that the owner of Van Gilder will reach out, rectify this situation and refund my husband's card for the 3rd night. Overall we had a great experience while staying at the hotel, but shouldn't have had to pay for a night we didn't stay there. read more

Imagine yourself in my shoes, it's Solstice Weekend in Seward and we needed a place to rest our tired asses. On that warm solstice night, no one illuminated the No on their vacancy signs. Spent 30 minutes being told politely that there are no rooms available anywhere in Seward. Pulled up to a motel (without any rooms available) and decided, finally, to be a brat about how their sign should say "No Vacancy," homeboy said "I run the Van Gilder, they've got 3 rooms left, head over there." Got to the Van Gilder, homeboy #2 who lived on site, checked me in and I got the room for $80 off because I'm basically Beyonce in the tourist world. Hotel is historic, our room had clawfoot tub, rotary phone, and upward around 12 throw pillows. I had a great stay, the shower pressure and temperature where not even close to being decent but I suppose that could be filed as kitschy because the hotel is so old. There's a giant taxidermed bear in the lobby, it makes a great photo op if you put your head in it's paws. read more

We took the advice of online forums telling us to buy the Alaska Tour Saver book for $99 because there's a lot of BOGO coupons in there, which saved us a whole lot of money on the trip! We knew we wanted to go to Seward, so thankfully there was ONE coupon in there for lodging in Seward. The Van Gilder Hotel is a historic hotel, and hasn't been renovated in a while, but it's still very clean and kept up well. I like the character of the place, with old art deco decorations and B&W photos of Seward history. They have a kitchen in the hotel which is shared by all the hotel guests (so mark your name on your own food before putting it in the fridge). In this way, the hotel felt a lot like a hostel. The best part is that it's walking distance to the water and the Sea Life Center (which also has a BOGO coupon in the Tour Saver book). We saw sea otters from the shore, and there were quite a few bald eagles perched on the wooden blocks on the shore. We walked up pretty close to it before it flew away. I know we grow up learning that the bald eagle is the U.S. national bird, but most people never actually see one in person. So this was super cool! If you get a chance, there's also BOGO coupons for boat tours out of Seward that takes you to see the glaciers nearby (you see a whole lotta wildlife along the way, including puffins, porpoises, whales,etc). The dock is close to the hotel, so it was very convenient. We also used another BOGO coupon to do some kayaking along the Seward shoreline at Miller's Landing down the street. A lot of activities around! read more

Had a great stay.. The hotel is authentic and very charming. I was told by locals that the hotel was haunted but I was skeptical. Interesting thing happened.. While I was laying in bed watching TV, the door to the hallway opened as if someone was checking into the room. When I got up to check not only was there was no one there, the door was also locked from the inside.. Cool experience.. I'll be back:) read more

I really enjoyed my stay here. George, the manager, made me feel very welcomed and at home, and I love the historic features and the ghost story that goes along with the place. The room was clean with a comfy bed and very nice shower. I would recommend the Van Gilder to anyone looking for a different, exciting experience and not wanting to splurge for some of the other accommodations in town. read more

A really cool old hotel. It's not a 5-Star, modern place with a big flat panel TV, room service or the like, but it's a cool place to stay. The room had a queen sized brass bed with an antique looking comforter, but clean, new sheets. There was a rotary phone!! Awesome. Beautiful (original?) hardwood floors. Clean, comfortable, and warm. Maybe a tad price-ie, but that's Alaska in the Summer for ya! It was the cheapest hotel in Seward, though. The building was very old, and as a result, creaked and moaned a probably lending to the ghost stories. (A woman was shot there though). I though it added to it's charm. I recommend it if you want a cool, no frills place to stay... (Why would someone bitch about the place having actual keys? Key-cards blow!) read more

Van Gilder Hotel was my saving grace when I went to meet my fiance's family in Alaska last year. After a week of hell, I said we need to go check into a hotel for a night and be by ourselves (the totality of trip was two weeks!). We drove into Seward later in the day and found this place. It was expensive for one night's stay, but the people who worked there were exceptionally nice and very friendly. It's down the street from the Seward SeaLife Center (walking distance), so we went over there the next morning and got to see all the neat sea creatures that are native to the area. We checked out the next afternoon but not until we went up each floor and read the captions on all the neat photographs they have throughout the hotel. If you ever make it to this place, make sure you look for the photo of the original owner and her pet porcupine. It'll blow your mind! I tip my hat to the kind people of Van Gilder who helped save my sanity! read more

This hotel was just about average, but is not a comfortable place for families traveling with children. The owners were kind enough to provide a used pack-n-play, but once we got that set up, there was barely enough room to move about. Oddly, for such a small room, they decided to have a 4 post bed. The posts just made the room smaller and didn't add any ambiance. To be fair, the room would've been adequately sized if it were just the two of us. We agree with the prior posters that the place felt old and a bit dusty. That's not a deal breaker, but be sure you're comfortable in such an environment. We used the coupon book to take advantage of the free night. Breakfast consisted of some store-bought muffins, coffee, and orange juice. Nothing fancy, but serviceable. The blinds were very thin and let in a substantial amount of sunlight, even at 1 am. We visited other hotels which all had heavy blinds; it was odd that the Van Gilder did not. The service was uneven. The guy at the front was very nice and accomodating. The woman was a bit spacey and didn't deliver an extra bedsheet as promised. Overall, we enjoyed our stay, but would probably find another hotel for a future visit. read more

This amazing hotel is listed as an historic building, and as you approach it on foot, you can see why. The exterior of the hotel and the theater next door speak to the age of the buildings, and the hotel interior continues this theme. As you walk into the office, to book in, there is a huge wooden counter space, with a mirror behind it. Old lamps light the room, and a well-loved piano sits in one corner between the windows. Danny greeted us at the check-in desk, with a smile, and walked us through the process of checking in, and even gave us the option of upgrading from a room with a shared bathroom to a double room with an amazing view over the town and Resurrection Bay. Of course, we decided to upgrade, and the room was more than worth what we paid. A comfortable bed, connecting door to the second bedroom, and a view that I can't even begin to describe. The fact that we were in the heart of town, and a stones throw from the heritage center, sea life center, and a great restaurant that made great pizza was a huge bonus. Sure we had a couple of small problems, but Danny was more than happy to take care of them, and even took care to do so while we were out. This consideration made us feel appreciated, and we'll definitely be looking to check in with them again on our next trip, especially in light of Danny's local knowledge. Before we left, Danny had already established that we love history and brought out pages from the old check-in ledgers to show us. As I was flipping through the pages, we talked a little about the town and some of the hotel's history. But what really blew me away was when he offered to let us keep one of the pages, and allowed us to take one that had Sandi's birthday. It shows that Danny cares not only about his hotel, and the history, but it's guests too. The hotel could use an influx of cash because there are aspects of the hotel that need attention. It would be a shame to see this hotel fall into disrepair, because it is an awesome place to stay, and almost everything in town is within walking distance. --- from my blog post "Humpbacks or Bust" about the trip my wife and I took to Seward... https://timothybatesonauthor.wordpress.com/2017/06/15/humpbacks-or-bust-a-vacation-special/ read more

Awesome hotel with excellent cool manager and staff and great atmosphere. We loved our room and the idyllic view. It was fun to stay in this historic landmark hotel next to old town Seward with great dining just out the door. The daily breakfasts at the end of our morning runs completed were an excellent homey touch. Kudos to the outstanding manager and owner for a great experience. We're recommending the hotel to friends and family (and my sis so wished she had booked here instead!) read more

place is haunted... Owner confirmed it. 2nd floor. we were on the third floor and all nite i could hear people on the outside stairs. i assumed later they were there for the ghost, not guests. place was pretty much deserted when we stayed. When I layed down for the nite with the gf I passed out and awoke to her being creeped out, she couldn't sleep. She also noticed that there was a blood stain on my pillow sheet, and no I wasn't bleeding. Owners custodians saw it as well. Owner said he would give me money back from the stay... never happened. Room was nice enough. Big and spacious. Just a bad experience though. read more

This is the coolest old hotel you could ever stay in. Plus its HAUNTED! No joke. Go ask your mother.

Our stay was great! It was our anniversary and Danny at the front desk comped us to a larger room no charge gave us honest insider info on we're to go and we're not to go. We really enjoyed our stay. read more

Great theme and a since of history and family. Nice breakfast, and a community kitchen, just fun

Used a Tour Saver coupon for a free night. Got the shared bathroom and had no problems. Great water temp and pressure! Walking distance to Sealife center and shopping. And free breakfast and use of well stocked kitchen. Great deal! Great feel. read more

I took a trip at the last minute and had to find a hotel that had a opening, this is why I stayed at this one. After having done so, I would rather have camped in a tent (which was my original plan but was afraid the weather would not permit). The place advertises that it is historic and quite frankly I don't find much 'historic' about it aside from the pictures on the wall. The place looks like a really old house that was turned into a hotel at the last minute. When we arrived (my friend, baby and I) we waited at the front desk while the woman that was the hotel staff sat at a table talking to some other people. She didn't acknowledge us until she was done and then came up to help us. The hotel staff at any given time, consisted of one person to help anyone that was there. When we went up to our room on the third floor, we noticed the smell of old mustiness permeated throughout the entire building. Most of the 'historic' furniture was placed randomly throughout the hotel and looked in desperate need of some upkeep or at the very least a dusting. The room we booked had one queen bed and a shared bathroom. When we went into the room it was THE SMALLEST I have ever seen. It was big enough to have a queen sized bed and about a foot walking space on the sides with a 3 foot space at the foot of the bed. The hotel woman had mentioned a free continental breakfast in the morning, it was nothing to get excited about unfortunately. It consisted of individually saran wrapped pieces of bread as well as danishes and english muffins. There was TWO kinds of cereal to choose from and some milk in a mini fridge. The 'dining' room was three small end tables with a couple chairs around it. Hardly any room for anyone unless people decide to leave. When another woman inquired about the yogurt that a sign said was suppose to be in the mini frig the hotel staff told her that their shipment was behind and they didnt have any. Shipment?!? Why not just go to the store? If you are only looking for a place to drop your things and sleep and you dont plan on spending any time whatsoever in your hotel room, then great, stay here. Otherwise you could take that money and buy a nice big tent and stay in that. The air would be much cleaner smelling. read more

What hotel misses in amenities is made up for in staff. Kevin was an excellent host and very knowledgeable of area

Pretty solid. I liked that the hotel has a kitchen, allowing us to make some cheap and healthy food (both a rarity in Alaska!). It was kinda weird that our room had a bathtub but no shower. Bed was comfy, and sure beat camping in the rain! Breakfast was crappy and they only had nasty hazelnut flavored coffee creamer. In all, not bad with the BOGO coupon, but not great. read more

Van Gilder Hotel is old -1914 and has real charm. Our room had big old post bed and was really cute. The hotel is full of antiques and you feel like you just went back in time. Bathroom in our room was fine, shower was little small, but I understand that probably was addition to the original room. We stayed there only 2 nights and were gone most of the day, but overall was good place to stay while in Seward. read more

We enjoyed our stay at the Van Gilder. We were on a budget and opted for the room with a shared bathroom. This worked out well. The bathroom was shared with only one other room and we never had to wait (maybe no one was in that room). The bed was decent and there was a sink and mirror in our room. The location is great and only a couple minute walk from downtown. While the hotel is nothing fancy it does have a nice character to and and we would recommend staying here. read more