Hotel Seward

Good room and nice locality in Seward. Not sure if same 2-star hotel prices differ in summer or non rainy season. Since we came in September during rainy season in Alaska we got the room for 341$ for 2 nights. I was skeptical in the beginning when I saw these prices for 2-star hotel if it will be okay or not. But we had a smooth check in and had a nice stay.

Hotel Seward has a beautiful exterior and a convenient location, which made our stay pleasant overall. The staff was friendly and welcoming.|However, there were a few downsides. The restaurant was closed during our visit — perhaps because it was off-season. We stayed for two nights and our room was not cleaned, which I assume is also related to the season.|Another inconvenience was the room layout. The sink was located outside the bathroom and not separated from the bedroom by a door. This design made it difficult when one person wanted to rest while the other needed to get ready, do makeup, or use the sink.|Aside from these issues, the atmosphere and location were good, and the staff’s friendliness stood out.

Super helpful staff, beautiful location, and the rooms were great. The "historic" side don't have individual bathrooms, which should be noted, but they're very accommodating and do whatever they can to make your stay enjoyable. Would definitely come again.

This is a modest hotel - nothing fancy, but it has a cool bar area and solid dining. The best part is the location is great, walking distance to many shops, restaurants and bars. We actually walked to the harbor for our boat tour (a bit over a mile). Nice staff and parking was easy/right there. |VictorB

Charming and Clean, But Noisy and Musty This hotel has a vintage charm and is very clean and well maintained. The location is perfect — right across from the park and waterfront path. The some “historic” rooms have shared bathrooms, which were spotless and fully stocked. That said, the building is very old, so noise is an issue — you can hear doors closing, people walking, and conversations in the hallway. Our room also had a musty, moldy smell. We kept the window open (which worked fine in summer), but it may be a concern in winter. Overall, it’s a small, cozy, and well-managed place with great character and location.

This was probably the worst experience I've ever had at a hotel. We booked through Expedia and the photos are EXTREMELY deceiving. The hotel has a "historical" side and an "updated" side. The photos listed on Expedia make it look nice but when we checked in we realized we were not only staying in the "historical" side but also had to SHARE A BATHROOM WITH THE ENTIRE FLOOR. The walls are so thin you can hear everything. There was a random sink in the middle of the room that had zero water pressure. Also, our room was musty and dark. We asked for a refund and hotel staff said no. Do not stay here

We stayed at the Hotel Seward a couple of nights after a cruise. The location is nice because you're out of the hustle and bustle of the cruise ship location. There are plenty of good restaurants in the local area (recommend The Cookery and Zudy's Cafe). The Marine Life Center is a a couple blocks away and a must see. However, in our room at the Seward Hotel, the sink drained slow, the toilet was loose at the flange connection and would slide into the wall, the window operators were missing all the mounting screws and were hard to operate, the windows would not close enough to latch and there was a hole in one of the screens.

A convenient location if you want downtown. The reception staff appeared to be “over tourists” & just did the minimum. Bathroom extras about as expected for a 2 star & value for money was appalling, way excessive charge for what was offered. Very disappointing.

Fairly overpriced for what you are getting. Basic room, not a great bed and my Dads bed sheets were dirty. Personally, I'd only go to this hotel if I had no other options

We recently stayed at Hotel Seward on 6/29. We were in town for 1 night. We left personal items in our room while we attended an event. There was no room safe available. Our checkbook and notebook with personal info were misplaced. Management has been unprofessionally, non responsive. We filed a police report and with their assistance we were able to get a response back from the hotel that our items were in their lost and found. The response to guests needs great improvements.

Fifth Avenue Bistro and Bar in the hotel is fabulous. Chef Christian's dishes were done to perfection with excellent pairing of spices and sides. Beautiful plating as well. Shane provided excellent serve.Atmosphere was quaint. Our favorite restaurant in Seward

We visited the Hotel Seward a few days prior to our Alaskan cruise. This was a fun place to stay but having to share a room with my brother in law and sister to help with the price wasn't enjoyable. First of all they had a free shuttle van that picked us up on our first day at the train station and a few days later transported us to the cruise ship. Everyone at the hotel was so pleasant and helpful. If you like stuffed wild animals this place is for you there are several throughout the lobby. What I did enjoy was the place appeared to be over 100 years old and the furnishings and stained glass lamps made you feel like you were in times past. My only complaint I did feel it was on the expensive side but splitting the bill made it affordable. Definitely make sure if you stay you get a bathroom in the room. I think the older section had the baths down the hall.

Loved it! Had to get used to no AC but the people were friendly and the hotel is within walking distance to just about everything. I would totally go back!

Our VRBO reservation was cancelled last minute so we were scrambling to find a place to stay and found the Hotel Seward. It was a very nice place to stay. Very clean and nice amenities. There was no air conditioning, but we really didn't need it with the nice breezes from the bay. Views were beautiful and you were within walking distance of many restaurants and attractions. The hotel is also a historic site and they had lots of old pictures and news clippings that told the story of the building and surrounding area. Neat place to stay, would recommend!

Worst Hotel Experience Imaginable - I booked a Deluxe Queen room through American Express Travel. The small, dingy room Hotel Seward gave me....DID NOT HAVE A BATHROOM. The front desk acted like that wasn't a big a deal and insisted "that's what I booked" (it wasn't). They refused to change my room and refused a refund. After checking in to another hotel, I looked at my records. The Deluxe Queen room I booked most assuredly had a bathroom. I collected my confirmation and receipt and showed it to Hotel Seward. Despite the facts, they again refused to offer a refund and suggested I send an e-mail to "management". It's now been two weeks and 3 e-mails later and they have not so much as replied (I confirmed verbally the e-mails were received). I'm a seasoned traveler with 100's of hotel stays. This is by far the worst service I've experienced. Stay far away.

Had an excellent stay at Hotel Seward. Perfectly located for a car free stay. The free shuttle or local free bus helped us get around and there was the sea life museum and lots of restaurants within walking distance. Room was very comfortable and staff very attentive. Overall an excellent stay.

Avoid the "Historic Wing" if you can. We were lucky to have a private bath, but many of the rooms do not. Our historic room included an ancient mattress, old pipes along the ceiling, historic views of Seward alleyway garbage bins, and the feeling that we were a couple of old prospectors bunking down for the night. It's a shame that the hotel doesn't put a bit of effort into improving the historic wing rooms. The rooms are tiny, but there are lots of ideas online to re-design small spaces. Instead, this hotelier has just plunked down a few pieces of cheap Goodwill furniture. In the bathroom, simply installing an extra towel bar and door hook for clothes or a small table for toiletries would make a big difference. Finally, the "free wifi" is only available in the lobby. However, we enjoyed having a cocktail hour there each evening to check email and sit among the stuffed animals. The restaurant bar serves a nice glass of wine at a good price. The staff were all very friendly. Since we stayed in such a cramped, shabby room, I can't recommend the Seward Hotel. But perhaps the newer wing is a much better experience.

Although charming, the "historical" side of this "hotel" is quite appropriate when we had sat upon, or shall I say, cratered in a non-supporting bed! TERRIBLE TERRIBLE TERRIBLE - I would NOT recommend!

We stayed on the remodeled side. Room was nice and hotel is in a good area to just get out and walk the southern end of town. No a/c like most no chain hotels in the area but windows open and they give multiple fans.

Very cute hotel in a great location. Only stayed here for one night, and this was perfect for wanting to be walking distance to the downtown restaurants area. Although we didn't eat there, there's a restaurant attached to the hotel as well. I loved the Victorian aesthetic and the real antique displays in the lobby. The staff was very friendly and accommodating as well. Only con would be the lack of ACs in the rooms. They said they only have ACs in the lobby, and gave us a small fan to use in the room.

Seriously over priced for a hotel, but they can get away with it during the tourist season. I made sure to get a room with a private bathroom, many are shared communal bathrooms. No AC, but they do give ya a small fan and opening the windows when it's warm to cool off. Very old and vintage, however; it does feel clean. No room service, you need to go to the front desk if you need anything. Bests are warn out and could use an upgrade. At least the room I am staying in has a min frig, microwave and small coffee maker.

We love the ambiance of this hotel, the staff, the location and the breathtaking view! If you come visiting this quaint location with fast city expectations- this is not it for you especially during off season. This is our first time visiting (family with preteens) and we all had a great time. No need to venture off searching for food, Ms. Gene's provides delicious fulfilling dishes despite its tiny location and limited seating which your hotel room can remedy. Highly recommend and will visit again. We stayed in the elevator access wing which seems to offer private bathrooms and a bit more space.

We went to Alaska to celebrate my daughter's high school graduation and stayed at a variety of hotels in Anchorage and Seward. Hotel Seward, by far, was the WORST hotel we have ever stayed in. Why...you may ask? Could it be the extensive amount of taxidermy in the hotel lobby that were decorated in Easter outfits even though Easter had passed? Perhaps it was the non-functional front door that required the strength of a football team to open it? Certainly it was not ADA accessible nor easy to get through when carrying luggage. Could it be the absence of a front desk person? Even when we rang the bell, it took a LONG time for someone to show up. Maybe it was the fact that it was after 4:30 p.m. and the rooms still hadn't been cleaned and were ready for us to check in. We were traveling during the off-season in April so it's not like the hotel was packed with guests. There was no apology for the inconvenience. We were made to feel as if we were inconveniencing the hotel staff. By the time we finally were given the opportunity to check into our rooms, we realized that both were equally dismal. Neither had air conditioning. The air was stale and almost had a musty/mildew smell to it. So, we needed to open the windows. One room overlooked a parking area so there was constant noise from car doors opening and closing; engines starting and stopping; and people talking. The other room - the more "spacious" room with a supposed view of Resurrection Bay overlooked the sidewalk and street. So, there were noises from vehicles and people walking right below the room. The "spacious" room also had a view of houses that were rather run down. In the FAR distance you could see some mountains/hills. I suppose if you were on the roof of the hotel you could see the water. Certainly, it's not easily viewable from the rooms. The hotel is in a state of disrepair. For example: - there was a broken and unusable window in one room - the toilet didn't fill properly. The lid needed to be taken off to readjust the handle so it would seal and fill the bowl each time The sheets were rough and pilled. It felt like sleeping on sandpaper. These sheets either were so cheap and of poor quality; or have been on the beds for decades are were overused. The interior of the hotel is dark - both from a lighting perspective and décor. We let the owner know about the items needing repair and the condition of the sheets. Again, there was no apology for the condition of the rooms. There was only defensiveness. The only plus side to this hotel is the location. We were thankfully able to leave the hotel to explore the shops and aquarium in Seward. We drove along the bay and loved seeing the wildlife - especially the sea otters and eagles.

Hotel Seward is in a great location if you're wanting to stay in the downtown area by the shops, not a good hotel if you're trying to be close to the marina. I booked this hotel on a whim trip to Seward. Negative: -Tons of construction around the hotel and confusing on how to access the parking lot. Not the hotels fault, but a notice on the confirmation email or website would have been nice. -If you are in the wing with the shared bathrooms the hallway can be pretty loud, the doors are not any type of solid material and sound travels really loud in the hallway. -I booked a room with the description of "detached private bathroom" I did not take this to be a hallway shared bathroom, which I later realized when we checked in. Positives: -Very friendly staff, always smiling and acknowledged whenever we were around them in the hallways or walking out -On site restaurant that has a really good breakfast for a fair price. -Comfy beds, t.v., windows open, ample amount of towels and blankets, sink in room -Decided to stay another night and front desk was very accommodating in allowing us to stay in the same hotel room

The rooms off of the main lobby area are dingy, dark, barely clean, overlook a dirty parking lot alley, and are very basic. The price is three times what the room is worth and there is no breakfast included. It might be good for one quick night stay, but no longer.

Finding a place to stay in Seward on short notice: Winter: relatively easy. Summer: nearly impossible. Seems like warm temps this year are shifting the procrastinator-scouting hotel conditions more towards summer. This hotel allows dogs and had a room, so we took it! It's historic, it's kitschy, it's wonderful. It doesn't include breakfast, but you can eat at the attached Gene's Place, which is about 1000% better than crappy free hotel breakfasts. Winter prices are around $100, reasonable. Location is great, walk to everything. Parking is also pretty plentiful, for "downtown" Seward.

Hotel Seward is probably the best hotel in all of Seward, AK. It's historic with matching decor, yet, the property, rooms, and lobby are kept in good condition. I'll definitely choose Hotel Seward the next time I visit this small South Central Alaskan coastal community. We stayed in a large 2-bed suite with a fireplace, sitting area next to the windows, and small area for food. The decor is classic Victorian meets memorable Alaska. A pair of complimentary Chocolates from Sweet Darlings "Alaska's Confectionors" was a nice touch. The lobby looks like it was decorated by your Grandma after her latest garage-sale-Saturday buying spree with a wild mix of stuffed animals, art, lounge chairs, and knick knacks. Somehow it all works to enhance the vibe of Hotel Seward as a memorable vacation rest stop and probably the best hotel in all of Seward, AK.

Our dog starts showing allergic reaction and her ears were swollen the first day we arrived to this hotel. This hotel also has stupid policy (you wouldn't see this policy on their website and you wouldn't know until you check-in) where you can't leave the pet alone in the room. Our dog is old and has difficulty being outside for long time when it's hot outside. Apparently hotel owner thinks that they know what's best for OUR dog smh. This policy is not for your pet's safety or others. This policy is there for hotel to charge $100 and make money off of it. Lastly, they will search your room if they think you left your dog unattended and they will give you made up reason why they entered your room.

Super nice hotel. Antique yet refurbished well, the rooms are immaculate and inviting. Lovely historical pictures of Alaska all over too! 10/10.

Such a cool place! All the traditional charm paired with cleanliness and a touch of modernity. Rooms are cozy and well equipped, comfortable beds, nice bathrooms. There's a nice restaurant right beside the lobby and the staff there were very helpful. Made me feel right at home and couldn't be more charming.

I booked this hotel more then a month before arriving. The staff is dishonest and my room was basically a claustrophobic closet. A walled in bed next to a building outside with no air! When I booked and when I checked in I asked about the rooms and was told this was as nice as any room. It was the worst room in the hotel. The room below it is a storage closet for the cleaning people. I asked to change rooms and was constantly put off by the staff. I asked Michael to speak to the manager (Mary) in person and by phone more then six times. He assured me she would call and never did. Do not stay in this hotel!

A very old hotel with a moldy smell through out the property. The inside of the hotel decorated creepy looking decoration. There is no bathroom on the room, so you have to go out of your room and use sharing bathroom with every guests in the hotel. Extremely inconvenient considering the rate of this hotel is not cheap either. I over hear other guests opinion as well of how unhappy they were. If you are going on a cruise ship, I recommended not to stay in Seward because its really not worthy!

Loved the Hotel Seward. It's not a Westin or Hilton. It's owned by Alaskans, it's seems dog friendly and the staff is very helpful. Had a great view of the mountains from out window. Our room was spacious and the bed comfortable. If you are overnighting in Seward this hotel is right down town walking distance from several great restaurants, coffee shops and the Sealife Center!

What a quaint hotel! I didn't realize it was the oldest hotel in Steward. Kind if neat to stay in a piece of history. Mark, the owner, is very nice and knowledgable of the area. I would definitely stay here again

Really cute hotel lots of interesting stuff to look at as far as decorations go . Comfortable bed , very clean and friendly staff. Definitely recommend this hotel .

WARNING TO SUMMER TRAVELERS: EXCRUCIATINGLY HOT There are a lot of upsides about the Hotel Seward: nice rooms, not unreasonable pricing, great location. However, the rooms don't have air conditioning, or any kind of thermostat at all (at least, in ours). And despite the fact that the weekend we were there was constantly pouring down rain and never got above 50 degrees, our room was regularly 80 or above. We slept with the windows wide open, fan going, on top of the covers, and were still deeply uncomfortable. So, unless you are used to sleeping in a sweat lodge, I would look into other summertime accommodations. But if you prefer a warm room, then 10/10 would recommend.

Nice old style hotel that has history. Easy accessibility to downtown Seward. We had some issues with our window that wasn't repaired. Bathrooms functioned well and beds were comfy. Since it's alaska there is no A/C but since they had a unusual hot summer it was a scorcher in the room so we had to keep the door open to get a cross draft. The restaurant for breakfast was good and slightly pricey. Good omlettes, fresh strong coffee, and great service.

The worse hotel I have ever been to. Extremely poor customer service! The owner will literally chase you out of the hotel demanding answers if he isn't happy. They will assign your a "twin hotel room" it's a two bed room with a separate bathroom that you must share with the entire floor! It's disgusting they have picture of dead people hanging on there walls to make it even more uncomfortable. Terrible decorations and even worse hotel rooms. The plumbing sucks, and I will NEVER COME HERE AGAIN! The worst experience I've ever had at a hotel thanks for the shity experience.

I had a great time staying at the hotel Seward. The rooms were very nice and clean and the staff was very friendly. Recommend to anybody.

I'm so glad I found this little place. It's not your average hotel/motel. You immediately notice the decor as soon as you enter the building. Currently displaying a Christmas motif. Absolutely beautiful! For some reason I can picture this establishment in the 20s or 30s. You just get that feeling when your there. Your treated as if you're high class even if you don't look the part. I can see this as a regular spot for me every time I come to Seward. Oh and I didn't even mention the bar and restaurant. Small and cozy but ohhh so delicious! The chef can prepare a meal that is to die for. Try the salmon or the halibut. I'm a tried and true beef guy but this chef made some salmon for me with my steak and honestly I fell in love with salmon that night! Don't go stay at a name brand place! Give Hotel Seward a try. You will not be sorry.

Best hotel in Alaska!! Amazing staff (even while extremely short staffed), great amenities, and close to everything. Cannot wait to stay again!

Stayed a couple of weeks here and it was very nice. Great service and helpful workers. The rooms are pretty small on the historical side but very nice. Close to all the restaurants and bars downtown. Ms. Gene's located in hotel is a great little bar restaurant for breakfast and dinner.

Super friendly staff! Cozy and clean and they let you have your dog!!! Walking distance to pretty much anything in Seward. Definitely a neat place to stay and VERY reasonable rates!

I think this hotel is really well managed and maintained. Customer service is spot on and the place is just really pleasant. I'd definitely stay again. And it's within walking distance to everything--perfect!

I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS PLACE. DO NOT LET THEM UPGRADE YOU TO THE MORE EXPENSIVE EXECUTIVE SUITES FOR VIEWS OF THE INLET - IT IS NOT TRUE! You will only get a few of the street! I booking the room as a special treat for my Mom, who was visiting from the lower 48 so I wanted something really special for her. I approached the front desk and spoke to the owner. Who could have simply apologized for the misunderstanding, and offer a round of drinks or something simple like refunding me the difference between the cost of the rooms. We were only a group of 4, and I was not expecting a free night stay, or free meals or anything like that. However the smallest gesture would have gone a very long way, but instead he accused me of making it up and lying!! He said he doesn't want to have unhappy customers and would be happy to give us our money back if we would like to go somewhere else. However, this is not an option when you're traveling & hosting family from out of sate. We did not have the time in our scheduled to start calling other places to see who had availability that night. Also, the other options that I called before booking with Hotel Seward, were over $400 per night, per person so i guess he had the upper hand and he knew it. WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THIS PLACE. When I walked away I was even more insulted than when I first approached the front desk, as he kept saying that I was not told the upgrade had views. The other rooms seemed fine, so why would I upgrade if I didn't have a reason too?? He kept trying to say that booking on line was a problem, however i called and booked with them over the phone, i did not book on line. He was only coming up with excuses of how I booked wrong... miserable experience.

The room was extremely small but at least we had our own bathroom. It was very hot in the room, even though the temps outside were quite cool and rainy. Had to open windows and use the fan to cool it off when we got there and into the night. So pretty steamy in there. We were able to go out into the lobby area to cool down and to have a drink (we brought our own) so that was nice. Super weird decor with dolls, taxidermy, victorian deco etc. all mixed in. Someone is a collector for sure, but it was way too much. Bed mattress was old and uneven so one of us was rolling out of bed all night. We could also smell the cooking smells from the employees that live in the basement area. Not a great experience overall.

The room smelled terrible, we vented the window all night but it didn't do any good. Could barely walk in the bathroom without gagging. The bed was so soft my waist and lower back were so much lower than the rest of my body, no sleep and a sore back in the morning. Upon checkout, the woman at the counter failed to even ask how my stay was so I could air these greviences. Overall, I hate to be so picky in such a small town with so few options, but there are much better one night stays than this.

A great historic place to stay. We were here for one night. Check in staff was friendly. The lobby has way over done it on the dead animals. That could definitely be toned back. Our room was clean but dated. This didn't bother us as we knew this would come with the territory of staying in a historic place. We didn't eat here for dinner as there is not a single vegetarian entree on the menu. I feel that a hotel restaurant should always have at least one option. Nice hotel though.

Pricey should be expected... especially in the summer, this town lives off fish and tourism. I stayed in the Alaskan side (the website clearly states to book on the Alaskan side to avoid the "historic" element of the original Seward Hotel) The rooms on the Alaskan side are large and airy with a wonderful view of the pier. The staff is very friendly and the hotel restaurant was great. I love the location as well, you can walk anywhere!

Nice hotel and close to everything. The food in the restaurant was decent but a bit overpriced for what you get. Staff were very helpful with info about activities and places to see in Seward. Michelle had a lot of great ideas for places to eat but she somehow decided to tell us about her fiancé being gun distributor in Seward and to make sure to give him a call if we were interested in buying a gun. We weren't interested in buying a gun and taking it back to NC with us. Overall our stay was ok but don't know if we would stay again.

Pros: Clean, beds was comfy to me, has a microwave and mini fridge and ironing board. Cons: In the summer it is swealtering in the rooms, loud noise from the bars out back at night, no view, parking is crappy(had to park on next street one day)

I should have paid more attention to the room specifics when I booked on Expedia. My economy room contained two twin beds and a communal bathroom for the floor. Though I won't fault Hotel Seward that I failed to notice those details, I will fault them for only having one functional shower on the floor (the other was not working) and for having very soft beds in a cramped, crowded room. The place has character and the staff were very friendly, but I wouldn't stay there again.

I always stay here when I visit Seward. Nice clean hotel with adequate staff. One downside is we booked for one night and increased the party from 2 people to 4 people in a deluxe room, with two beds, and they increased the price like $15. It's not like they were increasing the number of beds or size of the room. Kinda shady.

This review is for the restaurant. Ms genes place is a real treat! Stopped on for a quick bite after hanging out in Seward all day. Service was excellent, Karissa made an awesome Pisco punch and the food was equally as tasty. Must go when you are in Seward. The atmosphere is cozy and you might just meet Buck a local here since 89.

This review is for the restaurant only. Ms. Gene's Place (small restauarant/bar on the 1st floor) is one of the more nicer restaurants in Seward. I usually try to make it a point to have dinner here at least once every time I'm in town for business. My fav dishes are the stuffed mushrooms, the grilled chix caesar, bacon wrapped scallops, that's all I can remember right now. I wasn't a huge fan of the chicken dish as I felt the lemons & capers were too overpowering. Be warned the chef can get a bit passionate about his work. If you can get past his tableside manner he's actually not as rude a New Yorker as people make him out to be. He actually came out of the kitchen on evening to attend to the tables & chat with the diners. The owner of the hotel (she owns the cutest doxie) is very sweet as well. She usually stops by the restauarant just to check on the diners. I've had a few bartenders here & can't remember all their names, but they're all pretty attentive and fun to talk to. The atmosphere at this place is that you're part of their family. Love this place :)

Cons: Bed was uncomfortable. It was too hot in the room. After I asked the staff, they tried to lower the temperature but it was still hot. Housekeeping services did not do a good job cleaning my room. It looks like they made bed and changed towels only. Coffee in the room was horrible. While guests during my stay were respectful of each other and relatively quiet, I could still hear conversations and/or steps from other rooms. Pros: Great location, restaurant onsite opens very early for breakfast.

Stayed one night in the historic side, adjoining rooms, shared bath for a family of 5. Lobby was charming and cozy, staff very friendly. Beds were a little soft but comfy enough. Noise in the morning from restaurant below could bother some... Decor in halls consisted of interesting old photos but hallway was also full of extra furniture. Place was clean. We love historic hotels so it was fine for the night. Had breakfast in hotel restaurant; were a bit taken aback by tables set up in old hotel rooms. This was made up for by good food and extra-attentive waiter and chef.