Alana Boyles
Google
Rustic. The one word you need to describe this place. If you are a seasoned backpacker and camper you will not be phased at all. If this is your first hostile (an accurate typo) experience, skip this place. Sven’s primary function is to serve as a fueling up point for people headed into the Arctic Circle to hike for months at a time. The vibe is crunchy, to say the least. They boast to have an on-site coffee shop, though I never saw it open. They have various options for accommodations ranging from a treehouse to several tents to a more permanent wooden structure, but unless you call and book over the phone, there’s no way to know which room you’ll end up in. The tents they provide are large and permanent, with actual wooden doors and they sleep five people. There is also a little area off to the side where you can pitch your own tent. The kitchen is bare-bones, but provides all the pots and pans you could need. The showers you have to put quarters in in order to have water run. The sinks have free drinkable water though, so if you’re not there for long you can get around paying for a shower by doing sponge bathing in the sink. There are three toilet and three shower stalls and it’s all coed communal for the entire property. Definitely somewhere I would recommend staying with a friend or a partner and not solo. It’s perfectly safe, the staff aren’t very friendly or very present if you have questions, you have to hunt them down. It’s also not in an accessible location. There is a bus stop right outside, but the Fairbanks bus system is limited at best. That bus stop only sees a bus once an hour and it doesn’t run for very many hours throughout the day. The next nearest bus stop is about a 25 minute walk away. Though the walk is on paved sidewalk, leading up to Sven’s you will have to walk in the road so walking is not the safest option. Ubers are also very expensive, though that might be your best option for getting into downtown Fairbanks. Not the place to stay if you want to see Fairbanks proper. It’s very out-of-the-way, and while is the cheapest option of the two hostels in Fairbanks, it’s really meant for backpackers gearing up for, or returning from, massive wilderness expeditions. The property is also not wheelchair accessible.