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Seward Windsong Lodge, near Alaska’s Kenai Fjords National Park
Seward, Alaska, is the gateway to the Kenai Peninsula and to Kenai Fjords National Park. This coastal rainforest region of glaciers and big trees is a popular cruise ship stop, but it’s easy to reach by train, bus, or car as well. During a recent car-free Alaska adventure, Seward Windsong Lodge was our base for exploring this part of the state.
Here’s the scoop:
Facilities and Services
Seward Windsong Lodge is set in the forest, a short drive north of the town of Seward itself. The hotel runs an hourly shuttle bus that takes you into town, with stops at the Small Boat Harbour, where Kenai Fjords boat tours depart and where the national park visitor center is located, and at the Alaska SeaLife Center, an interesting marine life facility located in “downtown” Seward, where you’ll find several restaurants and pubs.
Park Connection buses that connect Seward and Anchorage, 125 miles to the north, stop directly at the lodge. The lodge shuttle will also pick up and drop off passengers at the Alaska Railroad station if you’re traveling by train from Anchorage.
In the large lobby — often filled with people waiting for shuttles or tour buses — a coffee bar serves java drinks, pastries, and a few sandwiches. In a separate building, Resurrection Roadhouse is open for breakfast and dinner, with a bar for drinks and light meals.
The property has a guest laundry, also in a separate building. There are currently no fitness facilities, other than walking the property’s wooded paths.
One of the guest room blocks at Seward Windsong Lodge
Spread across a nine-acre wooded property, Seward Windsong Lodge has 18 separate buildings. The original buildings were constructed in the 1990s, with additional “premium” buildings built toward the back of the land in 2019. The 216 guest rooms are divided between a series of wood-frame room blocks.
None of the room blocks has an elevator, though some have ramps and accessible rooms. Request a first-floor unit if stairs are a challenge.
Guest Rooms and Amenities
Furnishings in the standard guest rooms include sturdy wood-framed beds, small dining or work tables, one-cup coffeemakers, and mini-fridges. Sinks are located outside the bathroom adjacent to the beds.
The next room category is a slightly larger standard room with a private deck facing the woods.
A standard guest room
Standard suites have a sleeping area with two queen beds, with a pony walk partially separating the living area from the bedroom. The living room sofa has a pop-up trundle bed, dining table, and bar-style counter with a microwave in addition to the coffeemaker and fridge. Standard suites also have whirlpool tubs.
The premium rooms have updated furnishings.
The premium rooms and suites are similar in layout to their standard counterparts, but with upgraded furnishings. In these newer units, the sinks are located in a vanity area outside the bathrooms rather than in the bedrooms.
Ask about packages including Kenai Fjords boat tours.
What’s Nearby?
Seward Windsong Lodge is located on the road to the Exit Glacier in Kenai Fjords National Park. While the hotel shuttles don’t take you to the glacier, other local shuttle companies, including Exit Glacier Shuttle and Adventure Sixty North, can pick you up or drop you off either at the lodge or in town.
The Pursuit Collection, which owns the lodge, also runs Kenai Fjords Tours, which offers several different boat excursions into Kenai Fjords National Park, including their popular six-hour Kenai Fjords National National Park tour is a narrated tour that takes you up close to the Aialik or Holgate Glaciers, where you might spot sea lions, sea otters, or even whales en route. You can book packages including both accommodations and a Kenai Fjords tour.
Rates
Overall, Seward Windsong Lodge is a comfortable base for exploring the Kenai region, even if you’re traveling around “The Last Frontier” car-free. Double room rates at the lodge, which opens for the season in May and closes in mid-September, start at $199/night. You can also compare rates and make reservations at Expedia.
Looking for accommodations in Denali National Park? The Pursuit Collection also runs Denali Cabins, outside the national park entrance. Read our recent review here: Denali Cabins
Hotel feature by Vancouver-based travel, food, and feature writer Carolyn B. Heller. Photos © Carolyn B. Heller. The Pursuit Collection arranged my stay for review purposes.
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