Just stayed in the Van Gilder for 2 nights in August 2005. Paid $98 for a room with a shared bath (which would be a rip-off in most of the world, but didn't seem too bad a price when I was looking around Seward). The room was really small without much of a view, but it was clean and had a sink in the room. The communcal kitchen was similar to the room: nice and clean but rather small. Also, the location in downtown was nice, as you are just a few blocks from restaurants (try the eggplant parmesan at Apollo - delicious!) and the Sea Life Center and the harbor is a nice 10 minute walk.

The staff at the Van Gilder was helpful in getting our heavy bags to our 3rd floor room. My traveling companion and I both have difficulty with many stairs, so the lack of an elevator came as quite a surprise. The room with a view looked over the police station to the bay. Not exactly what I'd expected. The room was small, with barely enough space to walk on 3 sides. The bathroom was large by comparison, the shower comfortable. No tub in our bathroom and the single pedastal sink had no storage. Electrical outlets for charging phone and camera batteries were almost non-existant. No air conditioning or fan available so the room tended to be a bit stuffy when the air outside was pleasant. We didn't need heat, so we didn't check out the large radiator in the room. The Van Gilder has a communal kitchen we found helpful, but there are no paper towels in the kitchen, and the only ice is from a single Hotpoint refridgerator with an ice dispenser. It was out of ice most of our visit. The bed was comfortable. I found the hotel a bit on the noisy side, with a definite lack of privacy noted. You could easily hear other guest's speaking in their rooms, so be careful what you do and say! The parking is about half a block away, but there's a loading zone in front of the hotel for arrival and departure. Plenty of good restaurants within walking distance, too. Overall, I wouldn't stay here again if given the opportunity to stay somewhere else, but it was adequate for this visit, during the salmon derby when nothing else in town was available.

Wish I could recommend this place, but I can't. I paid extra for a view, and I did get a view; but it was not that hot. Don't expect a picture view of the bay. The alarm clock didn't work. Most alarming, though, the heater didn't work. There was a radiator in the room, but staff acted surprised that it wasn't working. Just so happened that they had a couple of space heaters to lend. Again, barely passable. Tried to open the window in the bathroom, but it was broken and wouldn't open.

I'll say this, though. The place is quiet, and it has lots of early 19th century charm. Which is to say the rooms are fairly small and the bathroom cozy. Still, it has far more character than a Holiday Inn.