I would love to give this place 5 stars and am trying to be fair here, but since the main focus of…read morethis business is the lodging part (according to the name) I have to be true to the purpose of these reviews. Summary: Food is very, very good, staff is friendly for the most part, but the rooms are less than clean. The good: the food is very good (for Hoonah or anywhere else) and this is one of the only places in Hoonah to have a sit-down meal. They bake their own treats like muffins, brownies, cookies, etc. which are great for breakfast or dessert. The establishment is right on the water so you can stroll out at anytime and appreciate Alaska's beauty from just steps outside the door, or perhaps even from some of the rooms. My room faced the road so I am unsure of this. The bad: my room was one of the dirtiest I have ever slept in. There was a coffee stain on my wall that looked as if someone threw an entire cup/pot of coffee at the wall and no one so much as looked at it let alone cleaned it up. Nasty is the only word that comes to mind when contemplating my room cleanliness. That being said, I do believe that I got the last room available during my stay, and I was happy to have it as there was nowhere else. Perhaps I got that room that all hotels/motels have but keep as a last resort to occupy. The bathroom cleanliness also left something to be desired. In all fairness, I did not think the rest of the establishment was overly unclean/dirty, but I will say that the standards in Alaska are on a different level than the lower 48. Perhaps I'm just a prissy, spoiled mainlander. Dunno.

This place is a diamond in the rough!!! The staff is so pleasant and kind!! The food is delicious…read moreand mouthwatering!!! My sheets smelled fresh and clean!!! My view was absolutely spectacular!!! The fishing was amazing and the company was absolutely out of this world!!! I will be back next year for sure!!!

Went on one of their tours. Best experience on our trip to Alaska. Stu - our guide - went out of…read morehis way to ensure we saw bears and other wildlife. He's brilliant in his knowledge of the area, the animals, the surrounding environment and the history of the area. Can't recommend highly enough!

We booked this tour rather than the bear tour through the cruise ship excursion. We spent ample…read moretime at the river where bears feed. There were still a few salmon but, apparently, it was too late in the season for bear activity as we did not see a single bear. Our guide, Stu Mills, went out of his way during the 3.5 hour tour to drive around to spots where bears might be found. Still no bears. However, Stu is a native of Hoonah and he educated us with endless stories about his life, family, native culture, local plants and vegetation used for medicinal purposes (the Devil's club ointment really works!). While the bears were disappointing, Stu's expertise made the trip very much worthwhile.

We had an incredible experience on our whale watch with Vivid Endeavors. Seth was friendly and…read moreknowledgeable, and thanks to his expertise we were able to head right out to a spot for great whale watching. Our group's ages ranged from 8-70 years old and everyone agreed that our trip with Vivid Endeavors was the highlight of our trip to Alaska. Highly recommend!

Everything went well. Captain seth is very attentive and helpful. And being on smaller boats makes…read moreit so much more personal. He was delightful and kind and tried really hard to find animals for us.

Our whale watching tour with Hoonah Whale Tours was one of the absolute highlights of our Alaska…read morevacation! From the moment we booked, we could tell they genuinely cared about their guests. What impressed us the most was how incredibly accommodating they were. Since we had to return to our cruise ship on time, they contacted other passengers and adjusted the tour schedule so we wouldn't have to worry about missing our ship. That level of customer service is exceptional and gave us great peace of mind. The tour itself exceeded our expectations. The captain is friendly, knowledgeable, and passionate about the local wildlife and the Hoonah community. We were incredibly fortunate to see whales, orcas, bald eagles, sea otters, and sea lions--all in one trip! The captain made sure everyone had a great view while providing aome information about the animals and surroundings. They also provided complimentary snacks, which was a thoughtful touch and added to the overall experience. Knowing that Hoonah Whale Tours is a family-run business made the experience even more special. Their hospitality, professionalism, and genuine care for their guests truly set them apart. If you're visiting Icy Strait Point or Hoonah, don't hesitate to book with them. It was one of the best excursions of our Alaska cruise, and we would absolutely choose Hoonah Whale Tours again!

I cannot say enough great things about this experience. Captain Joardan was amazing at getting us…read moreclose to humpback whales and 2 Orca whales. Lots of other wildlife was seen as we cruised out along the coastline. His better half picked us up to take us the short ride to his boat. She happens to be an amazing baker and had fresh blueberry muffins made with wild blueberries they pick! Our boat had 6 of us so allowed us to move freely. I get motion sick and it was super smooth as to not cause me any concerns! Book directly with them vs thru second party. I have sent many people their way and would definitely book again if ever back in Alaska.

Yes! I love Glacier Bay Lodge! No, I didn't have the opportunity to actually *stay* at Glacier Bay…read moreLodge but I did have the opportunity to dine at the lodge several times during my stay in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. Before I go any further, Brian from Utah is the very best waiter and my Dad and I purposefully requested him to be our waiter every time we dined here. I can speak to the Alaskan Ambers, the chicken fingers, the seafood chowder, and the best plates - the smoked salmon platter and the steak dinner. Everything was really tasty and I have no complaints. The service was great and even if there was a wait, or you want to dine near the fireplace, you can get your food in a to go box. Win win. Other notables regarding the lodge - the Visitor Center is on the second floor in addition to several exhibits, a National Park Service bookstore, and a theater that shows scheduled films about the park. I always enjoyed stopped at the lodge on our way to/from the campground. While I'd love to stay at the lodge, it was great having the opportunity to use several of the amenities while staying for *free* in the developed/established NPS campground just a quarter mile down the road.

This is a 3.5 for me. Stayed one night on 7/31/2021. For a lodge in the middle of nowhere, it's…read morefine. This is also the Glacier Bay National Park Visitor Center on the second floor, where you can get your National Park passport stamp. The hotel picks you up from Gustavus airport in an old school bus, and drops you off at the lodge. From the bus, hotel staff come on the bus to tell everyone the facts about the hotel and where to get your luggage. Afterwards they separate you by last name and you get your keys. Much faster than checking in individually at the front desk. You pick up your luggage and go to your room. It smells like the summer camp that I went to. They do have ramps and an elevator for people who are in a wheelchair. Our room (31) was fine. There's no TV and no internet reception in the rooms, so you better like who you're staying with, because the lodge closes at 9 PM. We had to go to the front desk because we didn't have any soap or shampoo, but they're really understaffed after the past year. Room comes with a bed, a table, two chairs and nightstands. There is no mini fridge or microwave so don't bother bringing stuff that would need those two appliances to be edible. There is one restaurant on site that requires reservations, and all diners must be hotel guests. It's a little old, and the walls are a bit thin, but the room was comfortable and I fell asleep immediately. When we got to the hotel, the National Park Visitor Center portion was closed for the day so we were worried about not getting our National Park passport stamp after coming all this way. We walked a trail around the lodge and ended up catching the tail end of a presentation of the park rangers in the traditional house just past the Snow the Whale skeleton. The presentation began about 7 PM. In the morning, we dropped off our luggage at the front desk and had it tagged with the airline that we were flying back with. This is because checkout is before we'd be back from the official 8 hour boat tour through Glacier Bay with the actual park ranger (and the National Park passport stamp and Junior Ranger program.) After dropping off the luggage, we walked from the lodge down a trail to Bartlett Cove dock to visit Glacier Bay National Park. After the boat tour, it was a mad dash to get to the bus on time, as it leaves for Gustavus at 3:45 PM. All of our luggage was waiting for us on the bus. I would strongly discourage bringing anyone under 21 here. There were so many teens and tweens on ipads in the communal sitting area in the lodge. You could tell they were bored and not interested in the beautiful nature, so save your money and let them come when they're adults who can appreciate the scenery.

I'm not surprised to see they have a perfect 5 out of 5 star rating on Yelp…read more I'll add five more stars to it! This trip was amazing, one of the best highlights of the cruise. The crew is so passionate and well informed about all of the wildlife (whales, bears, eagles, etc - we saw them all). It was almost a spiritual event. Couldn't recommend enough!

We booked this whale watching though our cruise ship and it did not disappoint…read more The crew was amazing. Gave such great information. We saw humpback whales, Stellar Sea Lions, porpoises, harbor seals and even a couple of bears! It was a great day out on the water in Icy Strait Point!

Extremely small airport. Only open for its one flight a day. You had to walk up the stairs to the…read moreplane. Staff was ok, we had an issue and they did help after awhile. The TSA employee was awesome. Clean and had some pretty posters. Bathrooms were clean.

Gustavus Airport. The "Gateway to Glacier Bay National Park"!…read more This is quite the small airport. Without Alaska Airlines making a once a day roundtrip flight to and from here and Juneau, AK...this place would be irrelevant. But, because of Glacier Bay...and because of the incredible interest in tourism that National Parks draw...I believe this is the primary reason why Alaska Airlines even flies here. I paid about $100 each way to fly from Juneau to Gustavus and then from Gustavus back to Juneau. So, for Alaska Air to simply fill the seats up at $200 a pop, roundtrip, I would have to think this is one of their most profitable routes! And...flying times are like taking an NYC taxi, lol. From Juneau to Gustavus...20 minutes being in the air. From Gustavus back to Juneau...only 15 minutes time! It's that easy. I also looked up departures to and from Gustavus and Alaska Air flies the same route, the same flight #, the same times...every day. JNU 4:03pm - GST 4:40pm - Flight 71 GST 5:40pm - JNU 6:12pm - Flight 77 Maybe schedules change when not in the prime summer travel season, but, basically, it's these flights that create all the action at Gustavus Airport. I was actually riding a bike around town on the morning of my departure back to Juneau, and when it wasn't near the afternoon time...the airport was pretty much closed down. To prove how small GST is, they don't even have a jet bridge or a terminal when entering or exiting the aircraft. There's a mobile staircase that leads you up and down the plane, and then into and out of the airport. Btw...I almost left out...what's really incredible abut Alaska Air's presence in Gustavus, is that they fly a Boeing 737 jet here! It's not like some small, regional aircraft or propeller plane. They bring a jumbo jet, and when waiting for the quick, 45 minute turnaround back to Juneau...the plane holds a mighty stature for passengers to view while waiting in line. That brings me to this point... What I did...and what almost every other passenger did as well, was...while heading to and from the plane...you must take a picture! Because...we're so accustomed to using a jet bridge, that when you have an opportunity for an up close and personal experience with a massive Boeing 737 plane, most people like to document it with a photograph, lol. So...don't forget to do that. One other thing...when I arrived for the weekend and then eventually departed a few days later...the entire town of Gustavus waited and watched from the parking lot. I had these flashbacks to my childhood like, when my parents used to ship me to sleep away camp and everyone is at the bus departures depot either ready to say their sad goodbyes...or when returning in August after 2 months time, rejoicing in hugging reunions with loved ones. It was weird...I was having a sense of nostalgia from this tiny Gustavus Airport. For me, within my weekend excursion to Gustavus... from the time my AB&B Host picked me up to suddenly waiving goodbye to her within a 48 hour period...it somehow left me with a familiar sadness. I think it's the type of small town/homely experience you'll discover here in Gustavus...that's hard to replicate. Lastly, I used the Alaska Airlines App to check-in for my flights. Once I was dropped off by my AB&B Host, I stood in the security line until the arriving plane had been cleaned/groomed for being turned around. Security was tight in terms of it being crowded and congested. But once past it, it was just a matter of time before boarding started and getting on that 737 jet back to Juneau.. Overall, I appreciate these low key types of airports like Gustavus, AK (GST). In the end, thank goodness for Glacier Bay National Park. And thank goodness for Alaska Airline's presence as well...for making a daily roundtrip flight here and allowing Gustavus to be so accessible to travelers from around the world.

The food is the best in gustavus. People are very nice and great service I would definitely…read morerecommend it

Stayed here for a week. Pros are the owner will pick you up at the airport the airport, bikes are…read moreprovided and the cabins/ bunkhouse rooms are comfortable. Cons are the breakfast is minimal, there is NO WIFI and the dog on the property starts your day barking (5:00am) and ends your day barking until 11:00pm.