This hostel has many positives: - friendly staff - fantastic prices (mixed dorm is about 10 TIMES cheaper than a 2-star hotel in town) - solid WiFi - welcoming environment However, a few things keep it from 5-stars: - The hostel is closed from 10am-6pm. This makes logistics very cumbersome if you're traveling with heavy bags. You have to plan your whole day around what you wan to have access to. - The hostel is closed for the night at 11pm. Want to go for a night hike, get into town, and have a burger and a beer? Good luck. I had to run to get back to the hostel before the 11pm lockout. - Getting a reservation is more difficult than it should be. You can't do it on the web. You either have to do it via email or phone. I HIGHLY recommend doing it on the phone. - no real "common area": there's not really a central location to hang out with fellow hostelers. Yep, there are a lot of hoops to jump through if you want to stay here, I'd say they are largely worth jumping through, though. read more

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Sitka was absolutely beautiful and being able to stay at this hostel was such a bonus. It's located across from the Sheldon Jackson Campus and was the school's infirmary at one time. The beds are comfortable, the place is clean and the best place to "get your feet wet" at a hostel if you've never stayed in one before. I tried others around Alaska and they were okay but this one was by far the best. Walking to the downtown area is a short distance. The hostel has wireless but if you don't have a computer the library will let you use theirs for up to an hour. Washer and dryers are available as well as a kitchen and breakfast room. Fortunately, I met people from around the world and we all became fast friends. There were some college age hostelers and many over 50. It was a great mix of people and backgrounds. This hostel does not allow drinking or smoking. There is a curfew of 11pm with a lockout during the day and you'll sign up for one chore. No big deal, it just helps them keep the cost down and the cleanliness level up. They are open year round. It was cleaner than the hotel I stayed in over in Ketchikan for a fraction of the price. If you're going to Alaska I highly suggest you make it a point to visit Sitka. If you wish to take the economy route, like I did, this hostel was a great "first" for me! I hope I'll be able to return again in the years ahead. read more