Online booking is not offered for this Hostel. Contact them for availability and reservations (any contact info we have is listed below).
Please see Anchorage for other available Anchorage hostels and accommodations.
Please see Anchorage for other available Anchorage hostels and accommodations.
The Hostelz.com Review
Spenard Hostel International is a typical hostel, with all the same accommodations that you find in any other hostel around the world. They have friendly and helpful staff, comfortable rooms, and nice common areas. This place is a great introduction to those who have never stayed in a hostel before.
The Location
This place is located in a quiet residential area of Anchorage, about a ten-minute bus ride from the downtown area -- it's also not far from the airport. The bus stop itself is only a block away from the hostel. There is some parking in front available but it's not large. Next to the bus stop is a great restaurant called Gwennies that's open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner -- the food is fair and average-priced for Alaska. Within a block of there is a McDonald's.
Here at the hostel you can rent bikes and ride some nearby trails. The Tony Knowles Coastal Trail, the main one, is a mere fifteen-minute bike ride away from the hostel. Take it west and you will end up on the outskirts of the airport, where you can see the aircraft coming in at two hundred feet above you. Take it far enough east and you will ride over a bridge going toward the Westchester lagoon, where you can get a good look at some aquatic birds and idyllic scenery.
Rooms and Bathrooms
The dorm rooms are basically standard for a hostel, with space for up to about eight in a room (no single or private rooms available). There's plenty of space and no problems with security or theft. We did not see any lockers or storage space in the dorm that we were staying in. The bathrooms are ok -- they are small, and again, just basic but clean and well kept.
Common Spaces
There is a large common area on the upper floor and one on the bottom, complete with plenty of reading materials or literature for perusing. Internet and Wi-Fi are available. Also there is a large, clean, well kept kitchen on the upper floor with a telephone for local calls. There is a vending machine and a machine for making change next to the kitchen area. Outside there is barbecue grill for those who want to use it.
The place is pretty packed with guests, who seem to be open and very sociable. However the place is not noisy like a partying crowd. The guests -- who range in age from their twenties to sixties -- for the most part abide by the rules for not disturbing the peace. To help keep the place clean, this hostel does not allow guests to wear their shoes inside -- footwear must be left outside near the entrance and there is also a wooden rack to place your shoes.
Summary
While not exceptional, this hostel is overall a good place to stay for what they charge. The only downside to this place is that they only allow you to stay here for a maximum of six days. For some hostelers who like to stay in a hostel for weeks, this might be an inconvenience. However there is one plus here for those who really want to save or stretch their money as far as they can. They have a work program where in exchange for several hours of volunteer cleanup work they will give you a free night stay.
The Location
This place is located in a quiet residential area of Anchorage, about a ten-minute bus ride from the downtown area -- it's also not far from the airport. The bus stop itself is only a block away from the hostel. There is some parking in front available but it's not large. Next to the bus stop is a great restaurant called Gwennies that's open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner -- the food is fair and average-priced for Alaska. Within a block of there is a McDonald's.
Here at the hostel you can rent bikes and ride some nearby trails. The Tony Knowles Coastal Trail, the main one, is a mere fifteen-minute bike ride away from the hostel. Take it west and you will end up on the outskirts of the airport, where you can see the aircraft coming in at two hundred feet above you. Take it far enough east and you will ride over a bridge going toward the Westchester lagoon, where you can get a good look at some aquatic birds and idyllic scenery.
Rooms and Bathrooms
The dorm rooms are basically standard for a hostel, with space for up to about eight in a room (no single or private rooms available). There's plenty of space and no problems with security or theft. We did not see any lockers or storage space in the dorm that we were staying in. The bathrooms are ok -- they are small, and again, just basic but clean and well kept.
Common Spaces
There is a large common area on the upper floor and one on the bottom, complete with plenty of reading materials or literature for perusing. Internet and Wi-Fi are available. Also there is a large, clean, well kept kitchen on the upper floor with a telephone for local calls. There is a vending machine and a machine for making change next to the kitchen area. Outside there is barbecue grill for those who want to use it.
The place is pretty packed with guests, who seem to be open and very sociable. However the place is not noisy like a partying crowd. The guests -- who range in age from their twenties to sixties -- for the most part abide by the rules for not disturbing the peace. To help keep the place clean, this hostel does not allow guests to wear their shoes inside -- footwear must be left outside near the entrance and there is also a wooden rack to place your shoes.
Summary
While not exceptional, this hostel is overall a good place to stay for what they charge. The only downside to this place is that they only allow you to stay here for a maximum of six days. For some hostelers who like to stay in a hostel for weeks, this might be an inconvenience. However there is one plus here for those who really want to save or stretch their money as far as they can. They have a work program where in exchange for several hours of volunteer cleanup work they will give you a free night stay.
— Exclusive Hostelz.com Review
August 2011
Their Description
Spenard Hostel International Details
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Map
Location/Contact| Address | 2845 West 42nd Place, Anchorage, Alaska, USA |
| Location | |
| Website | www.alaskahostel.org |
| Telephone | +1 (907) 248-5036 |
| Fax | +1 (907) 248-5036 |
How is Spenard Hostel International rated on other websites?
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Hostelz.com Guest Reviews
BUG Infested I stayed there a few nights recently, the place has lots of problems since new owners took over, bedbugs are one!! It's not the same hostel that it once was. I wont stay there again. — Traveler , USA (2010-01-09) Has no business sense and is dirty! This hostel has new owners with very little business sense so its operation is hit and miss with no direction. The hostel is not cleaned on a daily basis and the beds are old and filled with bedbugs. Stay there at your own Risk! — Anonymous , usa (2009-07-11) Great! My daughter and I stayed here in 2000 for several days. It was our first hostel experience and we loved it. We stayed at several others during our Alaskan visit and this was by far the best. — Laurie , USA (2009-03-01) Excellent hostel, very clean, quiet, and friendly I stayed at the Spenard hostel for eight nights. The hostel was very very clean. They have quiet hour starting 11 p.m. so as not to disturb other guests. The thing I liked about Spenard is that you have to place your shoes outside the door. This is one of the best hostels I have stayed in. I am sure all the future guests will enjoy their stay. — anand hingorani , american (2007-09-13) Clean and fun! Although large, this hostel still has a small home feel to it. Great workers and great travelers coming through. I was able to rent one of their brand new, specialized bikes and discover Anchorage and the coastal trail. Would definitely return! — Natalie , Canada (2007-05-08) This was my first Hostel experience and it worked out great. The staff as helpful and fun. The guests were interesting and courteous. It's not downtown but I found it to be convieniently located. There are three kitchens (not two like the Hostelz review says). I was there three seperate nights in early July of '06 and I didn't have to wait for a bathroom or a kitchen. I would say they were about half full or better on the busiest night I stayed and it was still seemed pretty quiet. — Keith (2006-07-18) Staying at Spenard was the first experience I'd ever had staying at a hostel. I was there in October 2005, during the time the winter over folks were there. I had such an awesome time there, and such an awesome time in Alaska that I've decided to move to Anchorage. Simply wonderful. Everyone was friendly, and I met people that I never would have met if I'd stayed at a hotel or a B&B. — Cristine (2006-06-09) A well run and fun place to be in Anchorage. The hostel is very clean and feels like a home away from home. I stayed at a few other hostels in town and Spenard Hostel is definitely the best. Skeeter (the dog) is a great friend and if you take him for a walk, he'll love you forever. The hostel is a little ways from the nightspots, but the quiet and safety is well worth it. Long Live Spenard!! — Anonymous (2006-04-10) This is definitely the best hostel in Anchorage, possibly the best in the States, or even the world. I stayed in winter and had THE most awesome time. The people are lovely and it felt like coming home. Long live Spenard!! — Erica (2005-01-10) This is the best hostel in Anchorage. We had a great time, and are eager to return. — Anonymous (2004-10-07)