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Please see Ketchikan for other available Ketchikan hostels and accommodations.
Please see Ketchikan for other available Ketchikan hostels and accommodations.
The Hostelz.com Review
Ketchikan Hostel is the cheapest accommodation option in town, the main drawback being the daily lockout from 9 a.m. (8:30 a.m. Sundays) until 6 p.m., although some flexibility may be negotiated with the volunteer in charge. For example, if she is in the building she may agree to admit checked-in guests as early as 4 p.m., and we were able to arrange collection of luggage from the hostel at 1 p.m. for an afternoon ferry departure.
The Location
This hostel is easy to find. It is located close to downtown just beyond the commercial area and at the start of a residential district in the First United Methodist Church at 400 Main Street at the intersection with Grant Street. The closest city bus stop is at Eagle Park one block away close to the cruise ship dock at the corner of Grant Street. During the day, half-hourly buses take around ten minutes to reach the Alaska Marine Highway, Inter-island and Airport ferry docks and the A&P and Safeway grocery stores. There buses also connect with various out-of-town attractions including some hiking trails. The post office is within reasonable walking distance, and the IGA grocery store is approximately thirty minutes' walk away. On-street parking is limited to two hours up to 5 p.m. on weekdays, bust it is possible to arrange to use the church parking lot.
Rooms and Bathrooms
The dorm rooms have neither locks nor lockers. There are usually six or seven non-stacking beds in each of the two single-sex dorms, which are situated on the second floor in separate sections of the building. There are also "overflow" dorms for use during high-season peak periods. Guests may use their own sleeping bags and towels or rent bedding and towels from the hostel. There are no private rooms, and couples are always split up between the men's and women's dorms. The showers are of good quality, and there is adequate space for one person to change and hang up his or her clothes or lay down soap, but the toilet only has a curtain separating it from the rest of the bathroom.
Common Spaces
The spacious, spotlessly clean kitchen is located in the basement, and there is a large dining table and chairs in the middle. Cupboards that are solely for church use are clearly marked. There is unlimited free coffee, and the volunteer in charge usually purchases food items such as milk, eggs, bread, and potatoes for free use by guests. There is no outside seating.
The lounge, which has comfortable seating, is on the second floor near the women's dorm, and free coffee and cookies are provided. There is a television and book exchange, and books and numerous tourist leaflets about Alaska are available. In various rooms including the dorms there is a large library of books on religious subjects, which guests who are interested are welcome to read on the premises. When guests ask about luggage storage, they are asked to leave their backpacks in the narthex of the church, which may not be the best place to leave exceptionally valuable items.
There is no computer available to hostel guests, but visitors may use a fifteen-minute computer in the public library during library opening hours. This is far from being a "party" hostel. It appeals to a wide range of age-groups, especially those who like a quiet environment. When we visited, there was a wide range of interesting, sociable visitors, including amateur fishermen, prospectors, and students. Smoking and alcohol are prohibited on the premises.
Summary
We liked the hostel -- especially its low rates, the interesting company provided by the guests, and the fact that the volunteer in charge takes a keen interest in visitors from other states and countries and is very friendly and helpful.
The Location
This hostel is easy to find. It is located close to downtown just beyond the commercial area and at the start of a residential district in the First United Methodist Church at 400 Main Street at the intersection with Grant Street. The closest city bus stop is at Eagle Park one block away close to the cruise ship dock at the corner of Grant Street. During the day, half-hourly buses take around ten minutes to reach the Alaska Marine Highway, Inter-island and Airport ferry docks and the A&P and Safeway grocery stores. There buses also connect with various out-of-town attractions including some hiking trails. The post office is within reasonable walking distance, and the IGA grocery store is approximately thirty minutes' walk away. On-street parking is limited to two hours up to 5 p.m. on weekdays, bust it is possible to arrange to use the church parking lot.
Rooms and Bathrooms
The dorm rooms have neither locks nor lockers. There are usually six or seven non-stacking beds in each of the two single-sex dorms, which are situated on the second floor in separate sections of the building. There are also "overflow" dorms for use during high-season peak periods. Guests may use their own sleeping bags and towels or rent bedding and towels from the hostel. There are no private rooms, and couples are always split up between the men's and women's dorms. The showers are of good quality, and there is adequate space for one person to change and hang up his or her clothes or lay down soap, but the toilet only has a curtain separating it from the rest of the bathroom.
Common Spaces
The spacious, spotlessly clean kitchen is located in the basement, and there is a large dining table and chairs in the middle. Cupboards that are solely for church use are clearly marked. There is unlimited free coffee, and the volunteer in charge usually purchases food items such as milk, eggs, bread, and potatoes for free use by guests. There is no outside seating.
The lounge, which has comfortable seating, is on the second floor near the women's dorm, and free coffee and cookies are provided. There is a television and book exchange, and books and numerous tourist leaflets about Alaska are available. In various rooms including the dorms there is a large library of books on religious subjects, which guests who are interested are welcome to read on the premises. When guests ask about luggage storage, they are asked to leave their backpacks in the narthex of the church, which may not be the best place to leave exceptionally valuable items.
There is no computer available to hostel guests, but visitors may use a fifteen-minute computer in the public library during library opening hours. This is far from being a "party" hostel. It appeals to a wide range of age-groups, especially those who like a quiet environment. When we visited, there was a wide range of interesting, sociable visitors, including amateur fishermen, prospectors, and students. Smoking and alcohol are prohibited on the premises.
Summary
We liked the hostel -- especially its low rates, the interesting company provided by the guests, and the fact that the volunteer in charge takes a keen interest in visitors from other states and countries and is very friendly and helpful.
— Exclusive Hostelz.com Review
July 2009
Ketchikan Hostel Details
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Map
Location/Contact| Address | 400 Main Street, Ketchikan, Alaska, USA |
| Location | |
| Website | www.ketchikanhostel.com |
| Telephone | +1 (907) 225-3319 |
| Fax | +1 (907) 247-3780 |
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Hostelz.com Guest Reviews
Great We just arrived from Prince of Wales Island where we had spent two weeks fishing, of course this was a busy time in Ketchikan due to a junior softball league tournament, the hostel was completely booked, but to our surprise the hostel host was Judy Brownhall and she remembered us from five years earlier, she found us a private room. The reunion with Judy was like meeting an old friend and we spent some of our time catching up with each other's lives, both I and my wife would recommend this hostel to anybody traveling the Southeast Alaska. — L&L from Oregon , USA (2009-09-08) Nice, clean, and centrally located I stayed here two nights in July 2008 while on a kayaking trip from Washington to Skagway through the Inside Passage. It was convenient for me because it was close to the waterfront dock where I had my kayak stored. No one answered the phone after calling a few times so I went over to have a look. Luckily I found the caretakers doing some work outside and they gave me the scoop. The place is closed in the middle of the day so just go there in the evening and you can get in. It's located in a church but no one tried to preach to me or get me to pray with them, which was nice because I am a non-believer. The place was clean and quiet and the people who ran it and those I met there were nice. — Denis , US (2009-02-19) Different It's really kinda odd. I stayed here for a couple nights last summer basically because it's Ketchikan and there aren't too many options! The whole thing is set up very odd. Went in and wondered around for a good fifteen minutes before finding an elderly woman who worked there who was very friendly. It is clean enough, and was manageable but, the dorm felt more like a storage room with lots of miscellaneous church stuff. The lockout sucks because well, it rains a lot in Ketchikan and one can only wander through the downtown area so much -- come to think of it, I don't know what you would do with your time at the hostel if it didn't have a lockout! Anyway, it's doable for a couple of days -- just a different type of hostel. — Kelbo , USA (2007-09-08) Weird I entered the place, which is the backside of a church and there was no one in there. Very few lights, no voice, and only signs stating guest kitchen, woman dorm, men dorm, pointing downstairs and upstairs. Reception was pointed to be downstairs but I didn't even give them a try. When staying in hostel, this is obviously to meet other travelers and the place looked so quiet that there was probably no one staying this night. This place looked really weird. Due to lockout time, they are only open a few hours a day and should improve the outside sign and the reception to be on ground floor because arriving late afternoon by mid-August 2006, the place looks really dark and unfriendly. Maybe the place itself is worth the value and I should be more ambitious in trying it next time. — Agnes , France (2007-08-04) First a very big thanks to Dale who is a great man. If you are nice and if you are a traveler, a bagpacker, the Eagle View is for you. Pretty view over Ketchikan and the house is near of the supermarket. It's not really an hostel, here you are in the Dale's family. You can do all you want: cook, dance, speak, drink alaskan beer, learn english, be here all the day. You know the freedom. Dale we love you and thank you for your existence, the visit of Ketchikan and his totems and don't forget the beautiful Deer Mountain. Without you we're a little sad, we'll come back one day! — Pauline & Antoine (Geneva, Switzerland) (2007-03-23) I worked here for six weeks as a hostel manager. I had an absolute ball! I met really cool and wonderful people, and ate crab and fresh fish constantly. The weather was fabulous most of the time. Because the hostel is located in a church, "shady" folks seem to shy away from staying here, so it remains a warm and welcoming place for adults and children alike. (And though you may be politely asked, no one makes anyone go to church) The hostel is clean and the church folks loved to visit, always bringing tons of cookies and homemade treats for the hostelers. I found there to be more American than international hostelers. Most say they always wanted to visit Alaska. Working here was one of the best experiences I had of hosteling in my life. I definitely would recommend this hostel (especially considering the "not so wonderful" hostel alternatives in the area). The only thing I did not like is that the premises close during the day. It makes it a bit easier to clean when no one is around, but I felt badly when poor little hostelers were kicked out from 10 a. m. to 5 p.m. on days when it rained. :( — Lisa (2004-12-08)