A 74-room hotel opening next spring will serve tour groups and independent travelers visiting the Kenai Peninsula community of Seward.
The Gateway Hotel will operate seasonally between mid-May and mid-September. Set on 4th Avenue and Van Buren Street in Seward, the property is a short walk from the Kenai Fjords National Park Visitor Center, the city's Alaska Railroad depot and several area hiking trails. Seward's main cruise terminal and small-boat harbor are also located near the new accommodations.
Daily shuttle service will carry Gateway Hotel guests to and from the Seward cruise terminal and the Alaska Railroad stop. Shuttles will also connect the hotel to check-in offices operated by Major Marine Tours. The family-owned, Seward-based cruise operator is constructing the Gateway Hotel, which will be a sister property to the Harbor 360 Hotel. Major Marine Tours opened that year-round property, located a few blocks north on the 4th Avenue waterfront, in 2015.
For more than 25 years, Major Marine Tours has run seasonal adventures showcasing wildlife, glaciers and scenery in Resurrection Bay and Kenai Fjords National Park. Gateway Hotel guests will be invited to reserve spots on the company's half- and full-day outings by talking with front desk staff.
Hotel staff members can also recommend flightseeing outings, kayaking tours, hiking adventures and other activities. Travelers will find additional tour operators, plus a variety of cafes and shops, within walking distance of the new hotel.
Accommodations at the Gateway Hotel will include 66 double queen rooms, six ADA-accessible king rooms and a pair of two-bedroom suites with shared bath. Hotel amenities range from free Wi-Fi and free parking to on-site laundry facilities, satellite television and a business center.
An outdoor deck and elevated viewing platform will overlook local salmon streams and mountain peaks. Images of nearby Kenai Fjords National Park will decorate public spaces throughout the hotel.
Groups staying at Gateway Hotel will have access to complimentary breakfasts in a dining room that will double as a private event space accommodating up to 80 people. An attached catering kitchen will be available for meetings, weddings, reunions and other private events. Groups can also make use of use a special motorcoach drive-through designed for the efficient loading and unloading of luggage.
Several major cruise lines dock in Seward during the summer season, and the Alaska Railroad offers day trips and special packages that stop at the Kenai Peninsula destination. The new Gateway Hotel and surrounding Seward community are located 125 miles south of Anchorage by car.