Sauerdough Lodging Blog | Sauerdough Lodging- Part 5

Weekend Roadtrip From Anchorage

Are you dying for a weekend road trip from Anchorage? Beautiful and charming Seward is less than two and a half hours from downtown Anchorage. Situated at the head of Resurrection Bay on the Kenai Peninsula, this charming town is full of history, adventure, and breathtaking scenery. No matter what your interest, there is something for you in Seward, Alaska!

For the Adventurer

If you love to get your adrenaline flowing, you’re going to love Seward, Alaska. We have lots of water activities including sailing, rafting, paddleboarding, kayak tours, and some of the best fishing in the world! Go to great heights with one of Seward’s exciting air tours or see picturesque Seward behind a team of huskies on a dog-sledding tour. Hike a glacier, go horseback riding, or ski on our world-class slaloms. There is no shortage of outdoors adventures in Seward, Alaska!

For the Leisure Lover

If you want to relax at a slower pace for the weekend, Seward is the place to do it. Pamper yourself at a salon or day spa. Sleep in at the Sauerdough Lodge, then grab a leisurely breakfast at the Sea Bean (we recommend the sunshine sandwich of happiness!). Stroll through our downtown and pop into our local boutiques. Later, feast upon gorgeous views, prime rib, and Alaska salmon on a dinner cruise.

For the Cultured

For the art lover, we have seven different galleries specializing in everything from fine art to pottery. Visit the Alaska Native Heritage Center to learn about our native culture. Get familiar with the history of our town by taking a historic walking tour or visit the Seward Community Museum, a favorite attraction for visitors.

Escape the busy city life in Anchorage and get to know beautiful Seward, Alaska!

5 Reasons to Choose a Small Hotel Rather Than A Chain

Small Hotel vs. Big Chain

Debating between a small hotel or a big chain? Here are a few things to consider before making your decision.

Local Culture
Want to truly get to know an area? Stay in a small locally owned hotel. True locals know the local experience. They can steer you to the best restaurants, the best tour guides, or the best of whatever you are looking to experience on your trip.
Intimate atmosphere
Get off the cattle car and find out what it is like to check into a small hotel where they are truly excited to host you. When you visit a small locally owned hotel like Sauerdough Lodging, you’ll see the same friendly faces over and over again, instead of a staff of hundreds. Small hotels create a warm ambiance you just won’t find in a large-scale chain.
Unique Experience
While a chain hotel in Seattle will usually look identical to the same chain hotel in Miami, a small hotel with one or few locations will be designed and decorated to fit exclusively in its location.
Customized Guest Experience
Large hotel chains build their success off of finely tuned strategies that fit the needs of the masses. In other words, they have rules to running their hotels based on what most people want. But maybe you’re not most people. Or maybe you have needs that are a little different. Small hotels are flexible in that they can customize their guests experience. They don’t have rigid rules to follow.
Customers Are More Highly Valued
Hotel chains are all about profits. The faster they can churn out customers, the faster they can make money. Small hotels tend to value their customers more highly. Their reputation can be changed by only a few customers. Additionally, when you book at a small hotel, you may actually interact with the owner or a family member, rather than someone who was hired to run the front desk. With so much at stake, a small hotel will prioritize your comfort and happiness over everything else.

Gray Whale Watch Tours

Experience The Majestic Gray Whale

Gray Whale Watch Tours are one of the most popular tourist attractions in Alaska. Starting in late March, running through mid May, visitors can take day trips to view these majestic creatures up close and personal, just outside of Seward, Alaska.

Each spring, the gray whale migrates from Baja, California, where they mate and give birth, to Alaska’s western coastline. This journey is over 5,000 miles. Because they stay within 2.5 miles of the shoreline, the gray whale is one of very few whale migrations we can see from shore. The gray whale thrives in the Alaskan summer in places like the Bering Sea, which is rich with food; the perfect place for the gray whale to fatten up before returning south for the winter.

Want to experience this beautiful phenomena for yourself?

Experience wild and stunning Alaska from the comfort of your very own seat, when you book a gray whale watch tour with Kenai Fjords Tours. Knowledgable tour guides provide a fully narrated tour as guests take in the picturesque views, including magnificent glaciers. In addition to the migrating gray whales, tour guests may also see humpback whales, orca whales, sea lions, otters, Dall’s porpoises, seabirds, and mountain goats.

Get a front row seat as these magnificent mammals pass by the mouth of Resurrection Bay. Join our captains as they observe Gray Whales on one of the longest migrations of any mammal on earth. (via Kenai Fjords Tours)

The 4 Hour Gray Whale Watch Day Cruise includes:

Lunch
Wildlife guide
Fresh baked cookies
Courtesy shuttle from downtown Seward
Free parking off-site

Book before March 31 with Kenai Fjords and get 10% off gray whale watch tours!

And don’t wait to arrange your accommodations! Receive 10% off our standard room rates with the code GRAYWHALE when you book through our website. Offer good March 24-April 30th only. Book your room today!

Restored brothel In Seward, Alaska offers overnight guests a glimpse of history

Built in 1907 by William Sauers, the Sauerdough Lodging building has served many purposes over the years. It originally housed the Seward Commercial Co. general store, with a town meeting hall upstairs. During the Roaring ’20s, the building was a brothel in Seward, Alaska. It is presently the home of The Sea Bean café downstairs and our charming rental apartments upstairs. [Read more…]