Hotels in Gustavus

Gustavus contains some of Alaska's best remote accommodations, more than we have room to describe here. Most accommodations are "Gustavus style," which means they charge a daily per-person price for rooms, breakfast and dinner served family style, brown-bag lunches, bicycles, and some other outdoor equipment and transfers. They also book and charge for fishing, sea kayaking, hiking, and Glacier Bay tours. It's expensive, but it's a carefree way to visit. Another set of accommodations charges less but leaves you on your own for lunch and dinner. Before choosing the less costly, a la carte approach, consider your dining options. Except as noted, rooms in Gustavus don't have phones. Some of the inns do not have licenses to serve alcohol; if that's a consideration, be sure to ask before you book your stay. There's a liquor store with limited hours, or you can bring your own.

Besides the lodgings described in full, we can also recommend Homestead Bed & Breakfast, near the center of Gustavus at 17 Faraway Rd. (www.homesteadbedbreakfast.com; tel. 907/697-2777), where a family opens two bedrooms and a comfortable common room to guests hoping to visit on a relative budget. A full breakfast is included in the summer rate of $135 double, as well as bikes, satellite TV, and Wi-Fi, and the Homeshore Cafe or Gustavus Inn are nearby for other meals.