Gjestehuset 102 — Hotel in Spitsbergen

Nice Stay but can be improved. 😊

I stayed here for 4 days 3 nights. The overall stay was good. I met a lot of people, interacted with them, the overall environment was good inside. Breakfast was fine, rooms were good. Kitchen was good, washrooms were clean. And almost had all the facilities. There are some things that may need some improvements. Like the staff they were nice but sometimes they should be a bit attentive.

1st - Avoid the first room near the reception. The staff should be a bit attentive here. For instance - they gave me the first room near the reception on the left (i guess 7001) and there was one guy staying and firstly he was too rude, started yelling that turn off the lights I am sleeping even at 2 pm. C'mon this is a shared room if you have problem you book the single room. Then the room was smelly, everywhere there were the unwashed dishes (with fungus especially), food was lying on the common table, the unwashed cups in the room I mean very disgusting situation and that guy especially. Never seen such an unhygienic guy in my life. I straightaway went to the reception and requested them to change my room. And the receptionist was nice, she changed it immediately. The other guests from UK who came after me in that room experienced exactly the same situation. So just a little recommendation for the hostel staff that please periodically keep a check on guests as well as the shared rooms and don't allow guests to take the food & dishes in the room. 2ndly Location was quite far from center but then it didn't matter much as I could walk and see on my way to the hostel, the other things...

I stayed at Gjestehuset 102 for six nights—two in a private room and the rest in a shared dorm with two roommates. My experience was absolutely wonderful.

The staff is incredibly friendly and knowledgeable about the area, activities, and logistics, and they’re readily available during office hours. Breakfast is included from 7:30 to 10:00 AM, which was a great way to start the day.

The hostel is a bit of a walk from the town center, but I knew that going in—and I loved it! With my long stride and steady pace, it took me less than 30 minutes, though at a more leisurely speed, it could take a bit longer. If walking isn’t your thing, taxis are available, though I didn’t use them. Personally, I found the walks to be one of the highlights of my stay. The scenery is breathtaking, and there’s something special about walking through the Arctic landscape on your own.

One of the best perks of the location is how easy it is to see the northern lights! Just a short two-minute walk from the hostel gets you away from light pollution, making for perfect aurora viewing—no need to book an excursion. On clear nights, the northern lights were absolutely mesmerizing. Guests at the hostel often let each other know when they appear, creating a lovely sense of community.

Beyond that, the hostel itself is very clean, with well-maintained bathrooms and showers that are cleaned daily by the staff. Everything felt comfortable and well-kept.

Overall, I had a fantastic stay and would happily return. If you're looking for a cozy, welcoming place to stay in Longyearbyen with great northern lights access, Gjestehuset 102 is a...

I stayed at Gjestehuset 102 as a solo traveler and really enjoyed my time there! I had a single room, which was perfect for me, it was small but comfortable, practical and clean. I appreciated the desk where I could get some work done, and also the sink and mirror so i don't have to always go to the bathroom to get ready and unready.

Breakfast was included and had plenty to choose from. I liked that there were fresh waffles too. The bathrooms and toilets are in the hallway, only two of each on the first floor, but I never had to wait. Everything was clean and well taken care of.

You have to take off your shoes when you enter, which was totally fair—there’s a lot of mud, dust, and snow in late April. The place stays clean thanks to the hardworking housekeeping team. I did see a few guests leave their dirty dishes behind in the kitchen (i dont like this kind of people), which was frustrating. I used to work in housekeeping, so I really felt for the team when I saw that.

My room was right by the breakfast area and coffee room, so it got a bit noisy in the mornings, but I was up early anyway for my tours, so it was fine.

Since I was coming dueing the peak season, I did book all my excursions in advance through them on e-mail and they helped me a lot! All my tours were great, and they picked me up right outside the door.

Overall, I’m really happy with my stay. Big thanks to the whole team at Gjestehuset 102 for making my Svalbard...