Oz Lodge — Hotel in Alaska

This place is special. This is no average hospitality. It is a passion project built and operated by the Ozerkov family who are among the most interesting people I have had the pleasure to meet. They built the Lodge with a true Alaskan feel. It feels rustic but makes no sacrifice to comfort. It is well insulated and the cast iron fire place belts out some serious heat. The bunk beds are extremely comfortable, making it challenging to get out of bed in the morning! But once you do there's breakfast! And the Ozerkovs don't skimp on food or quality! They will tell you that living in Alaska requires caloric dense food and they deliver! Eggs, waffles, beef bacon, bagels, muffins, perfectly cut vegetables, OJ, Yoghurt, granola, and hash browns that would have sufficed as breakfast in my book! Once fed it's time to burn those calories! We got out fatty sammiches and head up the road to the most scenic backcountry ski terrain I've ever experienced! The mountains get bigger the further inland you go. Stunning views of the ocean and surrounding mountains, too challenging to describe with words. This place is special!| After fully exhausting ourselves we return to Oz Lodge and relax in their hand built mobile sauna. I would jump into the cold plunge to cool off once I was fully steamed!|Quick shower and off to dinner. Every night was different in content but the same in extravagance. The butter fish was sourced from Seward and was hands down the freshest fish I have ever had. The pork was cooked in the Traeger since 6 am. Somehow they brought the Mediterranean Sea to Alaska! Homemade hummus and quinoa and enough veggies and meat to overload the pita! Every meal was surprising and exceptional. | As good as the lodging and food was, the best part was the Ozerkovs themselves. They are smart, fun and love answering questions, educating and telling stories. Their knowledge of all things Seward and Alaska is vast. They are very involved with the community so they are completely dialed in with the local scene. We even got impromptu tour of a local fishing boat while sightseeing in Seward! The Ozekovs are...

This place is special. This is no average hospitality. It is a passion project built and operated by the Ozerkov family who are among the most interesting people I have had the pleasure to meet. They built the Lodge with a true Alaskan feel. It feels rustic but makes no sacrifice to comfort. It is well insulated and the cast iron fire place belts out some serious heat. The bunk beds are extremely comfortable, making it challenging to get out of bed in the morning! But once you do there's breakfast! And the Ozerkovs don't skimp on food or quality! They will tell you that living in Alaska requires caloric dense food and they deliver! Eggs, waffles, beef bacon, bagels, muffins, perfectly cut vegetables, OJ, Yoghurt, granola, and hash browns that would have sufficed as breakfast in my book! Once fed it's time to burn those calories! We got out fatty sammiches and head up the road to the most scenic backcountry ski terrain I've ever experienced! The mountains get bigger the further inland you go. Stunning views of the ocean and surrounding mountains, too challenging to describe with words. This place is special! After fully exhausting ourselves we return to Oz Lodge and relax in their hand built mobile sauna. I would jump into the cold plunge to cool off once I was fully steamed! Quick shower and off to dinner. Every night was different in content but the same in extravagance. The butter fish was sourced from Seward and was hands down the freshest fish I have ever had. The pork was cooked in the Traeger since 6 am. Somehow they brought the Mediterranean Sea to Alaska! Homemade hummus and quinoa and enough veggies and meat to overload the pita! Every meal was surprising and exceptional. As good as the lodging and food was, the best part was the Ozerkovs themselves. They are smart, fun and love answering questions, educating and telling stories. Their knowledge of all things Seward and Alaska is vast. They are very involved with the community so they are completely dialed in with the local scene. We even got impromptu tour of a local fishing boat while sightseeing in Seward! The Ozekovs are...

Where to start?? My amazing experience at Oz Lodge started six months before even stepping foot on Alaskan soil! When I first contacted Heather about joining a retreat she was hosting, I was met with joy, passion, and love for others! She responded so quickly and thoughtfully making sure my experience would be the very best it could be! She went out of her way to give me recommendations and guidance as to how to get to Seward and how to make the most of the time I had there! When she picked me up from the train station (which I highly recommend if coming from Anchorage) she was overflowing with joy and excitement, so much so that I nearly forgot I was visiting HER! The bunkhouse/guest cabin was DREAMY! The ambient lights were the perfect touch, as well as the personal lanterns on each bed! This made it easy to wake up or go to bed at your own convenience without bothering anyone else from your group! It truly felt like home-away-from-home! I could’ve slept in that bed forever! Not to mention the special touch of the bedding! The Pendleton sheets were SO COZY! As far as meals and food, I truly felt like I was at a homey BnB with the delicious home-cooked meals (picture of the fun dishes) and wonderful conversations! The Ozerkov’s truly know how to ask good questions and get to know their guests—so much so, that I left feeling like I was leaving some best friends I’ve known forever! The property is located a bit out of town, but so close to so many fun hikes, shopping, and experiences in Seward! Not to mention, a beautiful drive to anywhere else you’d like to see (specifically south of anchorage)!

Some of my “musts” for anyone’s trip to Seward would be to hike Exit Glacier (in Seward), have a bonfire in the Resurrection River bank (in Seward, also pictured), drive up to Whittier and do the Byron Glacier hike (a day excursion), and be sure to pack a lunch for those hikes (pictured)!!

I’m so looking forward to my next Seward trip! Couldn’t...