Your cozy, friendly base on Svalbard

As a small company run by a small warm-hearted team, we’re here to make your arctic experience special, personal, and unforgettable. Book your stay directly with us and get 5% off on tours!

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Our hostel is built on smiles, stories, and the belief that every traveller deserves a warm welcome. With simple, comfortable rooms, cozy common areas, a guest kitchen, and fresh waffles every morning, we’re the perfect budget-friendly base for your Svalbard adventure!

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  • Long-term Room Rental

    Want to escape the busy life in the city and experience the peace and quiet of the polar night? We offer long-term rentals of our rooms during the dark season!

The building of Gjestehuset 102, formerly Barrack 7, taken in 1970. Photo by Avheim/Svalbardposten

At Gjestehuset 102, our mission is to ensure that your stay is budget-friendly yet comfortable. Our welcoming ambiance, affordable rates, and convenient location make us the perfect choice for travellers seeking an unforgettable yet economical getaway.
Gjestehuset 102 is located in Nybyen, at the top of the Longyear Valley, 2 km from the city centre. The guesthouse, built in 1946, formerly known as the “millionaires’ mansion”, was home to the best and most experienced miners. 
In 1999, Barrack 102 became Gjestehuset 102, currently hosting the happiest visitors in town. Gjestehuset 102 has 61 beds (7 singles, 19 doubles and 4 four-person rooms). 
We do not offer a luxury stay, but a 5-star experience in the Arctic!

Gjestehuset 102 is a great spot to start your adventures for summer and winter trips.
We are surrounded by glaciers, mountains, coal mines, fjords, and wildlife!
A lucky guest can spot polar foxes and reindeer, just by taking a look out the window.
Get speechless during the dark season, where you can experience the starry skies, or see the Northern Lights dancing towards the south – a beautiful phenomenon we can see both day and night here in Longyearbyen.
In spring and summer, you can fully enjoy our endless days- thanks to the midnight sun shining 24/7  from Mid-April till the end of August. 
Let us be part of the greatest adventure of your life!als are a social proof, a powerful way to inspire trust.

Northern Lights by the window, Aurora Borealis by Polina Bublik / Gjestehuset 102
Northern Lights as seen through our bedroom window. Photo by Polina Bublik.

Staying as a group?

With facilities that cater to your daily needs, our hostel is perfect for mid-size groups. We offer special rates for school groups and other group bookings in general!

OUR ROOMS AND FACILITIES

Gjestehuset 102 is a two-floor building, with 30 cozy rooms. There are 7 single rooms, 19 double rooms and 4 four-bed dormitories where you will always sleep tight and wake bright. Comfortable bathrooms with showers are available on each floor. No matter the room you stay in, you will get free internet access. Breakfast is served on the 1st floor, and at any time you are free to spoil yourself cooking in our kitchen, equipped with all facilities for self-catering, so you can feel like home. Gjestehuset 102 is fully licensed to sell alcohol. There are two TV rooms waiting for you to relax and chill out. Visiting in summer? Rent a bike from the Tourist Information Centre nearby and explore the charm of Longyearbyen on two wheels.

home3 stor

ABOUT US

The owner of Gjestehuset 102 is Arne Kristoffersen. Arne is a former miner, who started his mining career in Mine 3 in 1980. He is proudly one of the most experienced miners in town. He spent his first winter in Sverdrupbyen, and then moved across the valley to Nybyen, where Barrack 102 was located. Today the Nybyen area is classified a cultural heritage site. Arne bought “102” in 1999, offered people from all over the world the possibility to and share his special home, knowledge, story and love for this town to all our guests.

Our Team

What our guests say

We believe the best way to describe Gjestehuset 102 is through the words of our guests. From solo adventurers to families and group explorers, we’re proud to have been part of so many unforgettable Svalbard experiences. Here’s what some of them had to say:

More than just a hostel

20+

years of warm hospitality

100+

nationalities welcomed from every corner of the globe

10000+

of guests who arrived as strangers and leave as friends

0

polar bears in the premises, promise!