StoryHaus Alaska - Gathering Retreat for Groups & Families
Where Gatherings Become Getaways
StoryHaus Alaska is a gathering-focused retreat in Palmer, Alaska designed for meaningful time together. With expansive shared spaces, flexible accommodations, meadow surroundings, and peekaboo mountain views, the home was intentionally created for groups to gather, celebrate, reconnect, and slow down together.
Ideal for multi-family vacations, retreats, milestone weekends, and group stays, StoryHaus combines the warmth of a private retreat with the functionality of a true gathering house.
Shared Gathering Spaces StoryHaus was intentionally designed for groups to gather comfortably together while still having room to spread out and recharge. The home features:
* a spacious Dining Room and Great Hall for shared meals, games, and larger group gatherings * multiple kitchens and livingrooms * a warm coffee nook * a quiet library retreat with enclosed Murphy bed * a separate cozy apartment * expansive decks overlooking the playground and surrounding scenery
Whether gathering around the fire, sharing long dinners, or enjoying slower mornings together, the layout was designed to support connection and shared experience.
Sleeping Spaces
Main House Includes the King Hearth Suite with ensuite bath, two queen bedrooms, the enclosed library Murphy bed, and central access to the home’s primary gathering spaces.
Loft & Bunkhouse Flexible sleeping arrangements for 10–12 guests, ideal for kids, retreats, and shared group stays.
Hideaway Suite A separate-entry apartment with two queen bedrooms, full kitchen, living room, bath, laundry, recliner, and pull-out sofa—perfect for guests wanting additional privacy while staying connected to the group.
The Setting StoryHaus sits nestled in a wooded meadow with majestic mountain views from garden nooks, bedrooms, and library. Summers bring long daylight evenings and outdoor gathering spaces, while winter transforms the home into a cozy retreat with fireside spaces, softened lighting, and snowfall framed through large windows.
Multiple decks overlook the play yard, while secluded seating areas throughout the property offer space for conversation, reading, and quiet rest.
Explore Alaska Hiking, snowboarding, kayaking, glacier adventures, and scenic day trips are all within reach. Palmer, Hatcher Pass, the Matanuska Glacier, and surrounding mountain areas make StoryHaus an ideal home base for exploring Alaska together.
Designed for Shared Time StoryHaus is especially well suited for guests looking to slow down and reconnect. Thoughtful details throughout the home include feather duvets, linen bedding, softened lighting, grounded natural materials, and flexible gathering spaces designed for both rest and shared experience.
Families and groups will also enjoy the hidden playroom, removable slide, swing set, hammock, trampoline, and indoor/outdoor gathering areas.
More Than a Vacation Stay StoryHaus is designed as a full-property gathering retreat—not just for individual stays, but for the kinds of shared experiences people rarely have space to create anymore. The home is well suited for multi-family vacations, milestone birthdays, creative retreats, leadership gatherings, restorative weekends, and meaningful celebrations where guests can stay, gather, and enjoy time together under one roof.
Join us during StoryHaus’s founding year and enjoy special introductory rates in this one-of-a-kind gathering retreat designed for meaningful time together.
Additional details available at: [StoryHaus Alaska](https://storyhaus-alaska.com?utm_source=chatgpt.com)
Our prices include all fees. No hidden fees.
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The host requires you to complete the following before checking out:
Load and start the dishwasher
Strip any used beds, gather used towels and store extra beds
Remove personal items, remove leftover food and drinks and take out the rubbish
Turn off the lights, lock the doors and return the keys
Failure to complete these may result in a negative review from the host.
Quiet hours are observed from 9:30 PM to 8:00 AM. Please keep noise to a minimum to respect neighbors and the peaceful nature of the property.
Alcohol permitted in moderation. Excessive drinking, intoxication, or disruptive behavior is not allowed and may result in termination without refund.
Parties and events are not permitted. Any gathering that disrupts neighbors or the property may result in immediate termination of the stay.
Important information
You need to know
Property # 5093577vb
If you cancel your booking, you'll be subject to the host's cancellation policy. In accordance with UK consumer law, property booking services are not subject to the right of withdrawal.
This property is managed by a professional host. The provision of housing is linked to their trade, business or profession.
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has indicated that there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property
Host has indicated that there is a smoke detector on the property
About the area
Palmer
Palmer is home to this holiday home. The area's natural beauty can be seen at Matanuska Lakes State Recreation Area and Matanuska Glacier State Recreation Site, while Palmer Visitor Information Center and Colony House Museum are cultural highlights. Palmer Research Center and Matanuska Experiment Farm and Musk Ox Farm are also worth visiting. Enjoy the area's slopes with cross-country skiing and snowboarding, and don't miss out on the ice skating and snowmobiling.
Finger Lake State Recreation Area - 4 min drive - 5.9 km
Palmer Research Center and Matanuska Experiment Farm - 5 min drive - 5.3 km
Matanuska Glacier State Recreation Site - 5 min drive - 6.9 km
Matanuska Lakes State Recreation Area - 5 min drive - 6.9 km
Mat-Su Visitors Center - 8 min drive - 9.6 km
Getting around
Wasilla Alaska Railroad Depot - 14 min drive
Restaurants
Bearpaw River Brewing Company - 8 min drive
Little Miller's Cafe - 6 min drive
Little Millers - 9 min drive
Subway - 3 min drive
Schwabenhof - 9 min drive
Frequently asked questions
Is StoryHaus Alaska - Gathering Retreat for Groups & Families pet-friendly?
No, pets are not allowed at this property.
How much is parking at StoryHaus Alaska - Gathering Retreat for Groups & Families?
On-site parking is available at the property.
What time is check-in at StoryHaus Alaska - Gathering Retreat for Groups & Families?
Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.
What time is check-out at StoryHaus Alaska - Gathering Retreat for Groups & Families?
Checkout is at 11:00 AM.
Where is StoryHaus Alaska - Gathering Retreat for Groups & Families located?
Situated in Palmer, this holiday home is 2.4 mi (3.8 km) from Palmer Research Center and Matanuska Experiment Farm and within 6 miles (10 km) of Matanuska Lakes State Recreation Area and Matanuska Glacier State Recreation Site. Finger Lake State Recreation Area and Mat-Su Visitors Center are also within 6 miles (10 km).
About the host
Your host
Aj and Amberly Breja We’re builders at heart — of spaces, of gatherings, of moments that matter.
Amberly’s focus has always been people and community gatherings — bringing joyful leadership and experience to events of every scale. AJ brings business and logistical expertise that quietly carries the day. While he ensures every detail is thoughtfully handled, you’ll quickly discover he’s one of the kindest people you’ll meet.
From the beginning of our marriage, hosting shaped our lives. Our own wedding was a three-day retreat with our friends and family — time to eat together, decorate beautifully, decompress, laugh, and be fully present. Twenty years later, that weekend is still remembered by many who were there.
It gave us an insight we’ve carried ever since: life’s important moments become meaningful not simply because of the event itself, but because of three things working together — time intentionally set aside to linger with loved ones, beauty and creativity that invites you to take in the moment, and trusted hosts who quietly carry details so you don’t have to.
storyHAUS was built to extend that experience to others.
A place where there is time to breathe. Where beauty and creativity feel immersive. Where details are handled with care. Where meaningful moments feel within reach.
If you leave more connected than when you arrived — that’s when the story checks out for us.
Why they chose this property
Why We Chose This Neighborhood
Over 13 years ago, after completing university and starting our young family, we moved to Alaska’s Mat-Su Valley and took on what became a full-home renovation project. Part of what drew us here was the breathtaking beauty surrounding Palmer and Wasilla—towering mountains, glacier views, rivers, wide open skies, and access to some of Alaska’s most unforgettable landscapes. But just as importantly, we wanted to raise our family in a community that felt grounded, welcoming, and connected.
Over the years, we discovered this area offers an incredible balance of beauty and accessibility. Within a day’s adventure, you can experience mountain hikes, glacier views, kayaking, fishing towns like Seward and Homer, Denali vistas, Turnagain Arm, and countless trails, rivers, and scenic drives that make Alaska feel endlessly explorable.
What we’ve come to love just as much, though, is the neighborhood itself. It’s quiet, kind, and deeply lived-in—full of families who each seem to have chosen their own version of Alaska paradise. Some homes are filled with kids and toys scattered across the yard. Others have adventure gear, boats, RVs, or side-by-sides being prepared for the next outing into the mountains.
At the end of the street sits StoryHaus—perhaps looking a little different than most homes nearby, feeling a bit more like a gathering place waiting to welcome people in. Yet it still belongs naturally here among neighbors, families, and everyday Alaskan life.
We originally came for the beauty, but stayed for the belonging.
So as you enter the neighborhood, welcome home. This place has become home to many—and it’s home to StoryHaus.
What makes this property unique
What Makes StoryHaus Unique StoryHaus is unique from the moment you step up the stairs and open the front door.
Most first-time guests pause as they enter—taking in the immersive 11-layer hand-painted Alaskan mountain installation stretching across the Great Hall while an 11-foot bookcase rises above them. It feels less like a standard vacation rental and more like discovering a hidden gathering house tucked into a quiet Alaska neighborhood. The home was intentionally designed as an unfolding experience. Guests often begin by asking:
“What is this place?”
Then, as they move through the home, they discover layers of detail everywhere—coffered wood ceilings, seven-layer dovetailed woodwork, hidden spaces, cozy corners, sliding library doors, curated antiques, and rooms that slowly reveal themselves as you wander.
From the entry, your eye is drawn upward toward the enclosed library sitting like a jewel box above the space. The home then opens into a warm dining room centered around a long gathering table, alongside a designer kitchen and butler’s pantry with a coffee pass-through where guests naturally gather throughout the day.
As you continue through the home, the experience opens again into the expansive Great Hall, where oversized windows, dark bespoke woodwork, leather couches, and garden doors create a surprisingly warm atmosphere.
In summer, the Great Hall opens fully into indoor-outdoor living with direct access to outdoor seating, dining spaces, the play yard, and grassy gathering nooks throughout the property.
Tucked alongside the home is also the Hideaway Suite—a separate-entry apartment that feels like its own quiet world while still connected to the warmth of the larger home.
StoryHaus sits within a normal middle-class neighborhood, yet the experience inside feels entirely one of a kind—designed around beauty, warmth, and meaningful gathering together.