Chapter San Francisco

The location was perfect, my friend and I loved the food spots that were in perfect walking distance. Bus stops were also super close by too! This was my first time staying at a hostel and this was definitely an amazing first experience. Despite sharing a room with others, the enclosed bunks with the curtains really made the bunk feel cozy and comfy. I was worried I would be too anxious to sleep but I was out like a light each night! The staff was very friendly as well and was quick to respond to any questions.

Not necessarily the fault of the property, but we did hear shouting and even a fight outside each night. That’s part of living in the city I guess! I also wish I had known there were accessible rooms with an accessible entrance.

Okay, first of all, the beds are pretty nice. I like the setup of the bunk beds that they have. The lockers are decently big and spacious to the point where I could fit a pretty big duffel bag inside. The curtains that are somewhat blackout, not fully, are pretty good. I've stayed at a bunch of hostels in SF, and this is probably one of the nicer ones. Some of the staff are pretty nice, and some of them were very, very helpful, actually. The bathrooms are generally pretty clean. Obviously, if you go during rush hour, they might still be wet from someone using it before, but you have space to keep your stuff. You can hang your clothes. There are hooks to hang your clothes and your towel, so that's nice. The showers are generally pretty clean, and they don't smell and all that. That's all really, really nice. The location is pretty decent too. It's in a somewhat safe part of town, so you can walk around and stuff. The lobbies do run a little bit small, but the community that you find here, I think, is quite nice, so that shouldn't be an issue in either sense for you.

Most of the staff was nice, but there are a handful that were either a little cold or unhelpful. If you're coming from another city, you may not necessarily need emotional support or anything, but if you just want a little bit of warmth, a little bit of excitement, and a little bit of encouragement, some of them weren't that way. A lot of the housekeeping staff were extremely, extremely kind, though. They were very helpful, and they would be prompt in responding to me if I needed anything. For that, I'm always grateful. Like I said, the lobbies do run a little bit small. The other issue is, depending on the type of roommates you have, some of them just aren't super clean. They might leave dirty shoes out, and that stinks up the room. I would just breeze it whenever I would get back at night, but it's something to watch out for. Although the rooms generally are clean, they do a good job of housekeeping.

The beds were comfy and you have a little shelf inside with a light and sockets. They give you a towel (change possible after 1 week) and a blanket. Everyone has a big locker (you need to bring the lock). Wifi worked well, the toilets and showers (including shower gel in each one) were always clean. Location was ok, and close to bus stations that get you close to main sightseeing. With SF prices, the rate was very good. Free storage (until 10pm).

The upper beds stairs is hard to get on. Everything is made of metal, so it's easy to make noises, even if you are careful. Overall I found the hostel quite dead in sense of vibe and atmosphere, so depends what you are looking for. There are no activities planned or any social interactions. The kitchen, which is the only common room, is small and you don't have stoves (but fridge and microwave yes). Also people in the room were a bit asocial (but that has nothing to do with the hostel itself). It's more of an adult hostel I'd say. There was a bit of a strange smell in the room. In any of their channels (also here on booking), I found myself chatting with a bot rather than a person.

Quiet and peaceful corner to come back to. The curtained beds were great to come back to and a bit dangerous because I would sleep too much.

The location, not a safe area to be wandering around. Everyone I spoke to that was staying there had stories with people chasing them or harassing them in the street. Also, no ability to cook other than a microwave really.