ITH San Diego Mission Beach Backpacker Hostel

The staff and guests were very welcoming during my stay. I enjoyed having a breakfast that had a protein (eggs) option. I also enjoyed that there were activities every night if you wanted to partake, and going into the kitchen during the mornings/evenings meant you always had a chance to chat with guests and staff there. The design of the hostel, while small, is such that you're always running into your fellow guests and staff, which may either be a pro (more random socializing opps) or con depending on the person. The staff also made sure to keep common areas and bedrooms clean. The beds themselves felt comfortable, and each bed in the dorm comes with privacy curtains, electric socket/mini lamp, and small cubby to store little items in. Surprisingly, they don't seem to make too much noise when moving at night. Lockers under bed are provided, but bring your own lock. Location was prime for the Coastal areas in SD, like literally steps from the beach, and you can get around the coast by walking, bike, or bus or Uber/Lyft. Free parking was available as well, which is appreciated given how hard it can be to find free parking in prime areas of SD. I appreciated that they let me keep my bike in the common area (brought own lock), and there was at least one security cam in the hallway to keep an eye on it.

While the parking is free in the lot suggested nearby, the signage is confusing (not the hostels' fault, but something to be aware of). As mentioned, the building itself is smallish, especially compared to the sister hostel down the way. During midday, there's probably spaces to hang out if you need privacy / workspace, but in the AM or during activity hours, there may be less space. The locker can be a bit noisy/awkward to handle during late night hours, so do keep items you need in easy to reach places.

The staffing is always incredibly kind and attentive to anything that you need, the layout of the building is phenomenal, the activities to get all the guests involved are a blast and the views are phenomenal.

Not a single thing to not like.

The whole experience was amazing, the staff was incredibley nice and welcoming, especially Lucy and Kate. The atmosphere never felt stiff or uncomfortable and the location is easy to get to with tons of options for food and stores all around.

Absolutely everything was amazing

ITH Mission Beach is by far the best hostel I have ever been to. I had already been there last summer, and because I loved it so much, I decided to come back this summer and stayed even longer. Here are my impressions as someone who has spent more than four weeks in total there (both stays together): The hostel feels like a small community. Every evening, there is a free activity like karaoke, yoga, movie nights or game nights that is organized by the volunteers working at the hostel, and all guests are welcome to join if they want to. Every week, there is also Taco Tuesday and a BBQ night as the activity, where guests are provided with free food and everyone sits together and has a great time. Often, there were even free boat tours and speedboat tours for the guests. There is also a Whatsapp group in which the staff shares all the important news and guests can connect to make plans or ask if anyone would like to join in on something, which was used very frequently. In the mornings, there is a free pancake and egg station, where guests can help themselves. Reuben, the manager, is doing an amazing job with this hostel, and you can tell that he loves his work and that it’s not only a job for him! I was there as a female solo traveler, so safety was of great importance to me, and I have always felt very safe. The hostel is located right across from Belmont Park, a retro amusement park for kids, and just a few steps from the ocean. During the day, it is a very busy area, but at night, there are not many people out anymore. The front door of the hostel is secured with a code that is changed every few days, and there is also a surveillance camera system. Each room is again secured with a room code that only the people sleeping in the room at the time have. There is one female room with six beds and a few mixed rooms with 8 beds and, I believe, two or three private rooms.