HI San Francisco Downtown Hostel

Hostel

Great location, staff friendly and helpful. Nice breakfast / dining area.

It was a great experience! I highly recommend it for solo travellers.

Clean, bagels and fruit every morning, hot showers, modern feel, free tours, every is so helpful and friendly. Do not stay if you rely on them elevator because it is old and cranky and sometimes takes forever to work.

Good cheap place to stay one night any longer l would have to move to Hilton.

Loved it! Felt safe. Great place, clean, employees were friendly and helpful. Comfortable resting areas, environmentally conscious. Worth it.

Good stay, lots of outside noise overnight but they provided earplugs.

This hostel was loud, dirty and not ideal.
The only good part was the location.

San Fran is an expensive city so whilst this is pricey for a hostel, it’s a good budget option. Security is very good, rooms are clean and beds are well kitted out with charging plugs etc. Good size locker fits medium size suitcase. Well located — especially for car rentals.

Nice place. Most hostels in San Francisco are overpriced and this is no exception. We shared a room and had a private. The private was great, clean, comfortable, secure. Maybe $15 more per night than the shared. The shared was not so comfortable and next to a window facing the street that made it loud. Free breakfast is alright, some oatmeal, some fruit, bagels, bad coffee, self-clean up. Baggage storage is decently secure. I recommend private room only.

Great hostel. The rooms are quite compact, but it's SF so not unexpected. It's clean, the staff are friendly, the communal spaces are great, the kitchen is big and well stocked, the location is fantastic and price is very reasonable. Like a lot of the HI hostels, they run event nights too, like today was free pizza and a film on the projector in the lounge area. Great for meeting people, or just having free food ;)

Location is very closed to Union square, Powell subway and cable car station. Clean and efficient hostel. Free coffee in the lobby everyday. Complementary and plenty continental breakfast is a plus. Pea nut butter and Jam with bread is delicious. Environment protection policies has been embedded into many facilities (toilet as an example). Staff and travelers are both nice. Good to see that hostel staff check ID card of all residents in the hostel at night. I didn't hear loud noise on the street at night. I feel safe here even though it is closed to Tenderloin district.

I had a fantastic stay here, and I plan to stay here again if I find myself in SF in the future. Prices are about half of what you would pay at one of the hotels in the nearby vicinity. The staff does a great job of keeping everything clean, and the free breakfast is wonderful. The hostel has such a nice relaxed vibe. One thing you should be aware of: there can be a lot of noise coming from outside at all hours of the night. This, of course, is not the fault of the hostel. They do provide free ear plugs if needed. Overall, I would absolutely recommend this hostel to someone looking to stay in a cozy spot in SF.

The location could not be better. The prices are really high, but that is a general fact in San Francisco. The building is old with some interesting decorations. The rooms are not that good. Old, no TV, stains on carpets. Friendly staff good atmosphere all around. Better for young ages that can relate to its concept. Supports the green way of living and asks the guest to contribute (offers breakfast, but you need to wash your own dishes). Overall good choice if you are not interested in luxury.

What can I say? Best hostel I’ve been so far. The location is great, the room are clean and the bathrooms are bigger than the typical hostel. The stuff is friendly and always ready to help you with everything you need. They offer free breakfast with beagles fruits and oats and also free coffee all day long, the kitchen is big and accessorized. The hostel also proposes interesting activities almost every day, not mentioning all the amazing people and new friends you can meet here. I had a really great experience staying here and suggest it to everybody.

Stayed here for 5 days while traveling alone in San Fransisco, and it awesome. Its within walking distance to all the major attractions and BART stations, the staff was friendly, and they offer a complimentary breakfast every morning. I met some really nice people.

Great hostel. Staff are really nice and helpful. Has good amenities. And is in a great location. Beds are not really made for people of my height (190cm). But I would stay again!

6 nights stay: Excellent organisation, cleanliness, value for money, breakfast, location.

Standard HI hostel. Beautiful, large community area with books, art, comfortable couches, bean bags, etc. The front desk is super accommodative of the guests. The location is closer to tenderloin district and is a few blocks away from Public transportation. Car park spots are available on the road, there's a garage right opposite the hostel and they also recommend a cheaper garage option one block away. The breakfast room is smaller than other HI hostels I've stayed in but there's a nice view of the streets and they keep restocking breakfast items. The beds are comfortable and the bathrooms are large and clean. Highly recommend!

Very well located. Room and bed comfortable. Common area and kitchen are spectacular. The breakfast was ok but I would have liked it to be more varied.

Stayed here in February in a private room. The place is safe and staff are super friendly. It’s not close to china town, pier 39 and especially not the bridge. We caught the cable car each day to get to attractions which was just round the corner (but $7 each way pp! ). The hostel is outdated and could do with a facelift. Pillows might as well have been tissues and the elevator broke meaning we had to walk to the top of the building to get to and from our room. Would consider staying here again but will definitely be looking for alternative options first!

Excellent value for money.

Its a not for profit hostel. Gives nice breakfast and you can see a lot of bachelors and students staying here in dorms. Neat and clean and at the best available location at Union Square.

I stayed in hostels all over the world, but none is as HI San Francisco Downtown. The care is excellent and the hostel very pleasant.

Great hostel! Well appointed, clean and good breakfast. It is very easy to reach from the airport with the beard. (No change! ) Downtown SF is a bit frightening because of the many homeless people, but you can reach everything from here.

The staff is way cool! The elevator didn't work so the guy carried them up to my room for me. I don't like having to make my own bed especially when it's the top bunk, so minus one star. But then they get it back by being awesome!

This is one of the nicest hostels I've ever been to. It's a good size — there's a great sense of community. Everything is clean and stays clean throughout the day! Kitchen is big enough and very usable. My favourite part is that in my room, each bunk bed had a good reading lamp, electrical outlet, small shelf and had a small divider at the top of the bunk for privacy. Great location too. The only negative experience I can think of was dragging my suitcase up the stairs because the elevator was out of order. But that just got my legs prepared for walking around the hills of San Francisco!

I stayed at the HI San Francisco Downtown Hostel for 4 nights. The staff were all excellent and very friendly and so helpful. When I booked in the lift was broken so one of the young ladies and the male manager, carried my heavy luggage up 4 flights of stairs. My room was spotless the whole time I was there and the breakfast was great also. The Location was also very good as it was a short walk to Union Square and restaurants.
I Would Recommend This Hostel Too All, and I am 65 years young so age is no problem. Thank you all and have a safe and Happy New Year 2018. Cheers Arthur Good Australia.

I haven't stayed at many hostels, but HI San Francisco was a fine experience. It's affordable, clean, and has a great location. There were really just 2 downsides. The beds are too short for someone my height (6' 1") and aren't exactly the most comfortable. Lso, the facilities, while clean, are old. The bathrooms, for instance, are very small. Overall it's a great way to save money in an expensive city like San Francisco. Especially if you're willing to make a few compromises.

Fantastic location, clean rooms with a sink for washing up, and friendly staff. We attended the Thursday pub crawl and had a wonderful time visiting with people from around the world. I would highly recommend this hostel to anyone staying in San Francisco.

Excellent hostel. Friendly staff. Clean. Beds have charging and light panel above the headboard which is very handy. Bunk beds were comfy. Yes sometimes you can hear street noise and some people do snore but hey. It's a hostel. If that's not your thing then either get a private room or a hotel. I'll definitely stay here again next time.

Clean room, friendly staff. The common areas are comfy. They have a nice breakfast in the mornings from 7 to 10, with bagels, instant oatmeal, and fruit. Rooms on the street side are pretty noisy because there's a parking garage across the street. I stayed in a private bathroom suite, which was basic, but the bed was comfortable. The free Wi-Fi was a bit spotty, the hot water and pressure in the shower was great.

Single room: very expensive. I would choose a motel…

It is huge, modern and well looked after. This hostel is ideal for travelers who are looking to meet with style the city. Has several common areas, well decorated and comfortable. Almost all signs have braille system to provide the location to the blind, also has a lift for wheelchair access. The only thing that would improve is the breakfast, only bread (several options), juice / coffee and a fruit.

I have enjoyed my stay, overslept past checking out time with 15min, the staff in charge was so polite and understanding. The place is so clean. Keep it up guys.

Expensive but super located hostel.

Nice location for sure! It is in the heart of downtown, only few blocks away from Union square so it is convenient and safe. The only complaint I have is the slight odor in the room. Apart from that, it is quite nice place to stay.

HI Hostels are consistent. Good service. Helpful, friendly staff. Good people from all over the world. Breakfast is good. Hostel is clean. I had a conference at the Hilton so this location was perfect being as the Hilton is across the street. Thank you HI for the great experience.

This has been the first stop on my trip across America and I'm glad I booked this hostel. It's clean, the staff are friendly and it's in a great location! The beds are comfy and I love that each bed has its own personal light/plugs/USB points. The shower room is kinda small but there's shelving and a seat thingy to store bits and piece on so they don't get wet! The breakfast each morning is good too. Nice, simple and easy! Absolutely recommend this hostel to anyone!

I've not finished my stay yet, but this hostel is so well located for anyone wanting to explore SF! A short walk to the Powell st station gives easy access to public transport. A short walk to Westfield. And many shops too (if you're travelling and need a SIM card, I recommend the AT&T store. So very kind and helpful to travellers! ) the staff are all very friendly and helpful. Plus the breakfast every morning is really nice!

In general we were very very happy with this hostel. Very friendly staff, fun common rooms, pretty darn clean, well maintained and even a decent free breakfast. Best of all the location was fantastic. Really close to the Bart and right next to popular Union Square. The one thing I still can't believe is the price, but that's probably just San Francisco for you. If it was 20% cheaper it would've gotten 5 stars.

Good Hostel. Provides you your basic necessities like a bathroom, a bed, and breakfast. Don't worry about the communal showers and bathrooms, it's single person use and the doors lock. Try to get a room on the second floor. As you go higher, the water pressure from the showers worsen. You do have to make your own bed. What I disliked was that they change the sheets but not the comforter.

Very well located. Friendly staff, reasonable prices and accommodations. Wi Fi for free, but quality not really good (depends on where your room is). Would stay again.

A very nice hostel, clean and well-maintained in a historic building, good free breakfast, fun atmosphere. Central location and access to public transport is unbeatable. Definitely an excellent value. It is really in the thick of the Union Square hotels and parking garages so there is street noise at all hours; some of the other SF hostels have a more tucked-in-the-neighborhood feel. Nevertheless, highly recommended.

Great location, friendly staff, clean accommodation and a great breakfast. This hostel is the complete package for those wishing to experience SF on a budget. I recommend taking the 'bike the Bay' tour with Elle (cheaper bike rental than if you was to rent without the hostels tour), plus a tour of various sites, across the Golden Gate Bridge and down into Sausalito. I will definitely be returning to other HI hostels after this stay and I couldn't recommend staying at HI Downtown SF highly enough!

This is my favorite hostel in the whole US! The staff are always friendly and helpful, when I arrive before check in time they store my bags. The breakfast is simple but filling, They have an in house laundry, Huge kitchen, huge living room/ gathering room. Rooms are clean and well kept. Always enjoy meeting new friends here! Five years in a row!

A very nice hostel, clean and well-maintained in a historic building. Central location and access to public transport is unbeatable. Definitely an excellent value. It is really in the thick of the hotels and parking garages so there is street noise at all hours, some of the hostels further up have a more tucked-in-the-neighborhood feel. But if that's not a problem, highly recommended.

Excellent location. Crazy breakfast.

Nice Hostel Youth. Very Centrally located. Prices are also very good.

Very nice and clean hostel! Breakfast includes coffee, orange juice, bagel and more. Nice atmosphere and awesome location in San Francisco.

Great place to lay your head inexpensively and get some free breakfast and Wi-Fi at the same time. The beds have awesome power points/usb slots (although don't try and charge two things at once with the usb ports). Some nice events held daily but none that I attended, trying to socialise is a bit awkward too (might just be me). Easy access to the public transportation in San Francisco is good too.

Friendly and helpful staff. Very friendly and open environment. Easy place to make new friends. Breakfast was simple but delicious. Facilities were a little worn and had a funny smell (probably from the historic nature of the building) but was allot better than I thought my first hostel would be. Plus it has an awesome location. Less than a mile from Japan town, China town and the warf. Top level has amazing views and people rarely us the bathrooms up there so they're cleaner and are usually empty.

This was the first hostel I've stayed in stateside, after many years staying in them abroad. Although initially a little hesitant, I was very impressed by everything and the location can't be beat. Highly recommend staying here.

I've been there in January. It was one of the nicest hostels I've ever been to. It has charm and good rooms. The showers were also goof and clean. The breakfast was really good. You get bagels and some fruits. The coffee was also good.

Location! Location! Location! We got a private en suite room. Very clean and spacious. Go for it, spend a little more to have some privacy, a view and a big toilet. Felt like a hotel, but hostel price. Breakfast is FREE. Yummy bagels (lots of them with different flavours), fruits, cereals, … more than any other hostel will provide. Very nice kitchen area. Very clean oh ya, free coffee & tea 24/7! Free super fast Wi-Fi internet! LOVE! You can connect Wi-Fi in your room, not like other hostel, only in the lounge area There is a lift for your big luggages. Staffs are forever helpful and answer all questions. Less than 5 mins walk to Powell Cable Car, or just hop on the cable car infront H&M (jst around the corner) 1 min walk to Union Square 2 mins walk to yummy Chesse Cake Factory Lot's of activities, but too bad we didn't have time to join any.

I highly recommend this hostel. I stayed in the 4 bedroom mixed dorm. Beds were sturdy, had personal outlets, lights, locking drawers, and short privacy walls that helped block out the lights. Location was extraordinarily convenient as well.

This was our first stay at a hostel and I have to say I was presently surprised by how great our stay was. The room was exactly what we needed — remover though that it's a hostel, so rooms are no-frills — just a bed, sink, and small closet — and ours didn't have a bathroom (a couple of communal toilets and showers are available on each floor). But if that's what you're looking for (like we were), you'll love it. There's also an abundance of common areas for meeting new people and relaxing, plus what looked to be fun, hostels-sponsered activities (game night, bar crawls, etc).

Nice ubication. Hostel service…

I stayed for about a week in May 2015, it is clean and it offers a reasonably nice breakfast. They also have outings as well as knowledgeable front office people with maps ready to give you directions whenever needed. They have a sufficient number of showers and bathrooms and they're all private. My biggest problem with the hostel were the lockers in the room I was in (I don't know if it's the same for every room. ) They are not the standard locker-room type lockers that you see in most hostels but slide-out metal crates kept under the bed with welded thick metal cords criss-crossing perpendicularly leaving roughly two-inch by two-inch squares for anyone to fully see the contents and stick their fingers through if desired. Worse, due to poor design on the latch a standard combination lock will allow the crate to open approximately one inch making it relatively easily to slide out things like laptops. I was travelling with an expensive laptop and it made me uncomfortable whenever I went out with it in the crate (I kept it in a backpack in the crate to conceal it more) but fortunately nothing was ever stolen. Although their website claims that they offer "secure lockers", I think it is fair to say that that is a misrepresentation.

Staff were very friendly. Hostel was clean, secure, and efficiently run. Big kitchen and a substantial free breakfast every morning. The one big problem was the noise, not from inside, but from outside. The area around the hostel is very busy and the building itself has doors and windows that are ancient. All day and all night there is honking, yelling, music, machinery, bangs, crashes — — you name it. All those sounds seemed to enter the room unfiltered. It was like sleeping outdoors. Maybe we were just unlucky with our room, but in the lobby there was a gigantic bowl full of free earplugs, which makes me think that it's a common problem with this location.

Great location, friendly staff and a common area where you can drink and socialize. This combination makes for a great hostel and this one does it right! Private rooms with sink are nice. @Frazier_Far_Out.

Nice Employees, Good Rooms, Central Location, Dining room a bit tight but i. O. PS: looking for the big shower rooms. Each floor is a.

Nice rooms. Breakfast was ok. Good price.

Very close to Union Square, and within 7 mins walk to moscone convention center. Simple but neat.

Awesome place and staff. Horrible company. 2 stars for the shit service of the company in conjunction with the good service of the hostel staff.

Great Deal For What You Pay. This hostel is right near Union Square, which is often the center point for public transportation. They have free Wi-Fi, free bagels for breakfast and a paid laundry room. They have a room to store your bags if you have to check in early or leave, which is really convenient. Like most youth hostels they have events going on all the time. The rooms are kept pretty clean and neat. I loved being by all the stores. I would definitely stay here again.

Good location. Good atmosphere. Nice kitchen, and quality continental style breakfast.

Stayed there for 5 nights. Had a private room with the shared bath. Clean, friendly, safe. The free breakfast was a great way to start the day. Great location. Would definitely stay there again.

The single room with bathroom are very nice and relatively quiet. Cost-effective. The sweet is good. The coffee is actually very good. 315.

Ok, this is a awesome place to stay during a short trip or if you're not too picky its great to stay for a long time. People complaining about beggars, its not the location itself. They're everywhere even in front of the Marriott and 4-5 stars hotel. The beds in here are VERY comfortable (not what I expected). Super friendly staff and very active. Ask to them what you can do around, they are very knowledgeable.

Well this was a fantastic location. Although a few beggars and homeless nearby that you need to avoid. Front desk was always busy but staff were friendly when you had a chance to ask them. Make sure you print out your booking copy and bring it with you, as they couldn't find mine. It all seems to be on sheets of paper. Didnt like the toilets which had no water basins also sometimes out of chemical sanitizers. Showers were cleaned but occassionally blocked, leaking and water not always hot. Nowhere to put your dry clothes and shower rooms are in a block which then opens to the main corridor. This door cant be locked so not very private. Horrible kitchen with only paper plates paper cups, plastic knives and spoons. A toaster would be useful! They told me toasters always break. I think they could afford to replace them.

Revolting and expensive Definitely not a family-friendly place, but this is San Francisco. No problem with my bed or the bathrooms, though the sheets weren't made. I've stayed in more than a dozen hostels across Australia and five east Asian countries, and this was by far the most expensive. My big beef was with the three pornographic images throughout the hostel (I wasn't trying to find them). Most visitors won't care, but I found it revolting, including a horrible picture of Madonna in the kitchen with a line something like "Be sexy like Madonna. Clean your dirty dishes. " Women shouldn't be objectified. Human beings deserve better than this. The elevator is clunky and reminded me of the Chungking Mansions (not a flattering comparison). The kitchen closed at 10pm. The staff was polite and cheerful, and they might even listen about the evil pictures. The Wi-Fi worked well. Late at night the neighborhood is scary, and I'm a young man who knows how to fight. But given the location and the relatively cheap price for this city, a lot of people will choose it. I spent one night here and left for a better place in the burbs.