HI San Francisco Fisherman's Wharf Hostel - San Francisco, California

moonjjongs

Great stay on top of a hill! Fort Mason park is just down the hill with some great views of the city! There’s a Safeway about 8 mins down the hill with everything you might need. I loved the Equator coffee that was nearby! Overall, the bunk bed was comfy and the hostel provided a towel, sheets, and the staff were awesome! If I ever needed to stay near this area again would definitely choose this place for the amenities/location. Also fisherman’s wharf is an easy 15-20 mins walk downhill. They have places to charge devices in the lobby and also near the cafe Franco area there’s a whole desk area set up for multiple people!

Frank B.

Just a brilliant hostel set in a beautiful building in an unbeatable, safe area. Stayed here, with my family, five times now and our experience has been better each time. Amazing staff, great facilities and such a relaxing overall atmosphere to the place. The free breakfast is a real bonus and gives you a chance to chat with your, always interesting, fellow guests ranging from school groups to aging hippies! Can’t recommend the Fisherman’s Wharf HI Hostel highly enough:

Agustina E.

very comfortable place to stay. The common areas are spacious, the kitchen is well-equipped, and the location is excellent. Also the staff is helpful and willing to assist. The only thing that could be improved are the bathrooms but it wasn’t really an issue. Would definitely come back 🙂

crallison

It was my first time staying in a hostel and can honestly say, that this was such a fab experience. The hostel was clean, perfectly located and the staff were friendly. There’s a small complimentary breakfast buffet which is perfect as a brief snack before heading out. ||Nothing was a hassle and I was allowed to keep my bags there all day after I’d checked out. Thanks for a great experience!

Paul B.

Hostel is on an old Naval base so the building is old but really cool. Kitchen facility is nice and well stocked. Great location walkable to the Wharf with views of Golden Gate bridge from our room.

David W.

We loved our stay at the hostel. Nice folks, decent facility, and a truly world-class location. Especially great location for using the city's excellent transit system. That said, it's really important to understand that a hostel experience is not the same as a hotel experience. People who come expecting a standard hotel experience can be disappointed. Hostels are a bit more of a do-it-yourself thing, as they should be. I've stayed in many over the years, in the U.S., Europe and Australia and this is one of my favorites.

Dom G.

I’ll start with the positive, which is the location. It’s really close to all the wonderful things San Francisco has to offer. Another positive was definitely the price. I stayed the 9th-11th and it ended up being around $80. (Unbeatable especially in this area) The negatives included the bathrooms (especially the small showers) another negative was my interaction with Kevin upon checking in. I found him to be rude, condescending, and lazy. He couldn’t even take two minutes to give me a small tour after I requested one. I will not stay here again but if price and location matter most to you then I think this is a great place for you to consider. I think the owner needs to reconsider having someone like Kevin at the front desk. It set the tone for the whole stay and it wasn’t great!

Conor M.

Be warned - If you (like me) have spent time in hostels in other parts of the world, the USA experience is a bit different.

I am not squeamish about hostels and honestly, I’m not trying to rag on the place. They have a good location, in my experience the staff are really trying, and the amenities are serviceable. But this was not pleasant. I lasted a night before I got a hotel and checked out early, losing two nights accom with glee.

First off, it smelt absolutely rank. Like a mix of boiled cabbage and stale sweat. This was enough to get my hackles up immediately. Second, the parking is about 300m away in another area, with little lighting. It felt quite sketchy at times walking up to the main building, especially at night with your possessions.

I think the blurb about the hostel needing proof of international travel is fiction. Plenty of people ‘between homes’ at this hostel, and honestly it felt more like I was in a men’s refuge than a fun place for travellers to meet.

The hostel isn’t so much a place for young people or solo travellers to meet, but used as accom by a very wide range of people who can’t afford anything else. This environment makes for fun times when you’re engaging in a communal experience with peers, and very strange times when you’re sharing a room with 50+ year old men who certainly seem to have ‘made the room their own’ during an extended stay.

I say this to try and help you avoid the same experience I did. USA hostels are not the same as other parts of the world. Do not come here expecting a social or fun environment. It felt like a prison, and genuinely looking at the photos again made me feel queasy. I’ll never forget the smell.