Thursday's Hosteling San Francisco

Lodging takes many forms in a hospitality-laden destination like San Francisco. We've got Airbnb's. We've got motels, and hotels, and Bed & Breakfasts. We even have sleeping pods for tech workers, and if you don’t know what those are, believe me you don’t want to know. Yet the most basic type of lodging in this city are youth hostels, and they are often the most affordable option in San Francisco.

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Typically, unlike a hotel, you pay for a bunk bed in a dormitory and share common areas like the lounge or kitchen. If anyone knows what a youth hostel is, assume you have to be young to stay in one. That’s not true anymore.

In the early days hostels closed during the day, so unlike a hotel there was no sleeping in or lounging around. And if you arrive before they open, you have to wait. Many early hostels were little more than old army barracks or college dormitories vacant in the summer. If you were lucky, there may be a vending machine. Some enterprising hostel workers sold their own sundries under the counter to make a little "spreadin' around" money. But mostly they were rather minimalist in their trappings.

That was then. Today's hostels welcome everyone from nine to 90, and unlike their bare-boned progenitors, they have many more amenities and services. They are almost like little hotels as some have private rooms, cafes, and shops that sell basic necessities. Some even offer tours.

I know of one hostel in Naples, Italy that offered Italian cuisine cooking classes. Just about every city has an HI (Hosteling International) property which is part of a network with thousands of other hostels around the world. There are two HI affiliated hostels in San Francisco.

Their Fort Mason Hostel offers these amenities and services:

- FREE Tours & activities to help you meet other travelers and explore the city

- FREE Daily Coffee & tea

- FREE High-speed Wi-Fi

- FREE on-site parking

- FREE Local phone calls

- FREE Linens and towels

The other HI hostel in San Francisco is by Union Square also offers many services and amenities as well.  One look at their website revealed their agenda for the week.

Movie Wednesday:

Mission District Walking Tour

Thursday: Fisherman's Wharf Walking Tour (this tour starts at HI San Francisco Fisherman's Wharf hostel) . 

Friday: Explore the Famous Hills of San Francisco (this tour starts at HI San Francisco Fisherman's Wharf hostel

Saturday: Yoga at Grace Cathedral 

Social Movements of San Francisco Walking Tour 

California Gold Rush Walking Tour 

Palace to Bridge Walking Tour (this tour starts at the HI San Francisco Fisherman's Wharf hostel) 

Sunday: Bike the Bay Tour (select Sundays) (this tour starts at HI San Francisco Fisherman's Wharf hostel) 

And that’s just for one week.

Hostels were often relegated to buildings they could utilize, but they were not always convenient to where you want to visit.  Unused army barracks and university dormitories are often far from tourist destinations and require the patron to trek long distances to city centers. 

Not anymore.  Whether you are on Hollywood Blvd, Times Square, or Piccadilly Circus, there is a hostel within walking distance.

Like hotels, many hostels in San Francisco have their own unique story and history, and none more so than the Green Tortoise hostel in North Beach.  What began as a Hippie-themed transportation company in 1973, later expanded into San Francisco’s coolest hostel.  The name derives from the old tour buses they bought, refurbished, and painted green. 

In the early days they ran regular bus service up and down the west coast.  Unlike Greyhound or Megabus, Green Tortoise buses catered to the new emerging counterculture market in the early 1970s.  Their stops were not only in cities, but also campgrounds like Big Sur, peppered along the route.

And still unlike Greyhound or Megabus, the seats were not all affixed and facing forward. Green Tortoise buses had seats which could be reconfigured to a bed, so it was not uncommon to sleep, eat, and travel together - literally.

The buses meet contemporary standards now and they do not provide regular service, but rather individual excursions to popular destinations.

The Green Tortoise Hostel opened in 1994 when there were really no other hostels in the city, save for the HI property at Fort Mason. It is more than just a hostel, it is also an international gathering place.

These are just some of the services and amenities they offer:

Free Breakfast Daily

WIFI

Pool / Ping Pong tables

Arcade games

Free Sauna

Laundry Room

Social Events Nightly

With these amenities, you could practically live there, and many have. It became known as the place you reside while moving to San Francisco from overseas. In addition to backpackers, you may also find as many guests looking for work or apartments.

Hostels are on to this and have a two-week limit per stay, so the savvy enterprising San Francisco hostel-dweller knows how to move around every two weeks.

As popular a destination as San Francisco is, the greater bay area is also a draw for tourists. There are not one, but two hostels along scenic Highway One, just south of San Francisco. The Point Montara Lighthouse and Pigeon Point Lighthouse hostels are exactly that: old lighthouses master’s quarters, converted into lodging. They offer little by way of amenities, but the cliff-side ocean views are stunning.

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