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Please see Santa Cruz for other available Santa Cruz hostels and accommodations.
Please see Santa Cruz for other available Santa Cruz hostels and accommodations.
The Hostelz.com Review
Along California's coastline and a few blocks from Santa Cruz's Municipal Wharf, Beach, and Boardwalk is HI-Santa Cruz Hostel at the Carmelita Cottages. Hostel Society members, among a few community organizations, and the writer Rick Hyman did much to preserve "bits and pieces" of the hostel's history. Today it is a part of the National Historic Registry and is located in a historic neighborhood called Beach Hill.
The atmosphere at HI-Santa Cruz is as mixed as its history. There's an eighteenth century vibe -- a cluster of quaint-sized cottages is also called Carmelita Cottages, a restored Victorian that exists within a countrylike but beach reality. The hostel, nestled in a garden cultivated by one of many previous owners, and established circa 1872-1910, is less than two acres. Those interested in beach life, beauty, and history will enjoy staying here, and will see how the historic landmark evokes memory and time. You sort of get the feel that the past and its residents are hostelling with you.
Getting to the hostel and if driving, take Hwy 17 going south from out of Los Gatos. This turns into 17 and you should watch for falling rocks, crossing deer fog, construction, and cars that suddenly stop. But, if you're taking local transportation, it can be done by taking a local bus that goes into downtown Santa Cruz Metro Station. Traverse the neighborhood then walk towards the San Lorenzo River or take the direct ten-minute walk to the hostel. The actual property is hidden behind a grove of trees, and while you expect to see one street address for the hostel, you'll see a few. The good news -- a white necklace of lights that dot across a black iron gate is your guide. This will lead you to the hostel's office where you'll find a friendly staff that's either laid back or busy.
The cottages are named after owners from the eighteenth and nineteenth century -- Lottie Sly, Captain Roberts, Captain Dame, and Johnson. And since cottages are identified and accessed by a system of letters, names, and codes, not knowing this is confusing. You'll receive a tiny piece of paper, which for the time being is like your whole life and if you lose it, you lose your sense of security, if not your bed. One hosteler reported the confusion of finding another hosteller in her bed.
Some of the rooms sleep about six to a room with standard bunk beds that use mattresses or pads -- both are comfy. During the summer months, since there is little ventilation coming from the small-sized windows, rooms can run high in temperature. Housekeeping is the good kind of clean, but if you're the "don't touch my feet type," you'll want to wear slippers in the room that has carpeting. But in the other cottage -- the Johnson Main House, a lovely cottage where you'd expect to feel sand on the hardwood floors, you won't. Linens are included in the price (but not the towel). And if you really want to feel clean, you'll leave your bed possessions at home and use theirs because sleeping bags are not allowed. Alcohol is not allowed either.
If you're the social or indoor type you'll be glad because you have access to a piano, games, a place for quiet reading, and you can leave a book or take one as you go. You can get access to the internet, but it's limited because it's also shared with the laundry facilities -- for a small fee, you can wash and dry a minimal amount of clothes. Although the hostel offers a large-size storage space for surfboards and bikes, you'll need a sturdy combo lock for the smaller-size lockers, and it's best to leave any valuables at home because the lockers appear vulnerable. And where the environment is concerned, the hostel really makes a good conscious effort to conserve and preserve, as there's even a room for recycled goods.
Inside Lottie Sly Cottage, two separate but not equally shared co-ed bathrooms are made of tile. They are attractive, small, and clean, with bathroom windows that are held by two rusty chains, which hang inward rather than out. This is a good thing because otherwise it would land on your head. In between the two dorms and bathrooms, a sitting room (with sunroof and a picture that says, "A La Place Clichy") waits for you to sit under it while natural light spills into the space. This, along with the cottages' off-white and bone-colored walls, helps to offer the kind of comfort you might get at home.
While you're out and about, if you go out, pick up a Santa Cruz newspaper near the boardwalk or downtown at the kiosk stands. Then head to the kitchen that's restored with fully-equipped amenities, encouraging cooking and socializing. It may be the most attractive hostel kitchen, because of its matching wood cabinets, table, chairs, and hardwood floors. You will find other guests sitting outside underneath a cove of trees on the dining deck, which is more like a patio cafe, with a cup of tea, coffee, or a book. The hostel has good porch space for reflecting, sitting, and socializing. There's also wrought iron and wooden benches, a slab of stone, and select chairs in the historic garden.
If you're into amusement rides, surfing, biking, or playing on the beach, the hostel's Beach Hill neighboorhood offers great sunsets. Since Santa Cruz is a popular place, for more than surfing, making reservations is recommended, and the longest amount of time you can stay at Carmelita Cottages is three days. Standard check-in begins at five p.m. to 10 p.m. and since the lock-out is roughly six hours, and you can't return to the hostel grounds, planning your trip to the local and distant sites is advised. It depends on the time of year you arrive where you'll find the weather, especially during summer months hot, but the sea breeze offers relief. Like any beach town, coastal weather varies, temperatures drop and the Pacific stirs a mix of sun, moisture and fog.
As part of its past, Carmelita Cottages is like any other living memory where you're always a part of it. All you have to do is to sit on any one of the porches and consider how any of the previous owners may very well be watching over you.
Reviewed by Iye for Hostelz.com
The atmosphere at HI-Santa Cruz is as mixed as its history. There's an eighteenth century vibe -- a cluster of quaint-sized cottages is also called Carmelita Cottages, a restored Victorian that exists within a countrylike but beach reality. The hostel, nestled in a garden cultivated by one of many previous owners, and established circa 1872-1910, is less than two acres. Those interested in beach life, beauty, and history will enjoy staying here, and will see how the historic landmark evokes memory and time. You sort of get the feel that the past and its residents are hostelling with you.
Getting to the hostel and if driving, take Hwy 17 going south from out of Los Gatos. This turns into 17 and you should watch for falling rocks, crossing deer fog, construction, and cars that suddenly stop. But, if you're taking local transportation, it can be done by taking a local bus that goes into downtown Santa Cruz Metro Station. Traverse the neighborhood then walk towards the San Lorenzo River or take the direct ten-minute walk to the hostel. The actual property is hidden behind a grove of trees, and while you expect to see one street address for the hostel, you'll see a few. The good news -- a white necklace of lights that dot across a black iron gate is your guide. This will lead you to the hostel's office where you'll find a friendly staff that's either laid back or busy.
The cottages are named after owners from the eighteenth and nineteenth century -- Lottie Sly, Captain Roberts, Captain Dame, and Johnson. And since cottages are identified and accessed by a system of letters, names, and codes, not knowing this is confusing. You'll receive a tiny piece of paper, which for the time being is like your whole life and if you lose it, you lose your sense of security, if not your bed. One hosteler reported the confusion of finding another hosteller in her bed.
Some of the rooms sleep about six to a room with standard bunk beds that use mattresses or pads -- both are comfy. During the summer months, since there is little ventilation coming from the small-sized windows, rooms can run high in temperature. Housekeeping is the good kind of clean, but if you're the "don't touch my feet type," you'll want to wear slippers in the room that has carpeting. But in the other cottage -- the Johnson Main House, a lovely cottage where you'd expect to feel sand on the hardwood floors, you won't. Linens are included in the price (but not the towel). And if you really want to feel clean, you'll leave your bed possessions at home and use theirs because sleeping bags are not allowed. Alcohol is not allowed either.
If you're the social or indoor type you'll be glad because you have access to a piano, games, a place for quiet reading, and you can leave a book or take one as you go. You can get access to the internet, but it's limited because it's also shared with the laundry facilities -- for a small fee, you can wash and dry a minimal amount of clothes. Although the hostel offers a large-size storage space for surfboards and bikes, you'll need a sturdy combo lock for the smaller-size lockers, and it's best to leave any valuables at home because the lockers appear vulnerable. And where the environment is concerned, the hostel really makes a good conscious effort to conserve and preserve, as there's even a room for recycled goods.
Inside Lottie Sly Cottage, two separate but not equally shared co-ed bathrooms are made of tile. They are attractive, small, and clean, with bathroom windows that are held by two rusty chains, which hang inward rather than out. This is a good thing because otherwise it would land on your head. In between the two dorms and bathrooms, a sitting room (with sunroof and a picture that says, "A La Place Clichy") waits for you to sit under it while natural light spills into the space. This, along with the cottages' off-white and bone-colored walls, helps to offer the kind of comfort you might get at home.
While you're out and about, if you go out, pick up a Santa Cruz newspaper near the boardwalk or downtown at the kiosk stands. Then head to the kitchen that's restored with fully-equipped amenities, encouraging cooking and socializing. It may be the most attractive hostel kitchen, because of its matching wood cabinets, table, chairs, and hardwood floors. You will find other guests sitting outside underneath a cove of trees on the dining deck, which is more like a patio cafe, with a cup of tea, coffee, or a book. The hostel has good porch space for reflecting, sitting, and socializing. There's also wrought iron and wooden benches, a slab of stone, and select chairs in the historic garden.
If you're into amusement rides, surfing, biking, or playing on the beach, the hostel's Beach Hill neighboorhood offers great sunsets. Since Santa Cruz is a popular place, for more than surfing, making reservations is recommended, and the longest amount of time you can stay at Carmelita Cottages is three days. Standard check-in begins at five p.m. to 10 p.m. and since the lock-out is roughly six hours, and you can't return to the hostel grounds, planning your trip to the local and distant sites is advised. It depends on the time of year you arrive where you'll find the weather, especially during summer months hot, but the sea breeze offers relief. Like any beach town, coastal weather varies, temperatures drop and the Pacific stirs a mix of sun, moisture and fog.
As part of its past, Carmelita Cottages is like any other living memory where you're always a part of it. All you have to do is to sit on any one of the porches and consider how any of the previous owners may very well be watching over you.
Reviewed by Iye for Hostelz.com
— Exclusive Hostelz.com Review
August 2006
Their Description
HI - Santa Cruz Hostel at the Carmelita Cottages Details
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Map
Location/Contact| Address | 321 Main Street, Santa Cruz, California, USA |
| Location | |
| Website | www.hi-santacruz.org |
| Telephone | +1 (831) 423-8304 |
| Fax | +1 (831) 429-8541 |
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HI - Santa Cruz Hostel at the Carmelita Cottages Reviews on Other WebsitesHostelz.com Guest Reviews
Wonderful december stay i stayed a few nights in mid december. it was so wonderful. they had the entire hostel decorated for christmas, complete with tree. iris was so helpful. she helped me with planning my trip along the coast of santa cruz. many great tips. it was very very quiet. of my four nights in the dorm room, i was by myself once, and had only two others in the dorm room for the other nights. yes, there is a lockout, but just prepare yourself for the day and everything works out great! i will definitely be back. — Joanna G , Germany (now in the USA) (2008-12-27) Cozy and kind Yes, this place is a quiet hostel, but so tranquil! Outside has many beautiful plants and various seating areas, one even has a fire pit with a swing! I thought it was neat that the place was made up of various cottages instead of one big building. Kitchen was well stocked -- lots of cooking utensils and even various free food items. Staff were very laid back and chill, they were willing to talk travels, how to get to various places, and cool things to do around Santa Cruz. One female staff member was really helpful with all the details about hiking around town and outdoors activities. A warm smile at check-in and a very welcoming attitude. Curfew is lame, but there is a TV and common room to watch movies and to hang out. Definitely recommend this place! — Chelsea , USA (2008-10-26) Worst Hostel Ever This is by far the worst hostel I have ever been to. Granted I try to stay in clean, well kept hostels, not drug slums, but even as a drug slum you only want to stay here as a last resort. They kick everybody out every day at 11 a.m., and won't let you back in until 5 p.m. If you have an emergency, then you're just out of luck, because there isn't even a staff member on duty to listen to how you forgot your asthma medication, and must get it immediately or die. Also, if you happen to not make it back by 11 p.m. they lock you out, and you sleep on the street that night. Furthermore, the staff was completely unhelpful. They had the kind of demeanor of I-hate-my-job-and-have-come-to-hate-the-guests-by-relation. I'm not for stabbing people myself, but I would be very sympathetic to someone who did stab them. In addition, everyone who had a car complained about parking, it was cold at night, the lounge was not a lounge but a small room where they put a chair, and the whole stay nobody was able to get a wireless connection. Overall, I recommend you not stay there. — Adam , USA (2008-09-07) Not Worth the Stop A month after my stay here, I still feel resentment towards this hostel. Stay here if you like feeling like a juvenile again. The owner/manager is extremely rude and forces too many rules on the guests. Compared with the easy going atmosphere of my earlier stays in San Diego and L.A., I expected to have a good time, but I was terribly mistaken. Santa Cruz sucked anyway, with the white trash wharf and jerks at the amusement park. At the hostel, you apparently cannot enter your room during the day at all and we were not informed of this clearly at check in. The old lady bitched us out and made us feel as though we were schoolchildren again. It really left a bad taste in my mouth and I would not recommend this place to anyway, families, or otherwise. Speaking of which, the four guys of my group had to sleep next to a crying baby! One upside was this nice hippie guy made us french toast for breakfast, I was very thankful for that. However, a motel would have been a better choice, but not stopping in Santa Cruz would have been an even better one. — tex (2007-07-26) Three times I have stayed and have always found the staff to be more than friendly and helpful. The location is just awesome, a few blocks from an awesome beachfront. There are several places to eat at all expense levels within walking distance. Also within walking distance are grocery stores, a farmer's market with fresh, locally-grown, organic produce, movie theaters, small museums, record stores, head shops, book stores, cool bars, coffee shops, thrift stores, ATMs are abundant, good shopping if you are into that. this same strip has an awesome variety of colorful people from all walks of life. The central bus station is just a few minutes' walk away. The hostel does have odd hours in that it closes during the day and there is a curfew at 11 p.m. (so travelers can get some sleep) but it's common in other cities/countries too, it's just part of life in the hosteling world. One has to remember that this is not a commercial hotel. there is a limited staff and as one can imagine, in a place like Santa Cruz it has to be kinda expensive to operate. If the place didn't close during the day and if it was twenty-four hours like in some cities, wow! Now I see why it isn't -- in a town like Santa Cruz -- are you kidding me? It would be outta control! — Dubl C -Otown, FL (2006-11-14) This was an excellent hostel. I'm very happy with my choice. Very nice rooms, helpful staff, and great location. I was able to see many things in Santa Cruz by walking: the beach, the wharf, the downtown, grocery stores, movies. I also rented a bike to see Natural Bridges and the Monarch Butterfly Reserve. If I come back to Santa Cruz, I will stay here. — Israel (2006-10-25) Stayed there back in May 2006. Nice place, friendly staff. There was a movie on the given night I was there. I regret not staying there for more nights especially since I was doing things in Santa Cruz and surroundings versus the almost thirty-mile drive to Pescadero. — Brad (2006-09-12) I really enjoyed my stay here. I thought the staff were nice, and when I asked for help and information, they were generous with their time. I met a few great girls from Canada and we enjoyed going to the beach together. — Blue Eyes (2006-08-28) Curfews are lame! I mean, you don't always want to stay out late. But it sucks when you have to cut social things short so you can get back before you are locked out. And being kept out of our private room during the day seemed unnecessary. Obviously, some hostels have these restrictions but isn't the place where we should point out how they make the experience less comfortable? — Ryan (2006-04-19) This hostel looks great and could be the perfect hostel, could be. But the staff are unhelpful and rude. We wanted to book into the hostel for three nights but they apparently only had room for one night. After the next day of searching around Santa Cruz with all our luggage we decided to go back to the hostel to try our luck, maybe people hadn't checked in. When we got back there was a different member of staff working and they gave us a room and said they were nowhere near booked. So we had a wasted day of searching for accomodation because the staff didn't like us for whatever reason. It sucked that you couldn't go back into the rooms in the day! Beware, I had my minidisc player stolen here as well. You can't stay for more than three days, what up with that! — the frogbrothers (2006-04-12) I was reading some of the old messages before I posted this one...wow, some of you guys out there are CRAZY. Those messages would have definitely scared me from this hostel, which would have been a total SHAME!. I had an awesome time. I stayed for 3 nights, then I asked to extend for 3 more--which they let you do if you pay every morning (staffer Rob who is bonafide hottie says that let guests stay longer if there is availability and they're cool people) The hostel was clean, staff was nice (Robs a surfer and a cycler...eye-candy!) and there was so much to do in Santa Cruz (Henry Cowells, Monarchs, Nisesne) and sleep was great. I think the people who stayed who didn't like the rules shouldn't have stayed. It's not rude to enforce rules, its their job. And obviously from some of the creepy things some people have written (vomittin in cans,leaving windows open and porn places)if people were rude to them, its deserved...they should have been locked up! This hostel is awesome and I totally reccommend it for real hostellers who want to explore the earth, the ocean, the forests, and who want to really understand our brothers and sisters of the world. Peace. — TINA- BACKPACKER FROM SPOKANE (2005-12-03) I have stayed at this hostel right after it was renovated and opened and I loved it! It is not unusual rule that they are closed during daytime as I have stayed in European hostels and they are closed during the day. Once I referred one of my friends to stay at a hostel in London near St. Paul's Cathedral and the hostel was closed when they arrived. So my friends had to wait outside, and by happenstance they saw Queen Mum leaving the Cathedral after celebrating her birthday there (that was several years ago). The point is that many hostels are closed during the day. In Germany I encountered the same thing. Wurzburg Hostel was closed during the day and they will not allow any hostellers over 26 years old. As to the staff friendliness here, I am going to speak to some of the folks at the Hostel Society about it. You are right to expect friendly service from a hostel staff. — Dr. Paul Yoh (2005-02-17) This place is the only place to stay as a backpacker in Santa Cruz, and don't they know it. I stayed here three years ago, and it sounds like the owners haven't changed at all. It's a family-run business, I think. Maybe they inherited it. The best way to combat the sort of treatment dished out by these idiots is to play practical jokes on them (the owners), really have some harmless fun with them at their expense. If you use your imagination you will come up with some goodies. We did and continued to a couple of months later. (Beer bottles hidden all over their rooms, the odd girly magazine in the post box, leaving all the window latches open so you can come in late at night to vomit in the rubbish bin. Just small things — so much fun and little effort, about as much as they gave to the customer. So go there and run riot. Tell all your friends to, this is the only way to fix the problem. Have fun — Santa Cruz is a great town, even after 11 p.m. curfews!! "The best form of defense is humor." — Kiwi Traveller (2005-01-10) On first impression this place looks fantastic. It could be the ideal hostel. But once it opens you begin to realize you wish you weren't here! The staff are AWFUL. They have no idea of how to treat customers. And then they start with the rules! If you want to be treated like a 7-year-old then go ahead and stay here! While waiting to check in you are made to stand outside, and have to be called in one by one! If you want to have any fun whatsoever, don't even look twice at this place! You have to be out of your room all day. They won't even allow you in to get anything out of your bags, which is slightly worrying! Although the free food looks good at first sight, beware, as they don't seem to realize that food actually goes rotten if it's not thrown away after a while! The kitchen stank, and there was loads of moldy food in the fridge! Although the hostel is near to a beach, it's not a nice beach. And there is nothing else nearby, except a tiny shop, which hardly sells anything! This place could be practically perfect if it ditched the rules, got new owners, and became more of a hostel! Travelers want to have fun. I had the worst three days of my time in the USA in this place. I couldn't wait to get out of here, and I wouldn't go back if you paid me! HI should be ashamed to be associated with this place! — Anna Saillet (2004-10-30) This hostel was really good! It has a fantastic kitchen with loads of free food. It was totally cozy, just like home sweet home. This hostel is just a minute from beach and few minutes to downtown. The neighborhood is beautiful. There was an open house across the street — some simple apartment was selling for almost half million dollars! The staff were super cool. Both girls I met were students at UC Santa Cruz and they had really cool insights on the places to eat and party. Of course, there is a curfew and lockout during the day, but the staff told me about it when I checked in. It made sense when I asked about it (city rules). I have stayed at other hostels along the coast (Monterey) and they had the same rules. Really, I guess the rules were the only downer, but I would rather stay here for $18 than a hotel for $150. — Anonymous (2004-10-15)