The Hostelz.com Review
The first pleasant surprise upon arriving at HI - Monterey Hostel is the parking -- there is a large parking lot on premises, with enough space to accommodate all drivers. As we entered and waited for check-in, we noticed a very nice bit of local history on the wall -- a letter from local author John Steinbeck. The letter had little to do with the hostel itself, but we enjoyed reading it. It was written in December 1967, one year and four days before he passed away.
The Location
The hostel is located within a very short walk of Cannery Row, made famous by the Steinbeck novel of the same name. It bears little resemblance to anything that you might have imagined while reading the novel, unless Doc Ricketts was working part-time at the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. We might have missed that chapter. It’s now very touristy. In the same neighborhood is the Monterey Bay Aquarium, which you may remember from the movie "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home," where it doubles as the Sausalito Cetacean Institute.
Rooms and Bathrooms
The hostel building was originally a union hall. The large common area is in the center of everything, with comfortable couches, two dining tables, two booths (restaurant style) musical instruments, internet stations, a pay phone -- the works. However, there is no television. The bedrooms are upstairs (first floor) and downstairs (the basement). We were upstairs. If there is air conditioning, we didn’t see it, but the building is three blocks from the water, so in the middle of summer, it wasn’t needed. We were in a seven-bed room (three bunk beds and one solo -- we were lucky and got the single bed, right next to the window). Linens are provided at no charge.
There are three showers for the hostel, all of which are timed. You are given two tokens per day, each of which provides for minutes of shower time. They say that it’s for “water conservation,” but between the tokens, the towel charge (if you need one), the charge for small lockers and bicycle lockers, the one thing this hostel might be guilty of is trying to save a buck here and there.
Common Spaces
The atmosphere is quite bohemian, which blends in well with the Monterey area. The rooms have names like “Sea Otters” and “Sea Lions.” The community room as large and centrally located, fostering a great social atmosphere. The kitchen has everything but a stove, though there are hot plates for those who need them. They free-cycle food that has been left by previous travelers. Free breakfast of make-your-own-pancakes is provided. If you need to go shopping, Nob Hill Foods is within walking distance and 7-11 is even closer. If you are like us, you don’t like cook for one person. There are many restaurants also within walking distance.
Summary
The main attraction of this hostel is location. We are bicyclists and were able to quickly bike to the Pacific Grove gate of the 17 Mile Drive from here. It also provides a friendly atmosphere and, most important to me, I had a quiet night’s sleep for both nights that I was here. However, Monterey is a high rent district. They are sitting on some prime real estate and they need to save money in every way they can (see token system), in order to provide cheap beds to travelers. We just wish they would be a bit more honest about it.
The Location
The hostel is located within a very short walk of Cannery Row, made famous by the Steinbeck novel of the same name. It bears little resemblance to anything that you might have imagined while reading the novel, unless Doc Ricketts was working part-time at the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. We might have missed that chapter. It’s now very touristy. In the same neighborhood is the Monterey Bay Aquarium, which you may remember from the movie "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home," where it doubles as the Sausalito Cetacean Institute.
Rooms and Bathrooms
The hostel building was originally a union hall. The large common area is in the center of everything, with comfortable couches, two dining tables, two booths (restaurant style) musical instruments, internet stations, a pay phone -- the works. However, there is no television. The bedrooms are upstairs (first floor) and downstairs (the basement). We were upstairs. If there is air conditioning, we didn’t see it, but the building is three blocks from the water, so in the middle of summer, it wasn’t needed. We were in a seven-bed room (three bunk beds and one solo -- we were lucky and got the single bed, right next to the window). Linens are provided at no charge.
There are three showers for the hostel, all of which are timed. You are given two tokens per day, each of which provides for minutes of shower time. They say that it’s for “water conservation,” but between the tokens, the towel charge (if you need one), the charge for small lockers and bicycle lockers, the one thing this hostel might be guilty of is trying to save a buck here and there.
Common Spaces
The atmosphere is quite bohemian, which blends in well with the Monterey area. The rooms have names like “Sea Otters” and “Sea Lions.” The community room as large and centrally located, fostering a great social atmosphere. The kitchen has everything but a stove, though there are hot plates for those who need them. They free-cycle food that has been left by previous travelers. Free breakfast of make-your-own-pancakes is provided. If you need to go shopping, Nob Hill Foods is within walking distance and 7-11 is even closer. If you are like us, you don’t like cook for one person. There are many restaurants also within walking distance.
Summary
The main attraction of this hostel is location. We are bicyclists and were able to quickly bike to the Pacific Grove gate of the 17 Mile Drive from here. It also provides a friendly atmosphere and, most important to me, I had a quiet night’s sleep for both nights that I was here. However, Monterey is a high rent district. They are sitting on some prime real estate and they need to save money in every way they can (see token system), in order to provide cheap beds to travelers. We just wish they would be a bit more honest about it.
— Exclusive Hostelz.com Review
July 2011
Their Description
HI - Monterey Hostel Details
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Hostelz.com Guest Reviews
Nice staff Even when the hostel was full booked, the staff was open to help us. The next night there was one bed available, they get us a mattress so we could stay there. Very nice! — Anonymous (2011-09-02) Clean, spacious, well-located but unfriendly and with endless rules! I had great expectations about coming to "sunny California", had always heard that US people here were warm and open, and I discovered in dismay that I had come to military service! Though the place is extremely clean, ample, and well-furnished, the atmosphere is monastery-like, to say the least. I do not enjoy too much noise and upheaval in hostels, but this place was governed by endless, often unstated rules which made the experience of being there quite stressing and unpleasant. Front-door code is changed everyday at 10 a.m. -- a maddening practice which forces you to phone everyday to check the code if you leave earlier than that (besides, the staff often forgets it!!). Showers are interrupted at night but no warning of this is provided and no one from the staff is awake, so if you take an early plane for a very long trip (my case), off you go unbathed! Dorms have a code to get in, but are left with doors wide open all afternoon. Your food is thrown away on Thursdays, something you find out on Fridays because there is no warning that you should label it or that they keep this practice. I was told by someone in the staff that there were cameras on the roof (which I later found in the lockers area), an information they later dismissed saying it was "a joke" and that they were "out of order". Be it one or the other, this certainly does not contribute to the relaxing, friendly, confident atmosphere and staff attitude one expects in a hostels.To the paper notes treating people as children ("You are expected to make your bed as soon as you check in"), I must add some attitudes of punishment to guests. (so as not to disturb other guests, I was fixing my luggage in the empty lobby at 3 a.m. -- I departed very early -- and, seeing this, a staff member put out the lights and left me in the dark). I am fully aware that for many local people, this hostel has meant a lot of effort to build and sustain, and this has hindered me from writing this comment (and I certainly appreciate the manager's sympathetic and helpful attitude), but I decided to write this in the spirit of helping the hostel get better and have a more careful selection of its staff. Volunteer staff does not necessarily mean adequate or skilled in human relations! — Anonymous (2011-01-16) Absence of lockers spoils this hostel Proper lockers in rooms would make this hostel incredible. It is extremely spacious, clean, and comfortable. However, the only lockers it has available are not big enough for the standard laptop, and there is no other security to place one's valuables. If they were to put full size lockers in each room this would be an outstanding hostel in a beautiful area. — Lifemagician , Australia (2009-10-13) Exceptional I recently stayed at the Monterey Hostel and thought it was wonderful. There was always conversation going one when I was there. I met people from all over the world and of all ages. There were families, there was a great grandmother with her ten-year-old great grandson, couples, and singles. My head was swimming with all the great adventures I had in Monterey and the surrounding area and all the wonderful people I met at the hostel. Kudos to the staff, too. They were friendly, professional, and very helpful. I hated to leave and will certainly return! — Marie , USA (2009-08-04) Very quiet hostel Great location in Monterey. if ya grab a map at the front desk, dont let the streets fool you, you are able to walk to downtown, fishermans pier, even the lighthouse from this hostel. The aquarium is not to be missed and is only a short five minutes' walk. First impressions were that this hostel was big, very tall ceilings and common area which acted like the dining room as well, The kitchen was big and clean as were the showers. It does use a token system where a token was four minutes, but two were more than enough for a proper shower. You were able to ask the front desk for additional tokens with no problems. Pancake batter was not pre-made, kinda lazy if you ask me. Left a box with instructions posted on how to make. Staff were very helpful in looking for tourist stuff to do in town. Lockers were not located in the rooms, but downstairs in an awkward location, very far from the rooms upstairs! And were tiny ones. Which created a safety factor on personal belongings. Larger lockers were avail outside in the patio area but cost money to use. The common area more or less was like a library, super quiet at all times, which made interaction with hostel guest almost nonexistent. Wi-Fi access was great. The hostel does close part of the day for cleaning, which i have a strong negative opinion about, so lunchtime at the hostel is impossible. But on the bright side, there is so much to do in beautiful Monterey that you probably wont be spending any time in the hostel. — Neil , USA (2009-04-20) Jerome, the front desk staff, was extremely helpful! I asked about directions and he looked it up online for me, gave me a map of all the hostels around the country, told me about Arizona (a place I really want to go visit), and was just generally a pleasure to be around. As for the hostel, the token system is a bit over-the-top, but with the water shortage, understandable. Other than a strange gentleman in the kitchen asking me where the "free food" was, I'd say this was a comfortable hostel. — brand new to hostels , US (2007-04-15) The Monterey Hostel is the best! It is in a great location, very clean and welcoming. The new staff are awesome. They share valuable informatoin about where to go and what to do. The huge common room is a great place to visit, to read or use the internet. I love the classical music they have softly playing and the pancake breakfast is the best. I love the aquarium, the walk along the beach, Cannery Row, the Point Pinos Lighthouse tours on weekends, the Wax Museum, Bubba Gump's and a visit with Forrest. The weather is fabulous. Everyone should plan a trip to Monterey and stay at this hostel. There is a new one a.m. curfew and registered guests may come and go during the day with the door code. The staff has done everything in their power to make this hostel accommodating to the guests. — Anonymous (2006-05-23) Excellent quiet hostel. I loved this place. Very clean with a homey feel and just two blocks from Cannery Row. They had classical music on when I arrived and one of the staff members was an avid and good piano player in the living room which is full of comfortable couches. I originally was going to stay two nights, but after a plane delay I had to call that day and cancel, and the staff was great about it -- they didn't even charge me! The shower token system, while unusual, still gives you plenty of time in the shower unless you take forever and then it's your own fault and the added bonus is you'll never have to wait forever for a shower to free up. The late night curfew and limited check in times actually help make the place quieter so you don't have people coming and banging around in the rooms at all hours of the night. The one thing to keep in mind though is that they don't have lockers for your stuff in the rooms like most European hostels do -- there's lockers outside for during the daytime, or if you have a car you can store stuff there. The parking lot is spacious and they even let you leave your car there for the rest of the day after you check out -- parking elsewhere around Cannery Row is like $7/day. I'd recommend this hostel to anyone. — kim (2006-04-18) I love this place, it's very comfy...ok, things might have changed since I was last there in 02, but I've booked a couple of nights this October. As for the 11 p.m. curfew [now extended] I was usually ready for bed after a long day.
My only complaint was that the bunks in the men's dorm were a little rickety and not the most comfy, and this from someone who is at home on a Thermarest! — Tony from Wales (2005-09-09) This is one of the better hostels I've stayed at and I would highly recommend it to anyone who wishes to get a good night's sleep. I say this, because some people (including myself) after a long day of driving and traveling around don't want hear people up all night talking loudly and laughing into the wee small hours. This hostel doesn't attract them. Thank God! It's also clean and comfortable with an enormous common room, decent sized kitchen and a couple of extra small rooms with comfortable seating for cozy chats. As far as the tokens for the showers go, it won't be a problem for most people because you're given more than enough time. Also, the people at the front desk are helpful and accommodating. They must have new people at the front desk because no one is rude or will demand that you do chores. — Anonymous (2005-08-08) It was awesome. Well, if you need a place to crash and meet people. The ambience was fairly agreeable and the kitchen, wow! There were little treats for everyone all around it: muffins, pie, and the like. I really care for this place. When I come back to Monterey I am definitely staying here again. The chick in the front desk was hot! — Giovanni (2005-07-07) Ok, for a start, Monterey is so lovely that even if the hostel was a complete dump, you should still come here. The good news is that the hostel is really, really lovely. It really feels like an old Americana style house, complete with big kitchen and living room, with pancakes for breakfast and not five minutes walk from the Monterey action (!). The only thing I found a bit weird was the number of signs EVERYWHERE telling you the Dos and Don'ts of the hostel. My personal favorite was "Clean up after yourself — your mother doesn't work here." Tip to the owners — take some of these down! Your guests are not children and do not need to be told not to run up the stairs! Aside from this, though, I loved this hostel and would definitely come again! — Kim (2005-05-17) The Monterey area has much to offer. Besides the nearby Monterey Bay Aquarium less than 4 blocks away, there is Cannery Row that Steinbeck made famous. Monterey was California's first capital and has many historic buildings. The coastline south, (Pacific Grove, 17-Mile Drive and Pebble Beach, Carmel, Big Sur), is magnificent. The local bus to Big Sur runs from Memorial Day to Labor Day. I also recommend the Steinbeck Museum in nearby Salinas.
Most of our hostel guests only stay a night. To encourage longer visits the hostel now is open during the day for registered guests. Curfew has been extended to 1 a.m. Housing along the coast is very expensive, so even at $20/night this hostel is reasonably priced. The city collects 10% tax. You ought to discover prices of hotels and motels here during the many special events that Monterey lives for, including the Pro-Am Golf, Sea Otter bike event, motorcycle and car races at nearby Laguna Seca, the Big Sur Marathon, Monterey Jazz and Pop festivals, Carmel's Bach, Concourse classic car shows, and much more. The Lodge at Pebble Beach starts at $550/night. I think a round of golf there is about $500 (if you can get a date). Whale watching trips for a couple of hours costs about $20 and usually they are blowing out there.
We sell Aquarium tickets good for two days for the same single day price. They're not cheap, but it's worth just to see the jelly fish. There are many nearby restaurants along Lighthouse Ave. and some offer very reasonably-priced meals. The hostel's living room is large and very comfortable. We have a large kitchen, but no stove (can't afford a commercial hood). There are plenty of electric skillets and pots. There is some leftover free food in the fridge but Nob Hill supermarket and Longs Drugs are very close by. I volunteer Tuesday nights and usually show a movie of local interest (I can show the same movie over and over again without many complaints). Sometimes I do show "The Big Country" (1957) with Gregory Peck and Jean Simmons (the canyon was filmed near Modesto, not Texas). Usually it's "East of Eden" or "Play Misty for Me" featuring Clint and some spectacular Big Sur scenes. Sorry, Greyhound no longer comes to Monterey, but there is Amtrak bus and local bus service from Salinas and Santa Cruz. The small Monterey airport now has some additional flights and can be cheaper to fly in or out of than other airports. If you come, like the area, and move to the Monterey Peninsula, I do expect you to frequently volunteer here at the hostel. Have a great journey! — Peter P. from Santa Cruz, Hostel volunteer. (2005-04-25) I am a business owner and I am shocked to see the negative listings towards the Monterey Hostel on this Web site. For those who do not know the history of how the Monterey Hostel became a reality, I would like to share what I know. The Monterey Hostel took years of hard work by people who believe that the hostel environment is a safe and inexpensive way for travelers to travel and enjoy. It took YEARS for this hostel to happen because of obstacles and the City of Monterey has a water shortage. The shower token system at the hostel is the only way that the city of Monterey would allow the hostel to become a reality. We simply all have to tolerate this if we want this hostel to survive.
As for the curfew it has its value to each of us and to the hostel. If the hostel had to pay meager wages to its employees to keep the hostel open during the day it would have to be added to the cost of the room fees. That goes for the same when you are asked to do a chore. Hostel chores are often asked by a lot of hostels and as I recall they usually only take a few minutes.
I realize some already feel that the cost to stay in the Monterey Hostel is high, but try to keep in mind that this is a not for profit operation and this hostel has higher operating costs then most. It cost more money to keep this hostel open because of its location and the fact that this property is not leased by the city or government like some of the other California hostels are. The costs are what they are because that is what it is going to take to keep this hostel open for all of us to enjoy, providing we want that.
As for the woman who mistreated a traveler, or if you are mistreated in the future, simply write a complaint letter about this person and ask that your letter be answered.
I think we can all agree that this hostel is in a prime location and the cleanliness is well worth the minor negatives. I look forward to staying at the Monterey Hostel again someday when I am back on the West Coast.
Thank you to those who spent years putting this hostel together and for not giving up on the thousands of us who enjoy staying here. I appreciate your heart and soul efforts. — Dakota (2005-04-23) I stayed here for one night shortly before Christmas. This hostel has some downsides, but it has a very comfy living room and a nice kitchen. The make-it-yourself pancake breakfast was good compared with the two slices of toast you get elsewhere. You can park your car next to the house for free. It is very clean and well maintained.
The downsides: You get two five-minute coins for the shower. But once I knew that, I needed only one coin and left my second coin in the bathroom. I was not the first person doing so. When I was in the bathroom (I was definitely not the last one) there where already four coins from others. If two coins is not enough for you, use those.
Do not plan to stay out late! Mind the curfew. This hostel is good but expensive. — Thorsten (2005-03-12)