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Hostel California

Los Angeles (Venice Beach), California, USA

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Address
2221 Lincoln Boulevard, Los Angeles (Venice Beach)   Map
Price
30 bed dorm $17.00, 6 bed dorm $21.00, Private for two $50 Check Current Prices by Date Here
Location/Contact
Details
Their Description

Features

  • Kitchen
  • Lockers
  • Lounge / Common space
  • Pool Table
  • BBQ
  • Washing Machine (laundry)
  • Clothes Dryer
  • Travel information provided
  • Bike Rental
  • 24 Hour Free Hot Showers
  • Phones (public or in room)
  • Currency Exchange
 
The Hostelz.com Review
There are no mirrors on the ceiling or pink champagne on ice at the Hostel California but there is good value accommodation to be found here in Venice Beach. Passport and proof of departure ticket upon arrival ensure the guests are all a mix of international travelers, for whom the patio provides a chilled out area to lounge outside in the California sun. The generously sized six-person bunk dorms on the roadside are connected by a long, wide balcony, which is a great social space with views onto the Lincoln Boulevard. However, light sleepers may be disturbed by constant traffic noise outside and should request a room away from the road. There's no air-conditioning in the dorms. However, this did not prove to be uncomfortable in early summer.

There is a twenty-four-hour reception with friendly and informative staff who happily stored our luggage on our day of departure and accommodated our requests. Lockable, spacious storage is provided in rooms and there are enough facilities to ensure waits for the well maintained restrooms are minimal. Soda and food vending machines are on site as well as internet access, two pay phones, free parking, a pool table, and a large screen satellite TV with DVD player. There is a shared kitchen, complete with ample room in the well labeled fridge, laundry facilities. A towel, bottom sheet, pillow case, pillow, blankets, and linen are also included in the low nightly prices.

The famous Venice beach itself is a twenty-minute walk through uninspired concrete jungle and there is a supermarket nearby in addition to a wide selection of the fast food chains for which the U.S.A. is famous (International House of Pancakes, Taco Bell, McDonalds). A slightly seedier side to L.A. not advertised in brochures is on display after dark from the communal balcony -- venturing out alone is not advisable. However, this is more of a reflection of L.A. and not the location in particular. The hostel is nothing fancy but has a relaxed, friendly vibe and covers the basics for an affordable stay in Los Angeles.

-- Exclusive Hostelz.com Review


Your Comments
This is an open forum, and unlike other hostel guide websites, we don't censor out the negative comments.
We do not validate the legitimacy of comments posted on this site—so take what you read here with a grain of salt.
Comment by Hosteler, Holland
April 2008
Yuck
I found this Hostel via a guidebook and booked in advance. It was the filthiest hostel I've ever seen. The kitchen was so grimy you stuck to the floor. The sheets weren't clean. The whole building stank of cat sh*t. The paint was flaky, wood splintery, there were holes in the wooden floor in the hallways, the rooms were crooked, and the beds were too high -- and some were not straight so you had to hang on tight not to roll off. Those pictures, when were they taken -- in the seventies?
Comment by frankie shurmitis, american
March 2008
Fun
I stayed at the hostel for about a week. Its in a great location close to buses and the beach. There are bikes to rent for $12 a day and the guy who rents the bikes George is great. Hes always good for a laugh and make sure you take him up on the bonfire. The kitchen is well a kitchen. I sprung for the six-bed dorm which was only 4 bucks more and worth every penny. The only negative thing about the place is a guy named Kevin. He works/lives there and is a asshole. Every experience i had with the guy was a bad. What i gather from others staying there was the about the same.
Comment by Anthony Joyce, English
October 2007
Who cares, you're in LA
Hostel California is the first hostel me and my friend have ever stayed in and did not know what to expect. On arrival we noticed straight away that the hostel had a good vibe with all the different nationalities mixing and having a good old fashion knees up, the staff greeted us in a warm and friendly manner, and I can honestly say I never once saw them downbeat -- always helpful no matter what time it was. When you go to LA all you need is a place to lay your head and this hostel offered much more. The kitchen was well kept along with the toilets and wash facilities, local to the hostel was 7/11, fast food, nightclubs, pubs, and bus service. Venice beech was a ten-minute walk or alternatively you could hire a pedal bike form the hostel. Night life is just a taxi away it takes about twenty minutes to get to the strip where you can visit the Viper room and Whiskey bar along with other hot nightspots. I would recommend if you have the cash renting a six-bedroom dorm or if you're flush go for the two-bedroom dorm -- the only reason I suggest this is if you have a late night "which you should do" then that extra couple of hours sleep in peace is well worth the extra dollars. If I go back to LA then I would use this Hostel California again.
Comment by Germannnn, German
September 2007
Good Experience!
Very nice hostel. very clean. friendly staff. not directly on the beach but you can reach it by bus (two minutes) and it is pretty cheap to go by bus. Supermarket is right around the corner as well as McDonalds. I definitely would stay there again!
Comment by Lydia, New Zealand
May 2007
I found this place a little too quiet. It felt more like a motel (in atmosphere). The staff were really friendly though. The kitchen is nice, the lounge is nice and the rooms are pretty nice too. It's cool that you have a shared balcony. This place was just way too quiet for me, with no social scene at all.
Comment by Ross
January 2007
After paying for my stay, I made an overnight trip to San Diego and the staff immediately offered me a voucher for the unused night's accommodation. Much appreciated. Probably, the most significant persuasion, in my case, for selecting this hostel unseen, was a single bus ride, straight from LAX to the site and the same back again. This place is much better than the hostel I stayed at last year near the beach and deserves its high rating and recommendations. So much so that I broke tradition and made the time and effort to write this commentary.
Comment by Alex
October 2006
Although I planned to stay at the hostel California for a week only, I stayed there for a month because I could not find a better place for the same price and quality. It is situated only twenty-five minutes by walk from the famous Venice Beach! While you are walking to beach you can stop at the library to check your e-mail for free! But most of all I liked about the hostel is that the staff is very friendly and helpful. It seemed to me that they know everything about California. I went to Las Vegas and San Francisco, leaving my baggage in the hostel for free! In the evening you can hang out with many people from different countries. Sometimes we drank beer till 3 o'clock in the evening and the staff was patient. The client has priority there!
Comment by Louise
October 2006
Myself and three other girls stayed in 1997, we had a blast. we only expected to stay one night but ended up staying a week and then came back again at the end of our holiday. It was great as we paid a bit extra for a room and we could store all our gear in a lockaway in the room, it was walking distance to venice beach. We met a group of aussie guys -- spent loads of time drinking in the sun outside and playing pool. great times, great people, great place, great memories. hope it is still as good, one day I hope to make it back.
Comment by Theo Makhathini
September 2006
Wow, i was there in August 2005, and it wasn't bad at all. in fact i met a couple of nice people that made my first visit in the States an absolute joy. I met an amazing guy who i hope still works there, Howard Garcia. But wow, even thou it is a bit dodgey initially -- Hostel Cari is GREAT! i was fortunate enough to stay in a dorm with four other ladies so i dont know how the other rooms were. they just seemed too crowded for my good. it could be a bit cleaner, otherwise it's ok.
Comment by Martin
August 2006
Satyed here in 2006. as for the people saying the kitchen is bad -- I think they need to check again. Fully equipped and clean. Lots of great people and socialising. Great staff who were more than helpful.
Comment by Greville
August 2006
I managed this place from the winter of '87 through summer of '91. My assiastant manager took over and he's been running it ever since. This place is fantastic, and great value for money. There's something totally unique and wonderful about this place, if you stay in L.A., stay at 2221 Lincoln, and say I recommended it!
Comment by Scott Neil
August 2006
I've stayed here on various trips (mostly yearly) from 1997. It is now 2006 and I'm still coming back. It's all down to the friendly atmosphere and the way the hostel is mostly self-regulating with staff who are former travellers themselves and know what needs to be done and what rules need to be observed for the benefit of all. Klaus the owner is the most helpful hostel chief you'll come across. The place is kept fairly tidy (as hostels go). A great place to base yourself on a budget if you want to see L.A. and meet people who can give you advice on what to do and what to see.
Comment by illmatic
June 2006
It is not at all filthy. The Hostel is an overall eight and a half out of ten, if not more.
Comment by DCF
December 2005
[I initially paid for a night here, though eventually stayed for a full week, as I was so happy with the atmosphere, staff, and price. [For Americans: $16 per night in the 30-bed room, as of December 2005. I didn't want to pay extra to stay in a six-bed room.] The hostel seems to draw a very friendly international crowd, which helps a lot when one is sharing a room with up to 30 people. Likewise, I found the general manager to be extremely friendly, offering thoughtful recommendations in response to all of my many questions about how to get around LA by public transportation. Speaking of which: Getting to the hostel from the airport, LAX, couldn't be easier, as one simply need ride the #3 "Big Blue Bus" (Santa Monica municipal transportation) for about 20-30 minutes or so, to the corner of Lincoln and Venice Boulevards. Two other quick thoughts: For a hostel open 24 hours a day, it was refreshingly quiet after midnight, thanks in part to the "quiet hours" rules, and thanks in part to the thoughtfulness of the other hostelers there that week. Finally, contrary to what some more pessimistic reviewers have suggested, I found the kitchen and other common areas to be reasonably, comfortably clean--much cleaner and better equipped, in fact, than most other independent American hostels that I have visited.
Comment by Anonymous
February 2005
I spent two weeks in this hostel in November 2003. It's in a good location and has nice people. The sheets they offer could be cleaner, washed better.
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