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Surf City Hostel Details
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Surf City Hostel Reviews on Other WebsitesHostelz.com Guest Reviews
Horrible, nasty, smoke-filled place I regret coming there -- the hostel is filled with cigarette smoke (which I believe is illegal in California); as a person with asthma I had to be subjected to secondhand smoke in all common areas. Also, the hostel is not women-friendly and harassment of women is okay there apparently -- it's filled with weirdos who'd drinking all over the place, some of whom look like homeless and they harass solo guests, Disgusting place. The bathroom was shared male and female with toilet stalls being in front of shower stalls, and no separation at all. Try to go to a safer place. — AlexD , europe (2011-02-20) Great location -- decent hostel Ok, so we stayed here around a month ago (July 2009), although I wanted to hold off until I stayed in other hostels so i had something to compare it to. Location is fantastic as it is literally on the beach and you have everything you need within a mile radius (most of it is actually on doorstep). Getting there was not the easiest, although with a bit of prior planning it is doable. We used the LA Transit system (a bit of an experience)!, changing to three different trains before finally getting a bus to the Hermosa Beach area. The hostel itself is fairly inconspicuous amongst the many bars and shops on the road down to the beach. This has its pros and cons. The pros are that if you are there to party, you have everything right by your hostel and you can also get some really great deals on the food during the many happy-hour promotions (which run until around 8 p.m. most days). However, the knock on effect is that it is relatively noisy at night, although it didnt stop me sleeping. We stayed in a private room, which was fairly small and reasonably clean. Like most hostels, it could do with some work. We found it adequate for what we needed. The advertised free Wi-Fi is available, though only in a room across from the office which has a table and some wooden benches. The TV room is also pretty dingy, as is the kitchen, although I wouldnt imagine many people would be cooking with such cheap food in the pubs below. All in all, this was a good place to stay, and brilliant if you like the beach. We met some fairly nice people, despite there being no social side to the hostel itself. — Ryan , Scotland (2009-08-05) Cool place Me and my friend Veronique lived at this hostel from May 2002 to August 2002. Yep, close to four months! We worked there, i was the cleaning lady of the first floor. I had lots and lots of fun, we partied a lot, hung out with almost everybody, the staff were great then. The hostel was clean (while i was there -- cause i was the one who cleaned it!) but it was very smelly. Lots of clubs around, the beach is at the door, very cool place. Odile, the french manager, was great. i'd love to go back one day. — Isabelle , Canada (2008-06-19) Rude Staff like bar bouncers. I stayed here in 2006 for a few days, the manager is a French woman and she has a "Special" liking for tall and masculine man. She gives them security position and then enjoys other travelers being insulted and sometimes even physically attacked! Before there was a sixty-year-old ex-muscle guy, who went crazy last year and had to leave and go back to Australia, when I left, there was another tall guy, who would throw smaller guy out of bed for being drunk. He doesn't even care about girls and women and asks them to leave in the middle of the night! I think French woman herself is very insecure and likes rude and physically abusive staff. — James , English (2007-08-17) Surf City is located at Hermosa Beach, on the outskirts of Los Angeles.
Hermosa is probably one of the safest areas in LA, you will see no homeless people here like you do in Venice just up the coast.
Surf City hostel is situated near Hennesy's Bar near the broadwalk.
Do note: surf city is not recommend for those with disabilities, due to the fact that as soon as you enter you must climb some stairs to reach the reception.
Check-in can be muddled, the staff often seem confused about which room you should be put in and can often make mistakes. They also lack knowledge of the local area which is frustrating. Suprisingly there was a language barrier, or perhaps because i was in the US i expected them to speak english. One of the staff members is Bulgarian and knows little English which is very complicated.
Rooms are cramped but the hostel seems to draw a cool laid back crowd which is good for mixing with.
Most rooms are ensuite. They are relativly clean, but very cramped and the windows are very, very thin. So in the winter months its very cold.
The bathrooms are tiny and some showers don't work.
There is no safety deposit box in reception so watch your valuables.
The TV room is quite small but does have cable. There is also a smoking room located next door. The breakfast is simply bread, butter & jam.
All in all, Hermosa is a good place to stay for surfers & its safe, but Surf City could be much better.
The hostel is quite a walk from the main bus stop to downtown LA, about a 20minute walk. It should cost $15 by airport shuttle to Hermosa Beach Front. — D Yorath , wales (2007-04-10) The atmosphere of the Surf City Hostel is great, but the sleeping accommodations aren't all that top notch. The true backpacker vibe of the hostelers here can change your life, as it did mine. I started my company after hanging out meeting the travelers at the hostel. Today, the pictures I shot of the hostel and its travelers are inside many youth hostels across Europe in an exhibition called "The Point of Travelling" and "Photographs of an Unwritten Future." — PHOTOhype.com , Alaska (2007-04-08) I stayed here by myself for one night in Sept. 2006. My experience of it was alright, but I had an early flight and was scared of missing it because I didn't have an alarm so I basically pulled an all nighter in the common room, chatting to and having a laugh with random people and using the internet all night. (The computers are rubbish by the way and will do your head in.) Therefore I didn't really use my bed much, and I'm glad I didnt. As I was leaving, a girl got out of bed and came into the common room freaking out because she was covered in bites from bedbugs. It was horrible, she was really uncomfortable and upset so I gave her my key and told her to sleep in my bed -- for the hour or so I lay on it, it didn't appear to bite me. And then I left. The area round the hostel is lovely -- right on the beach and it feels really safe. I wandered to the bus stop at 5 a.m. on my own when it was still dark, feeling fine. I would probably stay here again, but inspect my bed first. — Helen , UK (2007-03-30) The best hostel we have ever stayed in! Its in a great/safe location -- couldnt be better -- its right on the beach. The staff are helpful and friendly but is a little dirty everywhere with bugs in the kitchen, and noisy at night because its above a club. But due to the location you are able to look over all this stuff! — Jon and Laura (2007-03-25) overall good. no parking but there is a place five minutes walk away (just past the library turn right) where you get twelve hours free. then you just move it. clean dorms, friendly people if a little. eclectic. but hey, why are you travelling again? The woman co-owner (i think) an absolute gem. The bald dude -- much worse bark than bite, both eager to help. many many bars/restaurants/banks/one or two clubs/two supermarkets five minutes walk away. watch out for the girl sometimes on reception. she can be a bit touchy/defensive sometimes (i think she thinks everyone wants to jump her bones, i reckon most don't though!). I would recommend this area over venice one hundred times over. venice is literally crawling with homeless / hustlers / tourists. hermosa is, well,
'good looking' as the name would suggest. Dragon bar downstairs has many 'specials' (special offers on drinks/food) to save you from spending all your cash at once, and Blue32 club is fun, crowded, has dancers on the table, and you'd better know someone who works there to get in at a weekend. or just swallow any 'i'm cool' pride and get there very early. weekdays less of a problem. you can hire a push bike in the area, surfboards etc. free breakfast comprises of bread and jam, tea and coffee. no milk though. i've rambled enough. recommended. met some fun people, had a right laugh, never felt hostel was unsafe/unclean. — travelling brit (2006-06-08) I thoroughly enjoyed a week chilling out here. As far as hostels go the staff and craic here were first-class and the rates really reasonable. I will be back next summer to have another go and recommend that you come back or try it for yourself... there's fun to be had!! — Brett (2005-11-24) I had the best week ever in the hostel!!! The parties are cool, and the staff are laid back. Brilliant!! — Irish (2005-06-27) I stayed here for about a week in Oct 2004. We had 6 people in our room and there was nowhere to keep luggage, so basically there were clothes and bags everywhere. My bed was extremely uncomfortable and I ended up waking up with back pain most mornings. There was a bathroom in our room — it was ridiculously small but I didn't find it too dirty. There is a small kitchen, TV room and another room where smoking is permitted. I wouldn't recommend this hostel if you intend to sleep. There are bars downstairs and the music is on so loud you will not sleep till after 2 a.m. — this is only ok if you intend to be at the bars.
You can book tours from this hostel and they drive you to the pick up points. I went on the LA City Tour, which is good just to see all the basics — Hollywood Boulevard, Rodeo Drive, Venice Beach, movie stars' homes, etc. The location is good — right on the beach and it does feel quite safe even wandering around alone at night. But LA is huge and it takes forever to get anywhere by public transport — I guess that's unavoidable. There is a bus stop right near the hostel though. The hostel also offers airport pick up and drop off, which is handy.
I found the staff to be quite nice; the only real issue was that the desk wasn't always attended. One time a guy had to check in and there was no one there. We had to go and find the bedroom of someone that worked there and get her to come and check him in. There are a few people who seem to live there. Some of them are a little strange but can be quite entertaining. There is a supermarket up the road, and shops/restaurants around. And there are two public phones in the hostel.
Overall I enjoyed my time here but only because of the other people I met there — mostly Aussies, too. They were great so we had a lot of fun drinking, etc. in the common rooms. It was good fun and I thought the hostel was ok for such a good price — it is a hostel after all, so you can't expect luxury. — Annette (2005-06-09) Hermosa Beach is beautiful! The hostel is in a great location but it's very dirty, small and full of weirdoes who seem to live there!!! Watch out for the earwigs!!! — Jon (2005-02-17) I stayed here in 2001. It was the first time I'd stayed in a hostel outside my home (Australia). I don't remember it much, but I do remember being put in a triple room with two other girls. We all didn't know each other, but they expected two of us to share a double bed! To make matters worse, that night one of the other girls picked up a bloke and proceeded to shag in said double bed, preventing both of us from going to sleep. I slept in the hallway. — T. (2005-01-28) I originally came to this hostel while travelling up the coast. My plans were to spend three days, and that turned into four months! This seems to be a regular story here. It is a party hostel with a good, friendly groove. There are dozens of bars and restaurants downstairs in the plaza, and a great beach right out the front door. It's in a safe neighborhood, unlike Hollywood or Venice Beach. I didn't find it dirty. I'll definitely come back on my next time through LA. — Peter Seilers (2005-01-18)