This is my second review and this gets 5 stars hands down. This hostel is clean, has friendly staff and makes it easy for travelers. They remodeled the floors where rooms have doors now. Each room has about 7 bunk beds. The beds have sheets and pillows and they even provide you with a towel. There is also a compartment for a locker under the beds. Just bring your own lock. There are three showers per floor ( two were not working though) and two bathrooms. This is all co-ed. Hostels are sometimes a hit or miss and this is a hit. The guests were all very nice. Some go to bed earlier, some later. But in any case, we were all courteous and were quiet about coming back at different times. The staff also has earplugs, just ask for them. There is a fridge and kitchen on the fourth floor. When you check in, ring the doorbell and climb up to the fourth floor. Sorry no elevators. Husband and I came here for our SF marathon weekend. read more

ITH Pacific Tradewinds Hostel - Common room on the fourth floor. This is where you check in. - Hostels Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Nice stay.. Cleen rooms.. Good staffs... Very friendly manager and wondeful location, next to chinatown, great food. Also clsoecto little italy .. read more

Great place, amazing host, always an activity going on. Decent breakfast as well Would recommend this,spot to everyone. read more

Amazing! Nothing compares to the community at this hostel. The people are so friendly and open. Also everyday there is activities, perfect for solo travellers. Activities include karaoke, bbq night, taco night and more. Also, sometimes and depending on if there is a guest with a specific talent, they host an event to feature them. Amazing, very kind people, I recommend with no hesitation. Also there is a groupchat were they share all fun events happening in SF. read more

Affordable stay and courteous, helpful staff, esp. Assad. There are always fun activities and there are always free food in the cupboards. Better to stay here than big hostels. read more

I had a great experience at the Pacific Tradewinds Hostel. Assad was very accommodating and the bbq was the highlight of my stay. I'll definitely be coming back whenever I'm in San Francisco again. Great place to socialize and meet new people, friendly vibe and lots of different cultures. The location was also ideal to get around SF (BART, busses etc). read more

best hotel. Greta Place to socialzie. they host alot of acitivities. host is welcoming and gives all the freedom to enjoy. clean and safe enviromnent would recccommend. read more

ITH is amazing they have a warm welcome with home atmosphere the beds are comfortable, bedding excellent rooms are clean had an opportunity of meeting with different people from different countries had fun and Japanese dinner so spicy and nice read more

I did used to like this hostel but now I'm updating my review since the manager Asad treated me very badly when I was there. How did this guy even get this position? He has zero customer service skills and treats customers like crap and I've independently corroborated this among SEVERAL guests. Especially if you're a female guest, he specifically does not treat female guests well. I can't even count the number of times I've been straight up ignored by this man, even when I said I needed service. He literally has the worst attitude. I used to manage and run a hotel during my time in the Coast Guard and I always had a smile on my face, ready to help customers, but he's the complete opposite. I'm also a reiki mother/master and practitioner and his energy is also way off. He literally ruins most guests stay and a lot of guests like myself specifically don't return because of him. ITH owners, I strongly suggest you weed this bad apple from your hostel, promote from within, and focus on employees actually having a lick of customer service skills and not making a hostile, environment for customers. I'm also assuming but could be wrong that Asad must have been the one to remove me from the hostel what apps group because I really can't think of anyone who'd take it upon themselves to do that other than him. Other past guests that aren't currently staying are still in the group, but I was removed. This is discrimination. I will not patronize or support this business until I receive some sort of apology and explanation as to why I was removed especially when my pictures are all over their Instagram and Facebook. I even helped co facilitate an event and was thanked for my efforts, that's where one of the photos is from. So if y'all wanna remove me from your WhatsApp group I immediately need all photos with me in them removed, In that case. Words truly don't even exist for how unprofessional, and how much Asad's customer service sucks. I will reach out to other customers and encourage them to break silence on this since I'm the only one brave enough at this point to call a spade a spade and call it out as ASAD is the biggest liability for this hostel and it could grow so much more if they got rid of this person, who literally has not a lick of customer service in his blood and ruins the entire vibe of the place, through his inept leadership and non existent and even rude customer service. Discrimination also is not acceptable. I will be elaborating more if needed via my own personal channels on my experience. read more

ITH Pacific Tradewinds Hostel - I'm in the common area - Hostels Near Me - San Francisco, California

This was my first experience staying at this hostel. I was happy with what it had to offer. Thank you to Nikole, the hostel manager, for providing great service! read more

Great hostel. Friendly staff. Cozy but accessible. Comfy beds. A great crowd of hostelers there. Also I recommend the restaurant "SoHunan" on the first floor. read more

I got stranded in SF because of some global warming and weather issues in NYC and I needed a place to crash until I could get back home. I checked Yelp on my phone and found this place to be close by to Union Square. I gave them a call at 8AM and the woman on the phone was pretty nice and asked me to call back at 10AM to see if there were any vacancies. I called back at 10AM and sure enough, a bed was available. Great! I told the woman on the phone, Ashley, that I would check-in around noon. At close to noon, I showed up. I press the buzzer, and then slowly mount the stairs. After about 4 flights of stairs (and walking hilly SF), I am out of breath and take a breath. Ashley immediately comes down to greet me and carries my baggage up 2 more flights of stairs. How so sweet of her. I get to the reception area and she is just so nice. She saw that I was sweating and immediately poured me a glass of iced cold water. The hostel stay was only $29.50/night with a $20 deposit you get back when you check-out. They also provide towels and if you ask nicely, they can loan you a lock for the locker. Ashley showed me to the girl's room which can house 6 females. I got the last bed, sweet! The bathrooms were clean and with two shower stalls. The common room was my favorite. Lots of space to sit and chat with other hostel guests. They have two computers you can use for free and a pretty nice kitchen where you can cook and lots of FREE things to eat. For $7, they will also do your laundry. Really? Is this truly happening? There is such a sense of community here and I really really enjoyed my stay. I got stuck in SF on Halloween and that night, there was pub crawl and a few of us decided to go. So cool, cuz now I made some new friends from all over the world. I highly recommend this place to get a very unique and friendly feel of SF. Met some really awesome people (Ashley, Ryan, Michael and Dominic)! Saved a lot of money, but most of all I felt like I was just staying at a friend's place. The best feeling in the world. Money just can't buy that! read more

this place was the best hostel i've ever stayed at. it's so easy to meet new people here, they have an event every day of the week, and everyone is really friendly. the location is amazing too, and the whole place was super clean. everyone on the staff was super happy to be there, and this would honestly be a great place to work too! shoutout margot and nikole ‼ read more

I was in San Francisco on a business trip, and while there was a hostel across the street from the convention center even cheaper than Pacific Tradewinds Hostel, I opted out for this hostel instead based off online reviews. After my 5 nights in the hostel, I can definitely say that this hostel was worth the extra dollar and extra walking required! I evaluate every hostel by a couple of core features, and this hostel exceeded my expectations for every single one: 1) Kitchen (4/5) - this was equipped for every backpacker's needs. There was a fridge with sufficient amount of space for my foods, spices stocked for communal use, and plenty of cooking/eating utensils to go around. What more could a traveler want? 2) Bathroom (4/5) - even though there was only one bathroom on each floor, each bathroom was well designed for maximum use. The toilet stall, shower stalls, and sinks were separated, allowing multiple guests to use the bathroom at once. Even with many beds assigned to a single bathroom, I never once had to wait for a toilet or shower stall. Everything was clean. Amenities were also provided as well! Each guest was given a towel, which is unique for a hostel. I also forgot my shampoo, but the hostel had a bucket of toiletries that other people had left behind for me to pick from! 3) Sleeping area (5/5) - this hostel was uniquely built so that there were many nooks coming off of a single corridor, with 6 beds within each nook. The nooks did not have doors, so this design may not be the best for people who value extreme privacy. However, it was a great set up for socializing with people from other nooks, as well as slipping in and out of your assigned nook without waking up your fellow nook-mates. There were lockers underneath the beds that were spacious enough to fit all of my luggage within. Just be careful, since the locker doors were rather heavy and it would be tragic if you accidentally dropped it on your foot. 4) Location (5/5) - even though the hostel was further away from Union Square and the more touristy areas of San Francisco than some other hotels/hostels, I personally felt like this was the best location to stay in within the city. It was a stone's throw away from Chinatown, where food, cheap souvenirs, and all the bubble tea you can drink/buns you can eat can be found. Furthermore, there were bus/metro stations very close by to the hostel to get you anywhere within the city. I was able to walk to the Union Square area, Fisherman's Warf, as well as many other places from this hostel. 5) People/atmosphere (4/5) - the people working here were friendly and gave good suggestions. There were also very interesting travelers and students from all over the world, which made my stay more enjoyable. I wish there were more organized hostel events, especially free dinners, however. Overall, I highly recommend this hostel and will consider staying here again for future San Francisco trips! read more

I'm lllaaaatttteee with leaving a review, but better late than never! This little hostel is wedged between buildings in downtown San Francisco. From the outside it may not seem like much, but once inside upstairs it's homey. The staff is incredibly welcoming (very queer friendly for other fam traveling around!), where a communal environment amongst guests and staff is encouraged. If you're one to suffer from social anxiety, this may not be the hostel for you. A game of Cards Against Humanity with dinner was occurring upon my first night in. The rooms are dorm style with bunk beds, and shared bathrooms, as to be expected from a hostel. Overall, my night there was pretty fantastic. However, don't be a dweeb like me and rent a car at the airport. As someone from FL who wasn't savvy to San Fran's parking conundrum, take the hostel's advice and take BART or a shuttle to the hostel. THEN rent a car. You're wallet and brain will thank you for it. read more

I have stayed in hostels across the world. Few compare to Pacific Tradewinds, i was there on my first night and went out with a huge group of people from the hostel. Everyone was very friendly, staff was helpful, they even offered me a beer after trekking up the stairs. Awesome people, awesome clean place, awesome everything Stay nowhere other than Pac Trade, because everywhere else sucks. EDIT So ive stayed here twice now, i must say its still amazing. This hostel honestly has it going on. Dave, the GM gets people organized for outings, we went to a place called La Barca for karaoke on a thursday night, it was so much fun, we all danced to Michael Jackson, sung our hearts out to N*sync and Hanson. I met awesome kiwi's, germans, Swede's and just about every other race and persuasion you can imagine. The staff kicks ass, the beds are comfortable, clean, and the plugs are aplenty for charging your electronic devices, the girls are hot, the dudes are cool, and everyone just has an awesome time. There is also a more laid back contingent at the hostel as well, that would rather chill back wtih some board games and a good book. The imacs in the common room are great if you dont bring your computer, the internet is fast too. I left my laptop on my bed in plain view all night charging while I went out, and it was still there when I got back, theft is NOT an issue at this hostel. Stay safe, stay happy, stay drunk, stay at Pacific Tradewinds, you will NOT regret it, i promise. read more

Pros: - Help you with luggage (4th floor no lift) - Free towel, sock wash - Free breakfast - Cheap Cons: - No lift - Pretty noisy at night, didn't feel comfortable showering - Shower room is way too SMALL - Only one restroom in one floor :( - Mostly need to take a transfer to different places read more

Stayed here for a week. The laid-back, small-community feel of the hostel is great. You're never pressured to party if you don't want to, and there's always people just chilling out in the common area. Amenities were fairly lacklustre for the price we paid (~$40 / night). The shared bathrooms and the shared kitchen were never so busy that I had to wait a long time to use them. However, the one shared handtowel in the bathroom to dry your hands was a bit gross to me. The internet cut out on me a lot, but the speed was good. No free breakfast, and I only found out about some of the other amenities (e.g. laundry, maps, etc) from overhearing other people talking about it. It's not made obvious when you arrive. Neither was the $20 key deposit (wasn't mentioned before), so that unexpectedly ate into my travel budget. The lockers seem really secure - they're made of steel or some other equally strong, heavy metal - provided you remember to bring a lock! My towel also smelled like wet dog the first day I used it. I suspect it wasn't dried properly after it was washed. The "4-bed dorm" also seemed misleading, as the walls didn't really separate each area from the next in terms of sound, and the lack of a door didn't make it that much more private. It felt like a 20-odd bed dorm with dividers. You can also hear pretty much everything that happens in the bathroom... even sleeping at the other end of the floor. Traffic noise can also be a bit of an issue, but earplugs help. So all in all... an alright place to stay. Nothing amazing in terms of the actual facility, but the community is great. Friendly staff, cool people that stay there. read more

One year ago, this place helped me move to the city. How'd it get me here, a place that's famous for it's harsh and competitive apartment hunting? I lived there. Well, I paid to stay here for about six weeks. That's not normal. Normally, it's two weeks that you're allowed. But that was enough--enough to prove myself worthy to become staff. Wait, what's that... a former or current employee writing a favorable review on Yelp?! Not unheard of, but also not uncalled for in this case. It's the place's vibe! It's a small setup: two guest floors with staff quarters on the top, and only six guest rooms total. There's something about a limited number of people all sleeping in the same building which makes it feel more like a family and less like a cheap hotel. Would I stay here again? Never. I lived here for six more months after that, and hostels shouldn't be that long-term. If instead you want a friendly place with a lot of character, with staff who care because they actually do, one that will give you great stories and excellent pen-pals, more guests socializing than a decent-sized bar, and maybe even a lifelong friend or two (if you're lucky) this is a great place. Really. Even if I did work there. read more

It's a hostel! Small, clean, friendly. Good size under bed storage lockers (bring your own lock) candy jar full of earplugs at desk :) street noise is high (it's downtown SF with all the clanking of garbage collections and traffic). It's the top 2 floors of a four story building. NO LIFT. But friendly staff willing to help with luggage up the stairs. My dorm was coed. Specify if that's not your preference. At 50+ I'm the oldest here by a good few decades, but feel totally welcome. Great downtown crash pad which is what i needed All linens and towel provided. read more

Staying at this hostel is like staying at your friend's dorm. It's a very small, close knitted community ran by amazing staffs. The hostel was very clean, and the location was great. However, I didn't think the amenities were worth the price. The internet was very slow. There's no free breakfast/dinner/beer. The 4-bed dorm room description is misleading because it really is just one huge room with separate partitions for 4 beds in each partition. Each partition is not enclosed, so it's like you're sleeping with 20 something people (as in you could hear all of them talk/snore). I couldn't sleep the first night because people in other "rooms" were snoring so loud. Compared to other hostels, the physical characteristics of this hostel are nothing special and its amenities definitely don't justify its $30 rate. The staff and the community are the only things that make this hostel as highly rated as it is. The other hostel I stayed at, Green Tortoise, has much better rooms/beds/amenities, but it cannot rival Pacific Tradewinds in its sense of community. read more

The only thing I'm sad about is that I couldn't stay longer. This hostel is ran by such a friendly staff! The location is perfect! I stayed in the quiet room, which worked great for me since I was going to bed early and waking up before dawn. But in the future, I'd like to try to social room as well to meet people! Easy check in. Clean beds. Free ramen. I couldn't have asked for a better stay! read more

Staff here were gracious hosts. Stayed for three nights and for the price compared to hotels in San francisco you can't beat $28 (discount given if you pay in cash)per night! The place is located in downtown near kearny and California intersection so a good location IMHO. Be prepared to climb 4 flights of stairs, especially if you're bringing a lot of luggage... Will return when the occasion calls for it. read more

I used to stay here off and on, when I was living in Sacramento and looking for a place to live and a job here in SF. I stayed here because a boy I was sleeping with lived and worked here. I also stayed here because the manager's an awesome dude, it's cheap, and it always felt like a home away from home for me. Eventually, when the the job and the room didn't pan out, I lived here. For something like two months. And by that time I was desperate to get the fuck out. "It's a nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there." Exactly. But, hey, I'm still with the guy I met there, and we even still share a room, albeit a much larger and more private one. I owe MOST of what I've accomplished since moving to SF to the connections I made and the experiences I had while at PacTrades. If you're visiting SF, whether you be from Tokyo or Buenos Aires or Edinburgh or freakin' Chico, the Pacific Tradewinds is one of the most awesome places you could choose to stay. Who knows? You might find a reason to never go home again! read more

I was supposed to stay only for one night and the keep couchsurfing around the city, but when I met David, all the staff and the other travelers I felt welcomed right away and decided to stay for 2 extra nights even though I had a free place to stay. Pacific Tradewinds is in a cool location, close to bus and train stations. The staff is awesome and very helpful and they do their best to make the hostel a very socially international place rather than a simple cheap accomodation for travelers. They always organize events and nights out and they truly helped me make the best out of my experience in San Francisco. Definitely recommended. read more

I love San Fran. and when I visited it last, I decided to stay at this hostel because of its high praise on all the travel sites. Apparently, it was voted No.1 hostel in the US a while back. So, I booked myself and a friend in for a few days and off we went. Location - Definitely couldn't have asked for more. It is close to the MUNI bus stop (Chinatown) which will take you anywhere you want. The BART is also close by giving you convenient transportation from and to the airport and other places like Fremont. Union Square is close enough so you can walk there for shopping or eating at some fancy restaurants. Rooms - Amazing. Of all the hostels I have lived in, this one is the best. The rooms are always kept clean. They are big, ventilated (very imp.!) and have huge a** lockers to fit your luggage etc. Note - you should get your own locks or you will have to buy them from the hostel. The linen is clean, so NO, you will not get some weird bugs. There are two bathroom and one toilet on each floor and sometimes you may have to wait in line. If that affects you too much, you should wake up earlier and get done with your business. People - We weren't at the hostel for most of the day but from what I felt, they are all very friendly. The staff is helpful and always ready with recommendations for you. We did indeed end up checking out some of the places they recommended and we were not disappointed at all. Free internet is provided wirelessly or through two iMacs. It is a very close knit place and you will feel at home. I would definitely stay here next time I visit San Fran. read more

My first time staying in a hostel. I'm very happy with the overall cleanliness of the place. The sheets, blankets, and towel that they give you look, feel, and smell clean. The mattress is comfortable and the room is not too hot. Very kind and hospitable staff. She even stayed open an extra half hour past closing just to wait for us to arrive. She offered us water and food upon arrival and checked us in quickly and effortlessly. I'll choose this place again if I'm ever in the area without a place to stay. Definitely recommend for those who like to travel. Pacific Tradewinds Backpacker Hostel rocks! read more

I got laid here! I ate Moussaka for the first time here! Taught foreigners how to play Apples to Apples! Discovered kareoke! Made $100.00 in a night giving Swedes and Kiwis haircuts! Watched a polite southern black boy get so drunk he made everyone turn on him in one night! Slept with 5 other peope in a 10x10 room! And who could forget the frozen (whole) fish that the boy from Uzebeckistan forgot in the freezer and we then used to play practical jokes on each other (i.e., putting it under a cronies' pillow)? Needless, to say I love this place. It didn't get voted number one hostel in North America for nothing! Dave, the manager, is a totally awesome dude, and very proffessional. He's plans events, takes people out, integrates the foreigners and tells them to avoid Pier 39 and the tenderloin. I ALMOST wish I was apartmentless again so I could stay here. read more

Totally friendly, great people! When I came to check in, I was offered a seat and a drink right away, which was good because they're in a 4th story walk-up and I was tired from schlepping my bags. Be aware there is a $20 key-deposit, which I wasn't aware of before I came. I stayed in one of the 8 bed dorms. It was crowded, but with such a fun crowd, you WANT to be crowded! It's backpacker hosteling at it's best. The location isn't bad, but watch for the steep hills if you need to go west into Nob Hill - more of a climb than a walk. (While you're here, go check out the Fairmont Hotel several blocks away, the historic birthplace of the United Nations, a very grand, ornate building with a beautiful lobby, makes a cool place to sit and chill with friends. I think you can even order drinks.) Lots of board games and two computers with free internet access are amenities you don't get at the finest hotels. read more

This joint is epic. I had to stay in the area last night on short notice and luckily was pointed to this one. Overall: Unassuming, comfortable, open, convenient. From the sign as you mount the fourth floor saying "welcome to the aerobic workout room" (showing someone climbing stairs) to the custom wall-sized city map with embedded screen looping through beautiful photos, to the pirate banner and the enormous Book of Love showing nearby barbers, quirky tours, dives, or liposuction clinics -- a lot of fun. Vibe: Staff love helping guests figure out how to enjoy the City. Very friendly to non-native English speakers. Great general vibe to the place; solid internet; good bookshelves; lovely full kitchen and a single common room where everyone hangs out. Venue: An open floor plan on ~2 floors. Casual coed access to restrooms and showers on either floor, lightly section-off rooms with 4 bunk beds in each. If you are noise-sensitive, this isn't for you; but if you love open floor and sleeping plans, shared chats and no fuss, it is a pleasure. The whole place is carpeted with nice cushioned seats. Worn in a welcoming way. Beds are very clean and crisp; pillows hostel-standard (e.g., bring your own if you want perfection :) Props to the manager for really looking after the place. read more

This was my first time staying in a hostel and when I checked in, I was dreading the thought of sharing a room with several other people (but due to a limited travel budget, it seemed like the best choice). By the time I checked out two weeks later, I was sad to leave because it felt like home. The hostel is very clean and the staff is super friendly and help and they graciously accommodated my request for a bottom bunk. It's a great place for solo travelers because it's easy to make friends and there's usually someone to hang out and chat with in the common areas. And they offer a laundry service for $7 per load and a one day turnaround time, which is pretty convenient. Being a few years older than the usual hostel crowd, I was concerned that it would be noisy at night and hard to sleep. It turned out that's that it's "lights out" at midnight so the rooms and common areas are quiet and dark enough to get a good night's sleep. Most of the dorms are co-ed but there's also one six-bed all girls dorm (so if this important to you, you should mention it when placing your reservation). The neighborhood is great, with tons of restaurants nearby and less than a 10 minute walk to BART, Union Square, the Ferry Building or Market Street (and far enough away from the seediness of the Tenderloin). I'd definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a hostel in San Francisco. read more

The staff and guests in this hostel made my stay. Bed was comfy and free towel, toast and coffee were nice touches. If you are sociable and want to connect with other travellers (from overseas and from the U.S.) then this is the place for you. read more

I first stayed at this hostel a few years ago after randomly finding it on hostelworld.com... it had a good rating and was centrally located, so I went and checked it out. What I found was a really awesome, super friendly, super-international hostel that was full of friendly, knowledgeable people and, as a solo traveler, an instant posse with which to have a blast and go explore the city with. The financial district, China Town, North Beach, Market St. and Russian Hill were all within walking distance. The staffers were very accommodating and encouraging when it came to this SF newbie getting out and exploring the city. The four-story walk-up did come as a bit of a shock, but someone met me half way and helped my lug my stuff the rest of the way and, once I got used to it, was never a deterrent. I've stayed their several times since!! There's a reason why this hostel has been one of the best rated hostels in the country for years running. Go find out for yourself! read more

Ah! The Good Ship Pacific Tradewinds, Long may she sail over the foggy skies of San Francisco! I first arrived in San Francisco on a foggy day with no booked accommodation and lucked into a stay in the Tradewinds. That fateful day started my love affair with the beautiful city by the bay and none of it could've happened without the best hostel going. First up, the place is not without its idiosyncrasies. There is a 4 floor walkup. There is no lift. There is a Chinese restaurant on the ground floor. The bathroom situation is a little tricky for some. The dorm floor is close-quarter bunk beds. You have to pay a whole dollar to rent a towel. But the unique nature of the environment forces interactions. I've met some of my best friends at the Tradewinds and would never stay at another hostel in SF. PTW is designed predominately with single or small group travelers in mind. It's easy to meet up with your new best friends and explore. The staff live-in and are around to help you navigate the beautiful city. The feeling is more like a group home than a hotel - the way hostelling was originally designed. For those of you seeking a cheap hotel, many can be found in all of the cities of the world. For those wanting a unique experience - the Tradewinds is truly the way to go. read more

We stayed at the PTW for a couple of nights and the staff was friendly and accommodation was nice and clean. Although SFO is a rather expensive city it felt to be just a little bit too much for a bunk bed in a 6-bed dorm. Everything else was awesome though and the location is quite central. read more

ITH Pacific Tradewinds Hostel - Reception and kitchen - Hostels Near Me - San Francisco, California

Super awesome place with a super awesome staff at a super awesome location! The place can be a little difficult too find as it's hidden away in the Financial District in San Francisco... But once you find it, you can buzz the front desk and they'll let you in as well as help you with your luggage. Be prepared for the flight of stairs you'll have to travel up to get to the rooms! The building is shared with Henry's Hunan Restaurant located on the bottom two building floors. I arrived late so Robert gave me a quick tour of the different areas and informed me of the house rules. He also gave me a map to get around with suggestions of where to hang out and places to avoid. He was super helpful! All the people that were staying there were really friendly too! With rooms sharing six beds, it's hard not to interact with each other. A hostel is a place where you can stay at an affordable price as well as socialize with other fellow travelers. I made a few friends and was also able to hang out with them outside the hostel. Some adventuring we did was attend a dueling piano event at Johnny Foley's, partake in a guided meditation at the Yoga Conference held at the Hyatt, etc. With the hostel located in the middle of everything, it made walking to all these places very easy! Contrary to some of the other reviews, it's not very loud here at all. During the weekend, some of the guests stay up a little later in the community lounge but honestly, it's not really that bad. I expected this place to be a lot noisier because it's close to downtown. Actually, it's kind of quiet....Well, at least compared to what I'm used to. If anything, you could use the ear plugs that they have available at the front counter. (They're free if you have someone snoring in the same room as you!) Pacific Tradewinds also provides towels!...Which is awesome because I didn't bring any and that's one less thing for me to lug around when I'm travelling! They also provide linen, blankets/comforters....and they're super comfy! After walking around the cold SF weather, all I wanted to do was cuddle in the warm comforter! :) If (more like when, haha!) I'm back in the city, I would definitely stay at this place again. Thanks guys! :) Sidenote: There are a few booking sites that advertise this hostel. If you want the best price, the ones I found were through TripAdvisor or through the hostel directly. Some other sites, such as AirBnb, charge a little more. Also, be sure to check-in on Yelp and get $2 off per night! (Not that it isn't cheap already but when you're traveling on a budget, every little bit helps. Right?) read more

I've been in what seems like a lot of hostels and this one didn't disappoint, that's for sure. I came here based on a friend's recommendation and I wanted cheap accommodations while in San Francisco so a hostel fit well into my plans. When I first walked in, I was slightly apprehensive, based on the multiple floors of the hostel, but I adjusted as I went on and became a fan of how the hostel was laid out. The shower and bathroom area were average but I didn't spend the majority of my time there so I didn't care much. The beds were pretty comfy and clean. The lockers beneath the beds were super spacious. Bring a combination or a padlock with you to lock up your things! You get a lot of space for your things which I appreciated. The staff and the travelers in the hostel were very kind and helpful. They even adjusted our reservation to give us the lowest rate possible as we checked in and checked out a couple of times. I couldn't be happier with my experience here. They're great people :) Helpful notes: 1) Bring $20 for a key deposit. 2) You need not be worried about safety. In order to get into the building, your key needs to "buzz" past two doors. If you don't have the key, no one from your party (or outside the hostel) can get in 3) Bring that combination lock for your things read more

I was turned away after I had made a deposit (which was never returned) because the owner decided he didn't like me while I was trying to quietly check in. I would not recommend staying here, perhaps he will do the same to you and you will be stranded. From what I saw the place was very cramped even by hostel standards! There are much better options in San Francisco. read more

Pacific Tradewinds is so special that I created a Yelp account in order to write my first Yelp review as a gesture of thanks for the good people there. Compared to hostels I have stayed at in Europe and North America, Pacific Tradewinds is the best. First, the basics. The location, on the Financial District/Chinatown border, is excellent. It's a five-minute walk from the subway, one or two blocks away from major bus routes that go all over the city, and walking distance to the water/Ferry Building/Embarcadero/Fisherman's Wharf, North Beach (Little Italy), great restaurants and bars, and shopping (if you're into that). The facilities are very nice. The free linens are clean; you can rent a bath towel for $1 that can be replaced for free as often as you like. Bring a padlock so you can secure your belongings in the big personal locker under your bed. Every morning the floors are vacuumed and the restrooms are scrubbed. The clean, fully-stocked kitchen has new fixtures and lots of room in which several people can cook. For a small monetary contribution you can also dine with the staff at their communal dinner. The living room/common area (sans television) has computers with free internet; the hostel has free wifi. But this place is special because of its people. I visited San Francisco for an academic conference and initially needed only a place to sleep for four nights that was affordable on a graduate student budget. For those who want to explore the city all day and night, this hostel can function as just such a crash pad. Yet one will also find a community, transient as it may be, of genuine people who are interested in you and your story. This holds true for the staff (all of them travellers staying in S.F. for a short while) and, inexplicably, for the other guests who will, if you want, become your friends and adventure-mates during your stay. The easy-going, friendly tone is set by Dave, the manager who lives upstairs and who knows how to pick good people for his staff. Two favorite memories of my experience at this hostel are, first, arriving "home" at night following a tiring day at the conference. Before I had taken off my coat, I was greeted by South Africa Pete, who gave me a martini glass filled with Two-Buck Chuck and instructed me to drink and to join the others. A dozen or so of us then sipped cabernet, listened to music, talked, and chilled until the wee hours. Second, it was on Friday evening that I found myself half-napping on the sofa, curled up next to Miami Pete, who was sharing Iraq and Afghanistan war stories with Vietnam veteran Edmunton Dave, who had been stationed in West Berlin prior to living in Thailand for 27 years. Jele (nicknamed "Silent Belgium") was websurfing, Andy (staff) was sitting at reception playing music, and Shelli (staff) was chopping vegetables as she prepared the communal dinner. Though the experience wasn't extravagant, there was a sense of contentment one finds in moments that are both ordinary and beautiful. I have always enjoyed hostels for the setting and opportunity they provide for clarifying and for reminding me what is, in the end, important. Pacific Tradewinds is such a place, and somehow also more. My five days there felt like five weeks or five months. To Dave and the staff: thank you. I will always be grateful. read more

This was my first time trying out a hostel and it was beyond satisfactory. I stayed 4 nights in a row and have absolutely no complaints. The hostel life isn't for everyone, but if you're looking to make quick and easy friendships during your stay, aren't too self-conscious, and are overall lax about things this is the place for you. Anytime between 9:00am and midnight you will almost always find new people to meet in the community area. Hats off to the staff. They were more hospitable and respectable than even some high star rated hotels I've been to. A couple of things to consider: + There are a 2 bathrooms each with 2 showers and a single toilet. There were enough people in and out of that place that I never waited for either. + Quiet hours begin at midnight at which they turn off the lights and request you do not operate the kitchen microwave or stove/oven. + They offer towels - so less for you to pack/buy upon arrival to SF. + Lockers are free to use but bring a padlock or else buy one from them for a few bucks. I didn't feel the need for one and left with everything I checked in with. + Take some time to chill out and sit in the community area to meet new people. I look forward to booking with you guys again, thanks! read more