SF Travelers Inn

Be careful of the bed bugs

I’m disabled and I asked for a bottom bunk. Nope. Didn’t even check the email I sent. Had to find a stepladder. They gave me sheets to put on the bed, myself. That’s pretty hard to do with one working leg, and a step ladder, dressing the top bunk. No pillow. No towel. No locker, no shelf. Nowhere to put my stuff, nowhere to plug my phone. Mold. Mildew. Smell of decaying people, and people who haven’t bathed for at least a month. If you’re noise sensitive, there’s a bar with live bands across the street and the window in this place needs to stay open because of all the smells. Bring ear plugs. And a face mask, and an eye mask, because apparently, the lights stay on. Oh, and while I was folding my clothes to leave, I FOUND A FREAKING BED BUG ON MY PANTS!!!! I had dismissed the bites on my leg as mosquito bites. They are not. 🤬🤬🤬 The person that checked me in? Also having a bad day. They also don’t accept passports for ID. What?????

Hidden gem: I almost want to leave a bad review so I know there will be availability next time I'm in town! I booked here for the value, and was blown away by everything this place had to offer. You might be tempted to book based on location and price alone (within close walking distance: Little Italy, Chinatown, Coit Tower, the Transamerica Pyramid/Redwood Park, Keys Jazz Bistro [with amazing live jazz sets on Sundays and Wednesdays], as well as countless historic North Beach locales like Francis Ford Coppola's one-time Hollywood mixing studio, Cafe Zoetrope, and the lovely Saints Peter and Paul Church, aka "the Italian Cathedral of the West"), and you wouldn't be disappointed if you did. In my opinion, even a campsite at this location would be well-worth the money. (Obviously good food is never too far away either.) Luckily, the Inn has far more to offer than that. I stayed in the corner dorm for three weeks, and it seemed like every day I discovered something new about the building. The room itself is decent: definitely motel-quality decor--however, with vaulted ceilings, bay windows, and the ability to gaze out at the lively Chinatown/Little Italy intersection + downtown skyline, I certainly wasn't complaining. (It also wasn't until my third week that I realized there is a genuine Banksy visible from the dorm window!) Beyond that, there is a kitchen open 12 hours a day with full amenities that often has fresh produce and interesting conversation available, free wi-fi (with surprisingly good download speeds), and sweeping rooftop views that include almost everything mentioned above + the bay bridge (Look for Coit Tower just peeking out over the rooftops behind you). However, I should probably address the four one-star reviews listed for this location. First of all, any hostel-style housing in a city like this is going to get a lot of traffic, because it's inherently cheap. I stayed at the HI hostel in Fisherman's Wharf, which had nicer decor and a higher price point, but they were much less capable of maintaining clean living standards during my stay than the Traveller's Inn. Staying in hostels, stuff happens, but luckily the worst I saw during my stay here were some dirty toilets, and even these were cleaned quickly and thoroughly. I am leaving four stars for service, not because the staff wasn't incredibly helpful, studious, and friendly (they were), but because I admit it can be difficult to find someone to help you check in. However, just because no one's in the office when you arrive, doesn't mean no one's around. It's a big place, and at this price-point, they run a surprisingly tight ship! I would just recommend not being a stranger and asking the first person you see to help you track down an employee, and if you're in a vital rush, knock on the dorm directly to the left of the stairs and get someone to help you (after calling the office-number, of course). I never met anyone here who wasn't incredibly friendly and willing to help me out if I needed it. As for bed bugs: I didn't see any (I even checked my bed because of that review), didn't get any bites, and I didn't I hear of anyone else seeing bugs or getting bit either. I know very clean people in the city who have gotten bed bugs just riding the bus, and I imagine running a popular hostel is a whole other ball-game. I won't make any guarantees, but just to reiterate: I was here for three weeks and saw no signs of bugs. (If you DO find bed bugs in your room, no matter where you're staying: leave immediately, check your clothes and luggage, and run them through a dryer if you can, then get a refund/reimbursement for any costs incurred, which is your right under CA law.) I believe that this place has so few reviews because it recently changed owners, and I think it's very unfortunate that it currently has so many one-star reviews, even if the majority are positive. This is definitely one of North Beach and larger SF's hidden gems, and I'm so grateful for my time here. If you're looking for a hostel in SF, this place can't be beat.

Bed Bugs!!

Literal bed bugs, very weird staff members checked me in asking strange questions. Felt very uneasy. Incredibly dirty, floors have not been cleaned in a long time. Again. There are bed bugs. Sketchy characters hang around near the hostel and make a lot of noise during the evening

Overbooked, then given private room on a second floor full of bed bugs and I had to pay 20$ upgrade.i was initially enjoying a nice chat a feeling like I am in the 1970s SF as hostel has some retro vibe but ended up sleeping for 30min alltogether in the kitchen. with body full of stings. Just a horror story of my last day in SF. Does it really take that much to spray room once a week against bed bugs...

Para nada, no lo recomendaría hay mejores opciones en la zona por el mismo precio.