San Juan Island Hostel

The location is great and convenient, but I wouldn't recommend staying here unless you have no other choice. The kitchen was so dirty I didn't feel okay using one of the spoons labeled clean, and the showers were grimy too. My bed in the women's dorm was clean and comfortable, but the building really needs a deep clean. I've stayed at plenty of hostels around the world, and this was one of the dingiest.

The location is decent, about a five-minute walk from the ferry and the main drag. The private room price was about the same as a regular hotel room there, if I was willing to stay a little farther from the main drag. I stayed a couple of nights, and the rooms were in poor shape, with old, substandard bedding. There was mold in places in the bathrooms, toiletries belonging to long-term residents in some of them, and the toilets weren't in great condition. The staff weren't polite. There isn't a front desk, just a number that goes to voicemail. I called twice and never got a call back.

There was a mix-up about whether the hostel had a room for me. At first I was told they could fit me in, then that everything was full, and I ended up spending the night outside. Some staff were really kind, and there seemed to be miscommunication between them and me. I'm grateful they tried to put me up, but I wish they'd told me sooner, before the banks closed, so I wouldn't have had to sleep outside.

I needed another night in Friday Harbor unexpectedly, and this hostel was the only lodging I could find. The bed was okay and the sheets were clean, but the place was hot, the bathrooms were gross, and it cost $170 a night. It got me through one night. If you can find somewhere else, I'd go with that.