ITH Beach Bungalow Surf Hostel

Free pancakes in the morning are a lovely bonus, but the people are what make this place. Ziggy, the manager, was chill and seemed to be everywhere at once. Diego brought great energy, jokes, and kindness. Aidan set the mood with good music, showed us shortcuts around town, and even carried our firewood. Sergio celebrated his birthday with us and was always smiling, and I wish I’d had more time with Bailey, who has a beautiful soul. Justine, from my previous stay, is one of the most amazing people I’ve met. She took us surfing at sunset then, one of my best memories. And some random guy shared his ramen with me. Best ramen I’ve ever had, no exaggeration. This place has that hard to describe hostel magic, full of warmth and community. In 48 hours, strangers can feel like family, and real life slips out of mind. I leave each time with new friends, memories, and a little more faith in people. Only stay if you want the best time of your life! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The location is excellent, and I’m sure the staff are lovely, but I wasn’t comfortable here. The beds were extremely uncomfortable, the bathrooms had cockroaches, and the place wasn’t clean. Furniture was falling apart too. A staff member told us we could get a refund within the 24 hour window, even though the website doesn’t allow that. When the refund eventually came through, it wasn’t the full amount, and he told us, “don’t worry that money will come back some day”.

The location was amazing, much better than the hotels we’d been considering. We got a private room that was very clean, with a really comfortable bed, and the front desk staff were very nice and accommodating. We loved staying here and highly recommend it.

The best part is where it sits: right by the ocean and in the middle of everything you might want to see or do in Pacific Beach. You can fall asleep listening to the waves. There’s a friendly social scene and plenty of events, and the place feels homey, helped along by the free pancakes in the morning. I’d never stayed in a hostel like this before. It really is a bungalow, though the building is so worn that for a moment I wondered if it was meant to look that way. I heard a rumor the owner plans to sell soon and isn’t fixing things. If you can look past the age of the building and don’t expect high standards, it’s an excellent hostel. I’ll remember my time here fondly. It’s a beautiful thing that this hostel exists.