California Dreams Hostel

I definitely can see why there's potential high rating for this establishment. Unfortunately my experience wasn't that at ALL. From the beginning I paid for my room. The lady said there's an extra charge of $87.06 for deposit. I was fine with that until I checked my receipt and it said $39.07 only so they overcharged me there. There's no one else to talk too. Also bunks have an edge you could hit your head if your 6'2 tall that they didn't mention. The pictures are definitely deceiving on the place as well. I definitely was excited to try a Hostel. Unfortunately I won't be trying one again. I don't recommend this location......

Really cool place to stay near the beach, good surf vibes and right next to the fish taco place (only eat fish tacos if you stay here). The boss is real cool guy and helped me out with parking my motorcycle. Staff is real chill and friendly too, especially Federico who can serve as your local guide. Cora is cool too. I’d mention the others but I forgotten all their names. I had a real good stay here during my last days in San Diego.

Stumbled upon this place online and fell in love with the location! Right next to Pacific beach and in the heart of some great restaurants/bars. Met some amazing guests who were coming from different parts of the world. The staff was super friendly! Federico was super helpful and friendly gave me some great recommendations on places I should check out during my 3 day trip. Clementine was another amazing person who helped me check in a breeze. If you’re looking to save money for the vacation activities instead of balling on a hotel, please check this place out! Perfect for anyone 18-40 who loves to meet people and embrace the destination!

This is a quiet hostel with decent facilities, the location is spectacular because you are steps from the beach, bars, or restaurants. I am an experienced traveler and enjoyed the staff- Federico, Cora, Gabriela, and Kayla are the ones I met. I would suggest this place to remote workers or travelers that need rest. FYI: they don’t arrange activities where you can meet others. Free breakfast in the morning is a nice touch!

A great, inexpensive and clean hostel that is close to the beach. Downside can be parking sometimes, but if you come find parking at night its usually available. The staff here do an amazing job keeping it clean, tidy and interesting. One of the staff, Fedrico, deserves a lot of credit for this! He will tell you the best spots for sightseeing San Diego!

Great little hole in the wall hostel on the beach! I spent 3 nights for memorial day for a very reasonable price (50/night) with 2 other people. There are only 2 rooms in the hostel, so I imagine they get booked out pretty fast. The volunteers were kind and helpful, but you do get kicked out of the common area at 2 pm your day of checkout, so no waiting around!

I have stayed here many times in the past, very cool 😎 surfer 🏄‍♂️ vibe, walking distance to the beach & everything. I love it here & most of the time do not want to leave! Federico on staff was extremely helpful & friendly & made me want to visit again.

Simply put I dont think I will be returning to this hostel. To lay it out plainly despite being next to a beach it is not particularly well set up for surfers especially if any large portion of the hostel is doing so. It also isn't a good hostel in general. If you read the reviews and see photos I think most folks are reviewing the hostel down the street which I like much better. Cons: - Rooms have AC but not decent AC. It was a cold night. The dorm room was hotter than hostels in the area that just had a window open. - Wayyy too few bathrooms. There is not an easily accessible common area bathroom and its the same bathroom privates and folks paying for a shower use. Never had to wait this long just about every time I needed it. - Hostel is echo-ey as heck. You will hear every footstep/whisper in the kitchen from your dorm bed even with the dorm doors closed. No white noise/fan sound to block it out. - Nowhere to dry gear overnight. No hooks, no secure space to leave a wetsuit outside, nothing. If youre in a bottom bunk you can hang it on the bed and hope it doesn’t get your bed soggy. - They dont really have board storage outside of the rental shop they also run. The rental shop only has one size of foam boards. - Worst quality wetsuit I have worn. The neoprene was somehow all bunched on the ankles and sleeves. Very low actual insulation. - Rental shop means you may need reception but may end up waiting 10 minutes behind some stranger trying to figure out how many hours to rent a bike for and to sign the waiver. Pros: - Friendly and nice staff. I was there for such a short time but I will remember em. - Staff was helpful in getting around a few of the shortcomings of the hostel - Location is pretty stellar What's wild to me is how cramped and noisy and busy bathrooms felt and the dorm was hovering around half capacity. This hostel has potential but I would really like to see it renovated with more, and smaller bathrooms and an area to dry and store gear. Overall does not give me the vibe that management has ever imagined staying here for a hostel trip.

I arrived with an 11pm checkin. I left with an 8am checkout. I just wanted somewhere safe and cheap to stay at during comic con. Everything went beyond smoothly. The room was very quiet. I was first in bathroom when I woke up, so no issues using the bathroom. I slept very well. Woke up twice in the middle of the night, but I'm a light sleeper. Heard light snoring in middle of night. The staff was very friendly. Asked purpose of visit. Fully explained all amenities. Gave complimentary ear plugs. I was a little worried about finding parking at 11pm. But there were a ton of spaces everywhere. I would definitely come back here again.

I hadn't stayed at a hostel in over a decade so as a grown ass lady, I was a little hesitant but I just needed a place to sleep and wasn't going to have much time in a room anyway. So pleasantly surprised! This place was great. I'm really good, clean condition. Mattress was comfortable, lots of safety measures, and plenty of space to use the fridge/kitchen/showers/toilets. I think I lucked out a bit as the only other woman in my female only dorm had almost the identical schedule as I did. I opted to pay the $5 to use the hot tub for an hour and it was awesome. Huge, hot and peaceful tubbin all to myself. Great value, quiet neighborhood location just a few minute drive from Mission Bay.

I needed a quick place to stay near the beach to run my 5K and grabbed a room here at California Dreams. I don't mind staying in hostels and was able to get one of their private rooms. There are also dorm rooms with bunk beds and shared bathrooms. The common area is nice with a large couch, a kitchen for cooking and storing food and a TV. Pacific Beach is a few steps away with plenty of dining options around. I had a nice time here. You can't beat the price to stay so close to the ocean. The staff was great and gave me a tour of the facility when I arrived. You can rent equipment like surfboards, bikes, skateboards, beach towels, etc from the front office. California Dreams has everything you need to make your beach experience fun. They also run a coffee shop outside in the mornings.

Great place to stay if you want to walk around go drink and have fun, great to go to the beach considering its right there... staff is very welcoming and friendly and they show you where everything is, very homey place to stay for the weekend!

This evening my phone battery was dead around sunset. Luana graciously plugged my phone into a charger even though I was no longer staying at the hostel. AND .. we walked outside a few feet to see the spectacular sunset and she took some awesome sunset photos of me on my bike... So my phone was charged and I got awesome sunset photos despite my phone being out of commision. Luana was also very friendly and helpful at other times during my stay as were other staff members. Thank you Luana for your outstanding service.

This place is excellent - Very clean and well-maintained. It's in a great location not too far from Ocean Beach. The common/hang-out areas were comfy, and the staff was exceptionally awesome.

Great location and the Place was chill vibes overall but it was loud in there. The "quiet hours" are not respected at all (esp. by the staff members) so it was hard to get a good night sleep. because it is a small place the noise from every other room can be heard from the dorm room. also, it has a particular funky smell in there, so be aware of that.

Perfect for us while visiting our son in Ocean Beach. Quiet, clean, safe. We had a private room, and shared the bathrooms which were regularly cleaned. Breakfast was cold cereal or pastries and coffee, which was all ok. The room was a bit hot because the thermostat was locked up, so we kept the window open. We would stay there again. It's an relatively inexpensive option for what we need - just a place to sleep.

I had been trying to get a hold of this place for over a freakin' week. I called during regular business hours--no one ever answered. They wait until a few days before my stay to flippin' CANCEL my reservation on me. Why? Because I have a San Diego phone number. They could have cancelled this 2 weeks ago when I booked it (re-booking a new hotel now will cost me double), made their ridiculous "no locals" policy clear on their hotels.com listing, or been willing to have me quickly send over a copy of my lease or a utility bill showing I no longer live in San Diego. So instead of getting my question answered after a week's wait, they cancel on me at the last stinkin' minute. F U!

On December 4, 2020 a charge to my credit card was applied without my permission for a reservation on December 11, 2020. In compliance with booking.com FREE cancellation period (see attached receipts) and in compliance with California lock down in regards to BANNING tourism travel, I timely cancelled my reservation. After waiting for more than 2 weeks for a credit, I contacted the California Dream Hostel. Pedro (refused to give his last name) contrive a claim that I was not entitled to a refund. Pedro repeatedly talked over me and refused to refund the illegal charge. DEMAND for PAYMENT: If I do not receive my refund by Monday December 28, 2020 I will forward this matter to law enforcement and compliance agencies. Please note, I have stayed at this hostel previously and am shocked at the blatant thievery of this situation.

I stayed here for a few nights last summer and had a great time! For being right on the beach the price is unbeatable. The place is clean and even though there was only one bathroom in our room it was fine. I met some great people and the staff were friendly and accommodating. Thanks guys!

Absolutely magnificent! This being my sole experience with hostels, I was pleasantly surprised by the care exhibited by the employees. Clean sleeping and living arrangements made for an even more comfortable stay. Thanks Luanna!

The best location and most courteous front desk staff i have ever encountered at a hostel. Well done, California Dreams! Oh, and free breakfast burrito you get to enjoy daily is absolutely delicious. I just love this place...

*****A HOTEL LOVER FLIGHT ATTENDANT LOVES THIS HOSTEL***** As a flight attendant, I work/personal travel a lot and I've only stayed in the hotels or private unit/entire guest house from Airbnb, never stayed in the hostel before in my life until I found California Dreams hostel. My first impression of California dreams hostel was - Its excellent location in PB. The beach is just one block away, great restaurants are on the same street, everywhere is so close that you can walk anywhere you want to go in PB. Check-in was easy and quick. it was so sweet especially after my long flight from NY the same day. Pedro is the best manager I've ever met in the hospitality industry. He's very professional yet he's so sweet and personable. I also really liked their welcoming vibe which you can't really get these days from big brand hotels. The working staff - The main reason I enjoyed staying in this hostel. I really enjoyed the hostel's Wednesday OB bike tour - ReyRay and Dave were the best at leading our trip to OB farmer's market. ReyRay is very outgoing and he genuinely likes taking care of other people. Dave is a very attentive, genuine person. And Kristin has the big sister vibe - soft leadership. They make a great team for this type activity. The hostel is known as the cleanest hostel in SD. Every morning Tatia comes in and cleans everywhere. And then during the day the working staff cleans the hostel again. It's like there's no time for this hostel to be dirty! Alex and Chelsea made my checking out so much easier by letting me leave my bags until my flight. You'll definitely get a great value for your stay at California Dreams hostel. Staying in this hostel was an excellent decision I've ever made in 2020. I highly recommend this hostel if you ever visit PB.

I'm a 43 year old female and this was my first time ever staying in a hostel. I looked at all the reviews online and I did my research so I felt very safe going in. From the moment I walked through the front door the staff was so helpful and made me feel very comfortable. I didn't even notice that I booked a co-ed room and at the time was the only female there. It started to make me feel a little bit uncomfortable until I had the opportunity to meet each and every one of my roommates. They were from all over the world and it was so intriguing to hear some of their stories of where they're coming from and where they're going to. I was extremely safe. The room and the bathroom in our space was so clean. I saw the woman came every day and clean the place after the people checked out at 11. At first I felt like I was the oldest one in the building but then there was a husband and wife who came and checked in for one night and they were much older than I was. I rented a surfboard there, use the frigerator, took my showers there and even had breakfast there because they have breakfast included along with coffee or tea. You can get one of four burritos for breakfast. The location this hostel is in is priceless it is one block from the beach and right in the middle all the fun. I've stayed at very fancy hotels, some motels and Airbnb but this was perfect for what I was doing. CLEANLINESS: 5 stars LOCATION: 5 stars SERVICE: 5 + stars SAFETY: 5 stars STAFF: 5 stars I plan on returning and would recommend this place to anyone.

Great overall place! The prices are so absurdly cheap and noticeably lower than everywhere else, I'm actually shocked how they make a profit! Mauren at the front was so friendly and kind and she made the entire experience enjoyable. No complaints I can think of!

The entire staff takes their responsibilities seriously in order to offer the best experience for their travelers. Client relations is some of best I've come across in North America & Europe. That's a shout out to ReyRay, Elisa, David, Anna, Pedro. The location is so clean any mom would be proud. They go through multiple times a day. Literally everywhere. Large showers all to yourself with hot water when you need it. You feel safe, and personnel lockers are provided. Just bring your own lock. Power outlets are everywhere. Even attached to every bed setup along with wall light, dark privacy curtains, and comfortable linens. If you like to cook, you will not miss a beat with the accessible/large kitchen. The overall footprint of the hostel might not be the largest, but it doesn't have to be. The space was utilized in such a way that coming back at night or starting the day feels like home away from home. The activities board is really helpful. Jump right into the local scene. The staff organizes nightly events open for anyone to attend. Example: last night, Staff ReyRay with the help of David, and Elisa organized a bonfire right down on the beach. By the time the fires were roaring we were 20+ deep having a blast under the stars, music, refreshments, and just good vibes. Hours went by, and that's how memories are made. There was no one around us in either direction. You will encounter all walks of life as your travel companions. Additional resources to enhance you beach experience are available for daily rent. The overall location of the hostel is perfect. Walking distance to every bar, restaurant, night clubs, and more. In fact the hostel is built around one of the two best Mexican spots in town. On the corner is a mouth watering New Zealand burger joint, and across the street one of the most fun bars in town for just a chill night (Duck Dive). Tuesday nights $3 cocktails!! If you don't know where to stay in PB. Just start here. Staff are flexible depending on availability for multiple nights or day by day. The hospitality here without question is the best in town. Have experienced the others, just stay away. Safe travels.

Super clean and quaint, excellent location with easy access to bikes and electric scooters to get to town. Lots of amenities. 100% great stay, thank you!

Wonderful people I spent 600$ a night at bahia but nothing beats the atomasphere after I tried this. Everyone will be your bestie so don't don't be surprised if you end up signing karaoke or hanging at the beach with roommates. By the end of the day a bed is a bed but memories last forever! Coach and Maurie are fantastic workers,and will go the end for fellow guests(family). I will forever miss this place but will visit always.

My friend and I stayed here for a girls trip and this was my first time staying in a co-ed hostel. First and foremost, we felt safe. The staff were all friendly and it was obvious they took quiet times and safety very seriously. Second, it was clean. Showers, common areas and beds were spotless. Third, it was really easy to meet people and get around. Everything is in walking distance and we could rent surf boards out of the hostel and walk down the beach. Steve was our instructor and was also incredible!! Breakfast burritos and coffee were also perfect for in the morning. Thank you to everyone at California Dreams Hostel for making our trip such a perfect experience!!

Amazing place , The staff is very friendly and genuine , its very very clean , in fact they clean every 2 hours ! super impressed (Thank You ) its near the ocean , there is also restaurants and grocery store closed by , a plus ! Its very safe and secured ! Pretty legit if you ask me i love it .

Loved this place. It was nice and clean. Just a block from the water. I rented a surfboard and hit the waves. The dorms have AC which was a big plus. The days we were there the heat was great for the beach but it was. Ice to be able to sleep with some AC. People were awesome. They treat you like a friend and the people who stay there are super cool. Met some Australians and had some beers with them. Definitely coming back the next time I need a place right by the water. THANKS GUYS!!!

Stayed here for the first time in 2018, and had to come back this year. Their cheap rates, extremely friendly staff, and proximity to the beach are all what make this place so special. Every time I have come here I have stayed in the private rooms but there are also dorm style rooms available. You will easily make friends with the staff, and people staying at the hostel. Everyone is extremely hospitable, and community oriented. Another plus about this place is that every morning you get a free breakfast from the amazing Mexican restaurant located right next to the hostel!

This was my first time staying at a Hostel but the hospitality, community, and overall good vibe of this place definitely sparked a desire to skip regular hotels in the future and enjoy the fun communal environment of these types of place. This is my first ever Yelp review and that should say a lot! All three of the staff were very inviting, friendly, knowledgeable, and accommodating. Thanks so much you guys!

The staff at California Dreams Hostel is wonderful - friendly, professional and knowledgeable about the area and sites to see. It had been several years since I last stayed in a hostel and I had a great experience here. The rooms, bathrooms, and common areas are clean and functional. The location can't be beat. It is right next to the beach and conveniently located near restaurants and bars. I would stay again.

Really fun place to hang out. Walking distance to the beach and tons of restaurants and bars. Rooms were very clean and staff is friendly. Met some new friends here and celebrated new years eve. I'll definitely return.

Not my best choice for hostel in San Diego unless you want.... Very crowded bunk bed sleeping area. 10 narrow bunk beds. Small area for socializing ( Near the front door ) combined with a small kitchen. Drunk Millennials Over priced on Holidays No garden or outside area for hanging out. No parking

Our first time staying in a hostel- This place will not disappoint! From friendliness to cleanliness Very spacious and quiet! Thank you to the friendly staff for making us feel welcome-

This is place is awesome! Cool staff, clean beds, private showers...oh, and it is also right on Pacific Beach..also they give free vouchers for breakfast burritos in the morning.i definitely recommend. #america

I was very pleased with my stay at California Dreams Hostel. I was there a few days during Independence Day weekend. The staff were super friendly and very helpful. The facility appear to be Brand New that the walls still smell like fresh paint and the beds had fresh new linen. The common area has an awesome kitchen and a big comfy couch you can watch movies or use wifi. My Absolute Favorite thing about this place is the huge restroom and awesome Hot Shower. There are lockers available and they offer breakfast burritos from 830 - 930 am. The location is legit.. it is literally walking distance to beach. I do plan to come back the next time I am in the area! :D

Amazing place to stay, clean, welcoming and great environment. I would recommend my family and friends to stay at this Hostel. Best place to stay in San Diego.