The Red Victorian

The Red Vic is really a unique place!! We chose it as the first stop of our honeymoon trip through Cali and found it was just the perfect location to experience the vibe of San Francisco. As led by residents it has a very personal and casual feel, that we appreciated a lot. If you want to, it is easy to get to know interesting and fun people and get an insight in their lives as locals. Within just four days we felt really at home and had a hard time leaving... It seems pricey at first, but all the unique rooms are designed with a lot of love and passion and the infrastructure won't let you miss a thing. You can also use the fully equipped kitchen (amazing kitchen!!) and all groceries and ingredients are provided. Everything is of really good quality and mostly organic, there is a lot of vegetarian and vegan options as well. The area around is very exciting, lots of cool independent shops and tasty food. Two really beautiful parks are in walking distance. The streets are filled with all kinds of different people and also architecturally the area is a pleasure. Definitely a great place if you are looking for a edgy and unique experience!

I guess, if you just want a hostel to crash, this place is as as good as any other, but if you want a place that’s a bit more private, cleaner, and with some kind of service, don’t bother looking here. This is the second time I stayed. First time wasn't too bad (which was why I came back a second time). It was quiet, and much better mannered, and managed the first time. But under this new management, it's not now. For example, if you want to sleep at night, forget it. People will scream and shout, and bang away on their guitars as if they're the only ones there, for all hours of the night. As a second example, I stayed in a room which has a private bath, so I do want my privacy, but not at the cost of they not even making the bed for the first three days. As a third, the room has no heat, save for some junk, portable heater, so be prepared to be cold. And how about how the plumbing backed up for an entire day, couldn’t use the toilet, sink or shower, or how the private entry wasn’t working for almost two days, so you couldn’t even get into the damn place without jumping around trying to get someone to answer the door. I stay here only because it's a block away from my daughter's apartment, but for $185 a night, plus tax, and if you do not need to be in this locale like I, you can a B&B with MUCH better appointments, cleaner, and quieter. Buy the way, this is the FIRST time in my life, that I’ve EVER written such a review. I just don’t think, being an expressive, free-minded establishment, even philosophical kind of business is any excuse for being so immaturely and poorly managed.

The Red Victorian was a great, eclectic and abnormal way of staying in SF. The place is run by a sort of commune. It's easy to check in and check out (just remember the passcodes) and the rooms are interesting and fun! The whole hostel\hotel is filled with art projects (my favorite was the aquarium toilet!). There is a big kitchen to from and the place's food is usually shared. Recommend to those who had enough with regular accommodation.

I recently visited the Red Victorian to attend a birthday party. I really enjoyed the space and the community vibe. There was a small loft area above the main room where they had some cushions on the floor with a tea service. The main room was large enough for the 100+ guests with a DJ table setup against the back wall. It's a multifunctional space for the creative crowd.

This is a special kind of hostel. Half of the people here live here permanently, so it's like you are a guest in other people's home. You can be part of this family as much or as little as you want. Love and peace in practice. Guest rooms are cleaned daily. The neighborhood is very friendly, even the homeless people.

Great place to be if you are younger. Normal hostel experience, great people, but not a place I'd bring children and not a spotless or quiet location. I really really enjoyed my time there, but I can see some groups of people not enjoying themselves.

the quintessential San Francisco experience. A lovely throw back to a by-gone era of an idealism that is was the late 60's. We stayed there quite a few years ago were struck by the kindness of OUR front clerk as he welcomed in a local homeless guy to charge his phone. It's one thing to name your establishment for peace and love...quite another to exemplify. Somebody referred to this street as a "bad area." Yes there were quite a few homeless in the area but the ones I met were gentle souls, and I always felt safe. Not fancy but very cool. I regret that the "hippie" owner wasn't in residence during our brief stay.

It's just an excellent cross between a community center hostel and hotel--and it's it's self-check-in, along with community meals, free use (and clean-up your own mess) of the kitchen. These folks are very kind and caring. If there are any issues, they quickly respond and help you out. I intend to return in Summer 2018 for longer.