The San Francisco Fisherman's Wharf hostel in Fort Mason is a former army barracks and hospital.
“If they doubled the rates, this place would still be a steal,” says Hank Cadra, an East Coast transplant who has driven his motorcycle and trailer of possessions cross county. “It’s an absolute hidden gem.”
I’m visiting one of Hosteling International’s three locations in San Francisco, in a former army hospital built in 1863, smack in the middle of a national park. The name is a bit of a misnomer, the hostel isn’t actually in Fisherman’s Wharf, but better, in beautiful nearby Fort Mason, now part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
Hank is definitely on to something. Where else is a weary traveler going to find some of the most prime real estate in San Francisco on the edge of a cliff overlooking the piers at Fort Mason, with views of Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge for $22 per night? Oh, and there is free breakfast, too.
Views of the piers at Fort Mason
A dorm shared with up to 24 people clearly isn’t for everyone. The private rooms are a better way to go for most, including families. According to the helpful front desk attendants, the hostel is particularly popular with Europeans and twenty-somethings, and is quieter than the other two Hosteling International locations in San Francisco.
Cafe Franco serves organic food and free breakfast with a view of the bay.
About the Fisherman’s Wharf hostel:
- Located in a national park with huge grassy lawns, hiking and biking trails and outstanding views
- Dorm rooms — $22-$28 per night/Private rooms — $75-$85 (depending on season)
- Cafe Franco serves free breakfast and offers organic food until 10pm; also open to the public
- Clean, fresh-smelling bathrooms
- ADA-accessible wing
- Huge, restaurant-style kitchen with Wolf range and butcher block counters
- Game room with pool table and foosball
- Outdoor deck with picnic tables
- Free parking
- Free WiFi
- On-site laundry facilities
- Free or low-cost activities (history tours, walking tours, movie nights, pub crawls, trips to Yosemite and Wine Country)
- Close to the Marina district, Fisherman’s Wharf and North Beach
- Computer work stations
- 24-hour reception
- Secure lockers
- Comfy guest lounge with wood-burning stove and views of the bay
- Jukebox has Van Morrison, David Bowie and the Beastie Boys
