HI Hostel Santa Monica, Los Angeles
Expert reviews
“This great value hostel is adjacent to Venice and the famed Pacific beaches, and has 260 beds spread around colourful dorms, doubles and family rooms, plus kitchen, library and laundry facilities.”
What guests liked
- Friendly staff
- Santa Monica
- Top location
- Boutique style
All you need to know
Just two blocks from the beautiful Santa Monica Beach, HI Santa Monica hostel enjoys a superb location close to cafes, restaurants and movie theatres. The world-famous Third Street Promenade, known for its weekly farmers’ markets, excellent food, great shopping and engaging street performers, is nearby.
The largest purpose-built hostel in the USA, there is a capacity for 273 guests and a wide range of facilities including free breakfast, Internet access, a well-equipped kitchen and daily movies.
Hotel deals & lowest price guarantee
We partner with Booking.com and Agoda. Both booking websites offer the lowest price guarantee so you can be certain you will always get the best deal for this hotel. If you have seen a better price elsewhere, all you need to do is contact the booking website and they will refund you the difference immediately. You can price match right up until the day before check-in.
Location
Recent guest reviews
7 August 2025
Great place to stay!
Very organize and well explain when you do your check in. Staff is friendly and I felt safe there.
5 August 2025
Very good
The staff, the common areas, the location of the hostel. Breakfast and the amenities.
Getting to and from instructions weren't clear if you use public transportation. The matters/bed isn't supporting enough.
4 August 2025
Very nice stay
I like that the property is secured and convenient.
No parking.
4 August 2025
Very good
The environment is clean and safe! Also the staff is nice!
4 August 2025
Fabulous
Clean, Cheap, good location, friendly staff
3 August 2025
Affordable Sant Monica Hostel
I've stayed here a couple times now. Friendly hostel style environment with clean and decent amenities. The price is right for a few nights in Santa Monica without blowing your budget.
31 July 2025
The perfect California vibe without the price tag!
Excellent location
Past hostels had little curtains on the beds
27 July 2025
Fabulous
Great hostel and location. Really good.
Please change those squeaky beds. They make a lot of noise when people move in their beds. Only negative thing about this place.
26 July 2025
Exceptional
Very close to the sea Cheap Nice activities Team is very nice and welcoming
26 July 2025
It's an affordable stay for student with very good location and amenities around.
bathroom is very clean
breakfast doesn't have meat, ventilation inside the room was not good
24 July 2025
Convenient location and very affordable!
Location, fascilities, thoughtfullness
The mattress wasn't great, but understand as its a hostel after all.
23 July 2025
Exceptional
Very nice staff & complimentary service. Great clean facility.
22 July 2025
Pretty good! The best staying of my whole trip.
Good location, Cleanliness, Full breakfast, A friendly and social atmosphere
The breakfast is all cold—I hope there could be some hot options available.
22 July 2025
Exceptional
Tristan, Don were so good and informative I ended up attending the comedy show!
Please install jet sprays in rooms
21 July 2025
This was my second stay at this location and I continued to be more than pleased. The rooms and bathrooms were very clea
Location, value, cleanliness
21 July 2025
Exceptional
The location, the staff and everything was easy !
18 July 2025
Fabulous
Yes
Bed is soft, but I like hard
18 July 2025
Fabulous
Cleanliness, Friendly Employees
Nothing
18 July 2025
Very friendly accommodation in an amazing location
Location, breakfast
Couldn’t put an extra bed in the family room
15 July 2025
Exceptional
Recommend to any traveling American. Met several foreign travelers and got good information about their homeland.
Nothing
13 July 2025
Felt like home
EVERYTHING WAS AMAZING!!!!! Thank u so much hi hostel!!
Nothing. Everything was perfect
11 July 2025
Love this place
I’ve stayed in this hostel 5 times. Location is the best you could ask for. It’s super comfortable. Has a work space to work from. It’s one of the best hostels I’ve stayed in. All other hostels around have loud music all day and are more of a party hostel. It feels great that here it’s quieter and you can actually work. Kitchen is amazing.
They took breakfast out from one day to the other. And I had booked with breakfast. What I don’t like is that you can only stay 14 nights a year. As I mentioned before. It ruined my entire trip as they told me about it after I arrived. Meaning I had already paid for my flights and had it all planned on a certain budget. And I had to end up paying 5 times more because the other hostels in the city are either not well located for my plans, or were more of party hostels without a designated working space. They took no responsibility for the lack of information when booking and they blamed it on booking.com for not letting them write it on the information. This last time I stayed there it also wasn’t THAT clean. I wish they’d take the pool table back to the dining room so you can sit quietly by the chimney. The cleaning girl with short hair that works there is VERY RUDE. I also wish they’d add curtains to the bunkbeds for more privacy and to cover up a bit the AC that hits you right in the face and makes you sick. It would be nice if windows would open too… (with mosquito nets) 8 ppl in a closed room without ventilation is both disgusting and dangerous.
11 July 2025
Amazing stay in the heart of Santa Monica. Highlyrecommend!
Amazing location, spacious room, comfortable bed, activities almost every day. Easy to meet people and enjoy all that Santa Monica has to offer.
10 July 2025
Amazing
The stay was so good and so as people.
There’s nothing to complain
10 July 2025
Good stay for solo travellers
Good location next to beach
9 July 2025
Cheap, great staff, super comfy beds
Did 1 night in private, 1 after in dorm. Private rooms are great, TV and ironing board, comfy bed. Dorm rooms were super comfortable and spacious enough. Breakfast was cheap and good. Location is right near the bars and beach front. Friendly and accommodating staff. Good value for money for busy periods in a great place. Dorms have en-suites which is great.
No curtain on dorm room beds.
8 July 2025
Amazing hostel to stay at in the heart of Santa Monica!
Amazing location in the heart of Venice, comfortable beds and spacious rooms, full kitchen where you can prepare your own meals, pool table, activities (with Monday and Tuesday being the slow time, Wednesday best as it has both volleyball and yoga on the beach!). Met some great people and the time spent here is just a blast! Highly recommend to stay here while visiting Santa Monica. This was my first time and definitely not last.
Can’t really think of anything. Maybe more bathrooms? Although I just used a single one next to my room and never had a problem or a long wait.
8 July 2025
Safe location, good staff, nice facilities
Great location and facilities
A hostel bar would top it off
6 July 2025
Best 'Hi USA' hostel in the country
Large airy hostel, big rooms, reasonably priced, 5 dollar breakfast in the morning, multiple big common rooms, good lockers, regular activities on during the week for the inmates, close to the beach, pool table, outdoor common area, close to a number of bars and the centre of town, the pier. Buses / metro back to LA /LAX within walking distance of hostel. Super markets (Target, Trader Joes) within walking distance.
Practically nothing.
6 July 2025
Liked it a lot, want to come back
I loved evertyhing. Free tea and coffe and big kitchen. You can get a towel for the beach for free, balls, games, everything is clean and desinfected. Really good place to stay. Hang out places, lots of spaces you can spend and it doesn't have to be your room. I wish I could stay longer to join meetings or bar tour.
Nothing
4 July 2025
A block from the beach and right in the middle of Santa Monica, you can’t get a better deal!
The location was excellent and the private rooms were perfect for my family. The bathrooms were clean and accessible. The courtyard and the pool table were enjoyable.
It was a little noisy but that was to be expected.
3 July 2025
Exceptional
A excellent hostel near a wonderful location. The team is very friendly, helpful and has always an open ear for questions. Every day they have an other event. Thanks to all for a good time in LA.
3 July 2025
HI Santa Monica is outstanding!
Fantastic breakfast for $5, including fruit, cereals, milks, bagels, toast with butter, cream cheese and peanut butter. Good coffee, tea, hot chocolate all day for free. Comfy mattresses, clean showers and toilets separated for female, male, and no wait Lots of seating, indoors and out, with indoor patio including very tall palm trees, charming!
Only negative for me was no curtains on beds.
2 July 2025
Very good
Lovely patio
Beds were very noisy
2 July 2025
Excellent location & staffs
1 block from the beach, great staff very clean
Nothing
30 June 2025
All nice I love this hostel
All good
The price but is very nice the hotel
30 June 2025
Now this is where I should have gone in the first place!
Right by the beach and the Santa Monica Pier!
Not one thing! Loved it.
29 June 2025
Fabulous
Location, clean facilities, friendly atmosphere
29 June 2025
Best value hostel in SoCal and beyond!
Very good breakfast of bagels, cream cheese, some meat depending on day, cereal. Juice, good coffee for $5), use of full kitchen, can do laundry for only $5 as well. That's outstanding value! Enough toilets and showers for beds. Comfy mattresses. Charming enclosed patio seating. Library and pool table.
No curtain on beds. That's the only drawback. Otherwise an outstanding hostel!
29 June 2025
Big hostel, well maintained
Boss kitchen!
?
28 June 2025
Exceptional
Paid 60 USd per night and it was all great. Tnx
28 June 2025
Best stay in Santa Monica/Venice
I frequent Venice and SM and this is my go to Hostel. Always Clean and Comfy.
Breakfast does start a bit to late in AM should start at 7AM
27 June 2025
Great place and great value for staying in Santa Monica
Great location, very good facilities in place including good kitchen and nice places to sit and relax
There is no Bed curtains which can be a problem if you want some more privacy
27 June 2025
Exceptional
Location great close to the Beach and shops . Easy access to the metro and public bus
No cover or curtain on the bed .
27 June 2025
Nice hostel with perfect location!
Perfect location - very close to the beach / Santa Monica Pier and shops. The breakfast was fine. Not a lot of options but enough variety like fruit, bagels and slices of bread.
26 June 2025
Lovely stay!
I had a fantastic stay at this hostel! Everything was spotless, and the staff were incredibly friendly and welcoming. The location is perfect—just a short walk from the 3rd Street Promenade and the Santa Monica Pier. I also appreciated the free activities the hostel organizes, like walking tours and comedy nights. The Santa Monica to Venice Beach walk was a highlight of my trip. I’ll definitely be coming back soon!
I wish the beds had privacy curtains.
26 June 2025
No this like HI
Every thing .. it was amazing 🤩
None mistake , every think is perfect 👍
24 June 2025
Great value and just right for our short stay in LA
Great location, super friendly and helpful staff, really clean
Little noisy at night but that just comes with the location
20 June 2025
I love this place
It’s everything clean and they do “welcome party” during the week, amazing
Hotel facilities
Business facilities
- - Meeting/banquet facilities (additional charge)
Reception services
- - 24-hour front desk
- - Luggage storage (additional charge)
- - ATM/cash machine on site
- - Lockers
- - Invoice provided
Outdoors
- - Garden
- - Outdoor furniture
General
- - Non-smoking rooms
- - Facilities for disabled guests
- - Lift
- - Heating
- - Non-smoking throughout
- - Air conditioning
- - Vending machine (drinks)
- - Vending machine (snacks)
- - Shared lounge/TV area
Activities
- - Hiking
- - Beach
- - Stand-up comedy
Cleaning services
- - Daily housekeeping
Accessibility
- - Wheelchair accessible
- - Toilet with grab rails
- - Higher level toilet
Miscellaneous
- - 24-hour security
- - Key card access
- - Smoke alarms
- - CCTV in common areas
- - CCTV outside property
- - Fire extinguishers
- - Access to health care professionals
- - Face masks for guests available
9 August 2025
Fabulous