HI Los Angeles Santa Monica Hostel

A great HI USA hostel at a great location, between the beach and the pedestrian mall in downtown Santa Monica. Close to everything really. Helpful reception lady kindly allowed me early check in at 9am. Wonderful open courtyard, with doodles by guests all over the world . Large kitchen to cook and share meals. Clean facility, and comfy bed. Stayed only a day in a 10 bed dorm ensuite (which is nice, no need to carry key) during my USA Rail pass adventure. A long metro ride from Union station LA, worth it for the city. Did see free events listed, but didn't do any. Discounts on bike rides and other tours in the area. I used the one for a bike ride. No free breakfast and $5 day storage fee for luggage after check out - recent changes from corporate, as of spring 2026. No free (edited after hostel response) late check out available. Heartily recommended for future visits.

An exceptionally comfortable and well-appointed hostel. Everything is so clean and spacious, but the kitchen really stars here with its professional-grade fixtures, complimentary cooking oil, spices, etc. Staff let me check in early for no extra charge after a long flight. Thanks guys! The downtown location has direct bus access to LAX metro transit hub and Union Station, so there's no stress over getting around. So many items a traveler could need are thoughtfully available on-site. The 25 °C / 77° F dorm temp was perfect for a traveler returning from Thailand, but some other guys were sleeping in their skivvies with blankets thrown aside.

As a first time Hostel guest my experience at Hi Los Angeles Santa Monica went above my initial expectations. Check-in and check out Ruth were smooth with the staff being extremely helpful in both instances. The ability to store luggage allowed us to explore all we were waiting for our room to be ready. My party stayed in a four person private room; it was basic but expected for a hostel. I found the bathrooms to be always clean and in great condition. My whole group was very satisfied with the bathroom conditions. Although the room was clean, there was an unpleasant stench in one area of the room, which deducts a star from this review. Additionally, if I were to nitpick, the bunkbeds were extremely squeaky. Overall, I’m happy with my stay and would recommend it to others.

We used HI Los Angeles Santa Monica hostel to store our luggage whilst shopping and visiting the pier on our last day in LA before flying home from LAX. The reception staff and security could not have been more friendly and helpful. Super impressed by their amazing customer service which was better than the Hilton where we had been staying all week. Location was great for visiting the shops on 3rd street promenade and for walking to the beach or the pier.

I've stayed at the HI LA Santa Monica Hostel in September 2025. It was my first time in a Hostel, and the experience couldn't have been better. The location is excellent, as you're just a few walks away from the beach, a trainstation and other local ammenities. The staff is nice and helpful. The place overall is nice, clean and organized. Breakfast was served for a fair price of $5 (at the time of my stay), which included bagels, some fruits, cereals, milk, coffe and water. If you like engaging in activies to meet new people, the Hostel also offers lots of group activities so you can socialize. I haven't enganged in any myself, but everyone I talked to realyl enjoyed it. This Hostel made my stay in LA much better than I could imagine, and I would definetly return!

This is one of the best hostels I’ve stayed in. The hostel overall is clean, the bathrooms are cleaned everyday and the rooms are clean too. I was really skeptical about the bathrooms at first, but they turned out to be very clean. The kitchen has everything you need and is very spacious. I love their community rooms and hostel events and also the staff is very friendly and helpful. The location of this hostel couldn’t have been better, it is right by the beach and the area felt safe at night too. Definitely recommend staying here!