The Redwood Lily Guest House

Super chill place! Admittedly I love the Arcara area, its vibe, its tone so going co-​op in housing made sense. Night 1 stayed in the main house in a private queen bed room, nights 2 & 3 stayed in the separate loft apartment. Both accommodations were clean and comfortable but the loft was truly amazing! Joyce is an architect, designer, artist whose good energy permeates the property. We had no problem parking and walked to great restaurants, the coffee shop and bagelry, two health food markets, and the lovely plaza. Eco conscious house «rules» yet not pendantic. Great spot for the open-​minded traveler who yearns to support green businesses.

First time at a hostel and it was by default. Due to so many fires in so many locations cal fire booked up all vacancy’s.
Not one hotel available. It was late we’ve driven for hours upon hours in search of the perfect camp spot that wasn’t under attack. It was midnight, we were exasperated when, «hostel» came to mind. We did a search and found this gem.
Clean and quaint. The owner was so zen. The porch and yards filled with plants and flowers. It was a quiet sanctuary. I will be back and it opened my eyes to a different way of traveling. I will bring my family back for a stay here. Thank you.

Our first hostel stay ever and if this place is what they are all like, we’ll be staying at them a lot more. Charming house and nice people. Very hippie feel from the whole place which gets you the true Arcata experience.
We couldn’t find a vacancy for over 100 miles when traveling up the coast and my smart gal thought of checking for hostels on her phone. It was almost midnight and we were thinking that we may have to sleep under a bridge somewhere. Luckily they had a simi-​private room with two single beds, just one other guest with us and she was in the closet! Literally in the closet and we never saw her.
Great price, very comfortable, quiet and relaxing.
We checked in and went to grab a bite before bed and found a fantastic pizza place in the surprisingly active town of Arcata at 1AM. Dirty hippies offering us hits from their joints, crowded sidewalks, happy fun vibes everywhere, we fell in love with this town!
So we go into the pizza place and it’s after 1 and they are closing but said that if we just wanted a slice it would be okay. So I ordered a combo slice and she gets the pepperoni and a beer and they bring us a Whole pizza with 3 slices of combo, 3 slices of pepperoni and 2 slices of cheese! All alternately arraigned around the pan combo, pepperoni, cheese, combo pepperoni cheese. It was a sight to behold. Wish I had taken a picture.
Anyway, great hostel and great town!

I booked a single bed in the co-​ed «hall» on my trip up the coast from San Francisco to Southern Oregon. If you’re looking for a private, secluded or romantic getaway, this probably isn’t going to be your jam. If you’re looking for an affordable, clean, organic and friendly stop-​over in the disarmingly charming hippy town, it will probably be your jam. It feels a lot like a respectful and chill co-​op where both the guests and hosts treat each other like peers worth knowing.
Its located in a great spot, you can walk around said disarmingly charming hippy town at your leisure and experience the local charm to the max. People are seriously the nicest here, always happy to have a congenial conversation about whatever. Probably because they aren’t always rushing off to a meeting they’re ten minutes late for. Or maybe it was me that became nice in this town because I was the one not rushing off to a meeting I’m ten minutes late for. Either way, awesome!
Two nearby places I went and recommend going to while you’re here include: Renata’s Creperie (where your almond milk latte comes in a bowl) and Om Shala Yoga, where I enjoyed the best yoga session of my practice thus far.

I recently stayed at redwood lily on a two week road trip across west coast America, and looking back — it was the most overpriced accommodation we had on our trip. The private room costs $ 100 but doesn’t include a private shower or a key for the room. Oh and it’s cash/​cheque. The house is quite nice — well decorated and welcoming — but since the door to the private bedroom is only 3 feet or so from the front door to the house, we were continuously woken up through the night by people coming in and out and knocking to get in. Overall, I would say if you are looking for a hostel experience it could be a good match, but if you want a private room with real privacy, it might be best to stay at a hotel.

This is a beautiful hostel! The owner is an architect & artist, with great taste as far as design goes. Just spending time in the common areas was a treat. I have stayed twice at this hostel; once in a shared room & once in the private redwood suite. The beds are super comfortable and the sheets, blankets, and pillows felt very luxurious to me! The private room provided me with a peaceful, quiet night’s sleep… which was exactly what I needed on my travels down the coast. The nights spent in the share room were definitely not as peaceful, but there always seems to be that risk when you are staying in a shared space of a hostel.
The location is great; you can walk to the square, co-​op, and the marsh easily. The coop and a bagel shop nearby open at 6am, which is a treat for an early riser!
They also provide organic breakfast and coffee, and the kitchen is a joy to use.
Highly recommended!

I booked the dorm bed directly through the information on the website. Brooke penciled me in for two nights and accommodated my late checkin time. I was welcomed by Nick at the reception who was thorough about the details of the Victorian house and the local things to do. Ryn, sweet, cheerful and always available, brought warmth and comfort to my brief stay.
Apart from the amazing location, the great décor, tasteful products and mindful utilities used al over, this place is really about the people who have built and set it up. I will recommend it to travelers — solo, in a group or even family.
Truly a home to come back to from the redwood sojourns.

Nice place to stay. Interesting the way it focuses on being social and connecting with other guests. Kind of like an upscale hostel.

Stayed here while passing through on a bike tour. With the discount for cyclists, only $ 32 for a clean, comfortable bed (and as it turned out, the place was pretty quiet that night so I had the room to myself).
Super friendly staff. Got the sense that it would be the sort of place where it would be easy to make friends on weekend or summer nights when there are more adventuresome spirits passing through.

I had a pleasant stay at the Redwood Lily this fall. The guests were all friendly, the vibe was peaceful, the bed was soft, the bathroom was clean and well-​appointed, and the staff were helpful and kind. I was especially appreciative that the desk staff were responsive in helping me make a same-​day reservation.
There was unrestricted parking on the street, and a lovely garden, patio, and porch encircling the house. The owner and staff seem committed to making this place a friendly stop for travelers, the environment, and your wallet.

We stay at the bright space by marsh commons (house of the Team J&Hop) we highly recommend this house, it is not located on the Hostel, so you will have your personal studio with your own bathroom and kitchen and fully equipped with everything you need. Super clean, good vibe and a quiet space hopefully will make your stay as wonderful as mine! And if you have the chance to meet Janette and her adorable dog Hop I can guaranty great talks and good moments for sure

I do confess that I was a bit unclear about the way the Redwood Lily was set up from looking at the listings on the AirBnb phone app. When I arrived — I realized that it was more like a hostel. A very nicely decorated, tidy, clean and nice smelling place — they were all super accommodating and I found my bed to be very cosy. The other bed in the room was not occupied so I had it to myself. The location is right in downtown Arcata so you can park and walk for the duration of your stay. Everyone was very nice — thanks to Joyce, Brooke, Colin and everyone else who made this a lovely experience.

I wasn’t sure to give this place three or four stars but I chose four because the building and the décor are long standing and fabulous. The few complaints I have can easily be remedied.
I am a big fan of hostel stays and I was really looking forward to giving this place a try and luckily our plans came through and we were able to book a weekday night at this often times booked establishment.
It’s in a neighborhood right around the corner from some great places to eat and close enough to walk to the town square. It’s very pleasing to the eye externally and internally and the staff, though fresh and new were very welcoming and eager to help.
There had been some confusion between our booking and the staff handled it well and we were satisfied with the outcome.
The home was a lovely place to sit and speak with other travelers. After bed time, everyone was quiet and respectful of others even with the squeaking that occurs with an old home. My friend from Wellington, New Zealand (where coffee is king) raved about the coffee available in the morning.
Things that could be improved:
— The staff had made some lovely food when we had arrived and it smelled great in the house. The only problem was that the left overs were left in the dishes on the stove until morning. This is not good on a «bug» level but also an inconvenience to anyone who may have wanted to cook something else.
— The bathroom was very lovely and configured in a way to make parts of it accessible to many people at the same time. However, the shower floor was sticky… and that felt gross. Any shower that multiple guests are using should be cleaned at least once per day.
— We had two twin beds that they had pulled together as a king. The way the sheets were on was very confusing to us. They had originally thought it was two twins so maybe they hastily put the bed together as a king but we couldn’t figure it out.
So I’m giving it four stars because I think with some reconfiguring and training the less pleasant parts we experienced could easily be improved.
I wish them well as the expand the space available and would stay here again.

The perfect blend of a B&B and a hostel, Joyce and her staff welcomed us (2 adults, a teen, toddler & baby) as if we were home from the minute we arrived. Charming, comfortable home with multiple common rooms to spread out and read, drink coffee and socialize; a well stocked kitchen with a nice, healthy basic breakfast on offer; very comfortable beds; and a knowledgeable and friendly staff. Easy going atmosphere. We has such a positive experience we stayed on for an extra night!

Places like this are too rare. I am cycling north from San Francisco, headed all the way up the coast. Motels are expensive and lame, and camping outside isn’t my style. I love meeting new people and having a shower and a roof over my head and wi-​fi and the Redwood Lily delivers on all fronts. Yes, you will be sleeping a bit «in the open». If that’s not OK with you then maybe hostels aren’t your speed. But the price is right, the place is clean and quiet and comfy and the hosts are very very friendly. Convenient to lots of good restaurants and cafes and shopping. Highly recommended. Oh, and the price is definitely right — ask for the «bike discount» if you’re arriving by bike. (they love cyclists — but, guys, install a bike rack!)

We enjoyed our stay here. The staff was pleasant and offered suggestions and places to go. We ended up with a double bed in a more private area with another single bed. Luckily, nobody else came. A breakfast of fruit and granola was offered. There was ample bicycle parking and we received a 15% discount for showing up on our bikes (We were touring). It was a reasonable price in the end. I minused one star just because it seemed a tad bit disorganized.

This cute home is more like a bed and breakfast then a hostel. The house has stained glass windows, a garden, all organic bedding, it is cleaned with all organic and safe products, and the price even includes a an organic breakfast.
Joyce, who owns the home, is extremely nice and makes you feel welcome. She is an artist, so there is tons of art and cool collectibles from around the world.
The hostel is clean, quiet, and comfortable.
You get more then your money’s worth here!

Earlier this year, my cousin and I stayed two nights.
I love the sustainability aspect of the hostel as well as the overall feeling in the house. Very warm and home-​like (it is simply a big house, after all).
We had booked the family room via AirBNB and were expecting two beds.
The first night we checked in, the on-​duty desk person gave us two separate rooms, the huge upstairs room and also the smaller front room downstairs. Ostensibly because the upstairs bed was still in its «massive king size» configuration and would take too long to switch out.
So the second night, we came back to a different staff member who then told us we were now going to occupy one room (this was fine, we had expected it from the beginning but was still kind of annoying since we had split our bags the night before and now had to move all of it.)
The bed was ridiculously comfortable, and super easy to sleep. There was supposed to be someone around to cook a small breakfast — this didn’t happen. SO we just fended for ourselves.
This establishment IS NOT for a stuffy close-​minded type of person. If you are expecting a hotel service with friendly-​but-​clinical professionalism, this is not for you. It is staffed by very typical-​of-​Humboldt college kids. They came to Humboldt for a reason… if you don’t know what it is, don’t come to the town!
All in all, I would stay again. 4 stars instead of 5 because of the mentioned operational hiccups…

I felt so at home at the Redwood Lily. The owner Joyce Plath and other staff was friendly and accommodating. Street parking is easily available. Breakfast was delicious.
The attention to detail in this space is astounding, the bedding is all organic and nearly everything on site has been locally sourced. Great, environmentally aware people trying their damnedest to do good in this world.
I highly recommend the Redwood Lily to any North Coast travelers. The location can’t be beat, 1 block from the greatest bagel shop in the world, Los Bagels. 5 blocks from the center of town, The Plaza. 15 min walk to Humboldt State University. Arcata is a great town, go check it out!

You can’t beat the location or the price of the Redwood Lily… It’s just a few blocks away from the Plaza with tons of shops and restaurants, and less than a mile from Arcata Community Forest and Humboldt State. There is on street parking, so you can bring your car, but you could also easily walk everywhere during your stay. And $ 40 a night is super affordable.
This is definitely a hostel with a community feel. Depending on how crowded they are, you may share a room with someone, but if you want privacy you can pay more for your own bedroom and bathroom. The kitchen is open for anyone to use (plus a simple healthy breakfast and coffee in the morning), and there is a cozy living room to hang out in if you feel like being social. The owner and employees are very personable and happy to talk about the features of the house, all the hard work that went into it, and can give suggestions on where to go to eat, sightsee, etc. They all seem to be very connected in the community and can point you in the direction of your interests– while I was there, I got invited to tour a local farm, which was awesome. But you can also just come and go as you please, no need to chit chat if you don’t want to.
The bed was clean and comfortable, and the shower was really nice– the tub is sunk into the floor, and there is a huge skylight overhead. Fluffy towels are provided to dry off. The shower is separate from the toilet, which is separate from the sink, so sharing just one bathroom with a bunch of other people isn’t quite the nightmare you’d think it would be. The house is decorated with a lot of local art, and you can tell they really made an effort to support the local economy while also considering sustainable choices such as organic and fair trade materials.
At the time of my visit, they had only been open a few weeks, so there were a few kinks to work out– all very minor, and I imagine that they’re running a bit smoother already. I would definitely stay here again– it’s a great home base while you explore Humboldt County!