Beach Bungalow Hostel – San Diego

Amazing location! Affordable, friendly staff, easy going rules. Coming back in summer!

If you are a traveller looking for an affordable place and to meet other travelers along the away. This is for you. Its Fun, nice staff and Great location right on the beach. I stayed at many hostels all over the world and I had a great experience on my stay at the BB. I would recommend and I would stay at that location again.

In my early 20’s, I stayed at hostels a lot… It’s cost effective and a great way to meet other travelers, now that I’m a little older I tend to stay there less because I would rather not share a room with multiple people… I stayed at the Banana Bungalow a hand full of times and every time I have really enjoyed my stay, mostly because when I’m on vacation I’m usually not in my room! The location of this hostel is what had me coming back, it’s right on the beach and has an awesome deck that overlooks the ocean. At night there are usually parties going on and/​or the staff has party buses planned to go explore the city. The only complaint I have about staying here is when I went to rent a bike it was $ 10, I rented it for about 4 hours and it was super rusty and REALLY loud! — in the future if I decide to stay here I will rent my bikes/​skateboards from somewhere else.

I don’t know what people expect from a hostel, but if you’re expecting to get the same type of lodging experience you get at a hotel, GO TO A HOTEL! This was my first time in SD and we couldn’t have picked a better location. All the staff were friendly and everyone we met (that was staying here) were also friendly. It’s a hostel. You come here to meet people. Not to have privacy or alone time.
Great location with pacific beach and the ocean within spitting distance from their deck. I woke up each morning enjoying the sounds of the waves crashing and people watching while recovering from the partying the night before. Each night the staff at has activities for the guests (from bar hopping in PB to party bus to a club downtown).
Good to know I have a second home the next time I come back to visit San Diego.

My review is going back a few years. Some times I could do reviews off memory and they are awesome. I stayed here on my first trip to California. Rolling Solo. As a teacher I had a break week in November. No friends on this one just me at a hostel by myself.
First of all hostels are great. You meet all sorts of great people from ALL over the world. No exception here. There people from Jersey here. No not like the Jersey that I’m from but from the Island Jersey in England. Like Jersey before the ‘New’ on it.
The hostel mom was a hippie in spirit and she cook really well I might add for about $ 5.00.
The trips they had planned were amazing. They took us on a day trip to T.J. back when it was safe and the guide new everyone so we got the hook up every where we went. We went across the border 14 people from all reaches of the globe who didn’t know each other a day before.
I watched Rutgers beat Louisville on ESPN. MEXICAN ESPN!
Tons of fun trips to Sea World and the Zoo. We ever arranged to see the Atztecs play in Cual-​Com Stadium. The kicker missed four field goals that game.
They also had constant beer pong out doors and free boogie board for all its guests.
Amazing place. At that time I paid only $ 20 a night.

Tried to book a room… wow, the most disorganized and unprofessional front desk ever. Informed there was a $ 2 booking fee, but it’s not listed on the website.
WON’T BE STAYING HERE…

The kids at the front desk when I went to check this place out in mid-​January were completely unprofessional and actually rude. Before even entering the building, a young European surfer kid wanted me to prove to him that I not only had onward travel arrangements, but also proof of having come from out of state. As I was looking for my boarding pass through my things, he had the nerve to tell me that I wasn’t telling him the truth! I asked to see his manager (knowing he was just the gopher there) and the manager on duty also said I couldn’t take a tour of the facilities. I’m never going there again and I strongly discourage others from doing so from now on. I used to work in a hostel and that’s just not how you treat potential guests and customers. There are many other hostel options in SD. The one just north of the pier is way better.

The banana bungalow is the most amazingly fun hostel I have ever stayed at.
AND HERE ARE THE REASONS WHY
— IT IS RIGHT ON THE BEACH (and i mean literally, you just off the deck and you are in the sand)
–Wednesday nights were all you can drink for JUST $ 15
— You meet awesome people (most people were pretty awesome except for the crazy psycho girl in our room who made moaning noises all night and kept opening the door when it was freezing and the irish guy that worked there and spilled beer on us)
–FREE PANCAKES for breakfast
— pretty cheap around 25 dollars night
I would have given this place five stars if the psycho girl wasn’t staying in our room and the fact that I only got an hour of sleep
but overall if your trying to party and enjoy the beach come here

The location was cake! Right on the beach LITERALLY! Right down the sftreet from tons of bars! Right on the major transit line! the hostel was a perfect place to meet new people and crash for the night. I like inexpensive accommodations so that I can spend my money doing other cool shit. My boyfriend and I thought we had reserved a private room and when we got there we were shown two bunks in a room of 12, all were completely full. We were all sharing 1 bathroom. NOT what we thought we had arranged, after dropping another $ 150 we were upgraded to a private room with private bath the next night. Oh well… We partied that night and passed out anyway. Great deck party and great people make for good vibes at the bungalow. Quiet hours were observed and the place was fairly clean. Hostel staff was friendly and definitely down to party. Free breakfast was pancake batter and a griddle. We did not do any excursions and know of 1 or 2 that were canceled regardless of sign up numbers. All in all a great trip and ok accommodations. I would stay here again but rough it bunk style and next time Ill take a surf lesson from one of their staff.

Most fun hostel I have ever stayed in BY FAR. Sure, you are sharing a room with other people, and some of it is a bit run down, but IT IS A HOSTEL. The camraderie you develop with the staff and other guests is second to none. They also have a different event planned every day, from day trips to tijuana, to foam parties and snorkeling. If you like to party, stay at the bungalow.
Best part is it is literally right on the beach, in the center of PB. Great for beach activities as well as bar hopping, plus there is a busline that goes to old town on the same street.

Loved my stay at the bungalow. It has the perfect location and people are so so nice. I went there by myself and quickly became a member of the bungalow-​family. It is a party hostel, and I really liked the parties there. I especially enjoyed the foam-​party. If you would like to have a good night of sleep and do not like noise and a bit of dirt, this is not the place for you, but I really enjoyed my stay and would recommend it any day!

Awful place! This place is just terrible! DON’T GO! The service was appalling for the price that we paid for. My husband and I had a private for over $ 100/​night and we should have stayed in Best Western nearby for the same price but much better privacy and customer service. They only take cash. The floor was sticky and shower place was tiny. The police came on the first night after we checked in because a few people staying there were involved in a group fight. We really wish we had stayed somewhere else!

Banana Bungalow is my favorite hostel in San Diego. It is perfectly located in Pacific Beach. Beds are about $ 20 and if it is the busy season you will meet a lot of great people from around the world. The patio out back is right on the beach and is often the scene of many parties/​beer pong matches/​keg stands. It is also within walking distance from the nightlife of Pacific Beach (Garnet Avenue). I would recommend this place to anybody who enjoys staying at hostels, or even to somebody that lives in San Diego but wants to stay in Pacific Beach overnight.
Enjoy yourself!

Try California Dreams in Pacific Beach. Brand new and on the beach block. Brand new and clean.

When to say at BB:
–When you want to ON the beach.
–Want social fun party atmosphere
–Want to say in PB and see the nightlife bar scene
–Want a cheap room
When NOT to say at BB:
–You want a very clean place
–you want a quiet place to stay.
–you want a calm privet place to sleep while you say in SD.
— you want a comfy bed, and get lots of sleep.
–you don’t like beer bottles in the shower, and people drinking at noon
My sister, and I stayed here on a spring break road trip. For the most part we had a blast! We got in do SD around midnight and the party was bumpin at BB– beer pong, flip cup, people dancing on tables. It was so fun to drop our shit, and join in. Everyone was really friendly, and was more then happy to share booze. Its mostly outdoors so lots of people are smoking, but we didn’t mind.
My room had 3 squeaky old bunk beds which was tied to another room that had 4 bunk beds– with one bath room. Luckily it was about ½ full so about 4 – 5 people using that bathroom. The guy below me was one of the staff, and took up all of the locker/​stuff space with all his shit. I woke up the first morning, and there was a chick blow drying her hair in the middle of the room– completely ass naked LOL. Usually don’t mind that was just shocking to wake up to that.
We would chat and talk to people during the day on the patio which is like ON the boardwalk, and usually around 2 – 3 a keg would show up and 5 bucks getting you a cup till its empty. Most of the staff was awesome! they would come out with us and show us where the good bars are/​deals that night… $ 2 tequila shot night anyone??? yeah don’t remember that night too well haha. The one guy that slept below me was a HUGE dick. Would hit on every girl he talked to then get pissed when they wouldn’t sleep with him. He came in one night at like 4am and turned the bright ass light on. To which the 4 other people complained. He would say fuck you I work here which would break a fight out of drunk people. In all of this a shoe gets thrown at the bare light bulb and shatters it– lights off problem solved.
After 3 night here we had had our fill of debauchery that BB brings to the table. Which is AWESOME fun if you can put on your thick skin, and just go with the flow of the party! I plan on going back some time with my guy friends. Remember your shower shoes!

2.5…
let me be the first to say that i was not a guest here– but i may as well been. I had some friends stay here for a week and the experience was mixed. they had previously been here a couple years prior, and thought it was the most «legit» hostel ever. however, i guess the place came under new management or something because it turned into the pits. really stict apparently– nothing like the European hostels. I’m not saying you should allow all havoc to run loose, but at the same time people are on vacation. The rest of the staff was cool, depending on who you interacted with. there was a Scottish girl who was an absolute nightmare. If you walk in as an American, ppl question you and then I was told that I was not allowed to be in there if I was not a guest. I explained that I was not spending the night; I was just there to pick up my friend. She wouldn’t let me into the room and she followed me around the whole time. She harassed my friends constantly about their «noise» levels while the other staff members let me in just to use the shower and tried to make conversation. I also left accidentally left some belongings there, and when I phoned the other day I was told by the same Scottish girl that she did not have them, even though my friend set them aside at the front desk with my name labeled on it. I am convinced she’s wearing my dress at the moment.
As for amenities, i thought Americans had higher standards when it came to bathrooms and cleanliness, but we are no different from Eastern Europe really. The redeeming factor of this place is the fact that it is literally right on the beach, and walking distance from the Ale house, etc. It is a great location for tourists, and has a great view.

Alright, alright… I’ll add another star. Here’s why. After giving the Banana Bungalow one more of my evenings, I did find another redeemable quality… BB goes out of their way to make this party central.
In fact, you don’t need to leave. Kegs, food, beer pong, DJ, and a bunch of crazy non-​locals dancing into the night. Yes, it is most certainly a hole and an uncomfortable stay, but locals are walking down the boardwalk peering into an exclusive party, wishing like hell they were from some other city. If you under the age of 35, single, don’t need sleep, and enjoy the general scene of alcohol (and, all those «other» items that come with), then indulge.
If you are looking for rest, security and sanity, keep trekking.

This place is perfect under the following conditions: you’re not fussy, you don’t need a lot of privacy, you love meeting new people and you want to party nonstop. It’s ON the beach and it’s a ton of fun. (And it’s about as clean as a hostel on a beach can be, really.) If you go here expecting anything else, you will probably be quite disappointed.

Brutal. Not entirely their fault but the worst place to be in the rain! No undercover protected areas, electricity was off for over 1 day and 1 night without getting fixed, staff seem oblivous and careless. The location is awesome is your a surfer, wouldnt reccomend it to girls; not clean, and no female dorms, loud throughout night, entrance ‘security’ lock broken, 10 people 1 bathroom.
I have stayed at lots of hostels in London and America and this is by far the worst and most uncomfortable stay i have had.

Thursday, 24 Sept 2009
$ 25 for the night. On the boardwalk… on the beach. Very close to main Pacific Beach street, Garnet. Had to show proof that you were from out of state/​country to stay here.
Lots of friendly foreigners mostly in their early to mid 20s.
As expected, some noise into the night but generally very well run and respectful guests.
Slept in a room with 3 bunks = 6 people, own bathroom. There were only 3 staying in the room the night I was there. There are lockers in the rooms to store your valuables.
Communal kitchen, TV room, internet/​wireless access. Free simple breakfast.
At the end of your stay, they tear up your credit card deposit slip or give you back your $ 20 cash. You bring down your sheets. And away you go. Very simple.
I would stay here again.