H.i. San Francisco-city Center

Hostelling International's San Francisco City Center Hostel is luxury living for backpackers! Formerly the Atherton Hotel, this newly renovated, 75-room hostel offers old San Francisco elegance with modern-day amenities. 1920s touches abound in the hostel: marble-tiled floors, mahogany-railed balconies, and the beautiful parlor-style cafe -- Ivy's Place -- brimming with prohibition-era charm.

But don't let the vintage veneer fool you -- HI-San Francisco City Center offers all the modern comforts. The hostel provides both private rooms and dorm rooms (with a maximum of 4-5 beds per dorm), and there is a FULL, PRIVATE BATHROOM IN EVERY ROOM, including dorms. Free linen and towel service, as well as daily housekeeping, are included. The hostel also boasts high-speed Internet facilities, FREE WIFI, and unlimited FREE LOCAL PHONE CALLS for guests.

FREE CONTINENTAL BREAKFASTS are dished up every morning in the hostel cafe, which also offers espresso drinks for sale. Free coffee and tea are available 24/7 in the hostel lobby. Cook your own meals in our spacious, RESTAURANT-QUALITY KITCHEN, with two large ovens, 12 gas burners, two microwaves, and stainless steel countertops.

Join in the FREE OR LOW-COST ACTIVITIES organized daily for our guests, including pub-crawls, walking tours, and day trips out to the Napa Wine Country or to the gorgeous Yosemite Valley. Make friends over the foosball table, or check out of one the hostel's 80+ DVDs to watch on the big-screen TV or on your own laptop.

HI-San Francisco City Center is centrally located near City Hall and the Civic Center arts district. The neighborhood is well known for its excellent, affordable restaurants, where you can sample San Francisco's world-class cuisine without breaking the bank.

The hostel is easy walking distance to live music at The Warfield and the Great American Music Hall, where big-name acts, indie heroes, and local bands alike take to the stage. From nightclubs to experimental theater, live music venues to the Opera, Symphony, and Ballet, there's something for every music lover. For visual art, the Asian Art Museum is just a few blocks away, as is the newly renovated San Francisco Museum of Performance and Design.

The City Center Hostel is located close to public transit, 1 block from major MUNI bus lines, and 6 blocks from BART trains which run to/from the San Francisco International Airport and the Oakland International Airport. Union Square, Chinatown, SoMA, and cable cars are all within walking distance.

HI-San Francisco City Center is waiting to welcome you to the city!

'Stylish, newly renovated digs near alternative clubs and the city's best affordable restaurants.' --Collegian magazine

'A sensational base camp for an assault on the city.' --Lonely Planet

'A spiffy new hostel… It's friendly, funky, and California cool: good for meeting other travelers, since there are plenty of activities laid on.' --Rough Guide

PLEASE NOTE: This website is a third-party booking agency. For more detailed information about the hostel and about visiting San Francisco, please visit our website: http://sfhostels.com/city-center/

HI-San Francisco City Center is operated by Hostelling International, a nonprofit membership-based organization. Non-members will be asked to pay a $3/night non-membership fee upon check-in.

Directions

From the San Francisco International Airport:
(Note: The airport is located 14 miles South of San Francisco)
The best way to get to us from the airport is to take the subway- BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) directly from the airport. Go to the Airtrain station in the airport and take the Red line from any terminal to the airport BART station. Take BART to San Francisco (Pittsburg/Baypoint, Richmond, or Fremont bound trains will all stop in San Francisco) and get off at Montgomery Street Station. Walk North (opposite direction of traffic) on Montgomery Street five blocks. Turn left on Sacramento Street. We are on the right. Trip takes about 35 minutes. BART runs from 4am to midnight.
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By bus - catch the SamTrans bus #292 or #397owl ($1.25). You can also take the KX express bus ($3.50 and no luggage allowed!) from arrivals at the baggage claim level outside terminal 2, or at the curb adjacent to courtyard #4, terminal 3. At the international terminal, Sam Trans buses are located near courtyard G on level 1. Get off the bus at Third and Mission Street. Walk (or take bus #15 $1.25) North (in the same direction as the traffic) on Third Street past Market Street, then continue North on Kearny Street to Sacramento Street, then turn right. We are on the left. Trip takes about 1 hour. Buses run 6am-1am daily (you can see that BART is the more time efficient option!)
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Take one of the many airport shuttle vans (Cost varies from $8-11) on the upper level of the airport on the outer island. Tell the driver you want to go to 680 Sacramento Street, Pacific Tradewinds. Trip takes about 30 minutes. Vans run 24 hours/7 days a week.

From Greyhound Bus Station (Transbay Terminal):
Walk North (opposite direction of traffic) on First Street past Market Street, then continue North on Battery Street. Turn left on Sacramento Street. We're about three blocks up on the right. It's about a 15 minute walk.

From Amtrak Station:
After getting off the Amtrak Thruway Bus at the San Francisco Ferry Terminal walk across the Embarcadero waterfront road to Justin Herman Plaza. Sacramento Street starts left of the tallest building you will see from the Ferry Building, the Embarcadero Building #4. Walk on Sacramento Street about six blocks to building number 680 on the right.

by Car
From the North (Coming on Interstate 101) Cross the Golden Gate Bridge (Toll $5)
Stay on 101 South until you see sign for Marina Blvd. Exit at Marina Blvd. Continue on Marina Blvd for several miles until you see Safeway Store Road curves to right and then intersects with Bay St. Turn left on Bay Street. Continue on Bay Street until Columbus Ave.
Turn right on Columbus Ave. Columbus Ave. turns into Montgomery at the Transamerica Pyramid. Turn right on Sacramento Street

From the South on 101 or 280
Exit 280 at 101 North. Continue on 101 North. 101 North will branch into 101 North and 80 East - take 80 East. Exit at Fourth Street. Continue on Bryant until Third Street. Turn left on Third Street. At Market Street, Third Street turns into Kearny. Turn right on Clay. Right on Montgomery. Right on Sacramento St.

From the East on 80 West
After crossing Bay Bridge, exit at Fremont Street. Continue on Fremont North of Market Street
At Market, Fremont turns into Front St. Continue a few blocks
Turn left on Sacramento Street
Continue a few more blocks, crossing Montgomery to 680 Sacramento Street.

Facilities

Internet Access, Linen Included, Towels, Security Lockers, Luggage Storage, Guest Kitchen, Telephone/Fax Facilities, Travel Desk/Travel Info, Key Card Access, Common Room, Bike Parking, Breakfast Not Included, WiFi in lobby, Web access in lobby, WiFi in room