Reviews of HI Point Montara Lighthouse Hostel

2 out of 5
HI Point Montara Lighthouse Hostel
16th Street and Highway 1, Moss Beach, CA

Reviews

9.0

Wonderful

Rating 10 - Excellent. 77 out of 125 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 34 out of 125 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 12 out of 125 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 125 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 2 out of 125 reviews" "

8.8/10

Cleanliness

9.2/10

Staff & service

8.6/10

Amenities

8.8/10

Property conditions & facilities

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Cute hostel in the building next to the lighthouse. Full kitchen, clean bathroom, clean bedding. Felt safe and secure. Happy to have found this place!
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2020
Response from HI-Point Montara Staff on 6 Mar 2020
We're so happy you enjoyed your stay at Point Montara, it looks like you were able to take some lovely pictures!

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2019
Response from HI-Point Montara on 11 Dec 2019
thanks for the 10/10 review!

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Stayed 1 night in Dec 2019
Response from HI-Point Montara on 11 Dec 2019
thanks for the review!

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Could have used a more pwerful heater. Pretty cold in the "Tool Shed" at night.
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2019
Response from Hostel Staff on 8 Dec 2019
We appreciate you taking the time to review us, It has been unseasonably cold out here recently, so it's a good idea to bundle up for cold nights and if there's anything we can do to please let us know! The Tool Room is in the oldest part of the hostel and sits right on the bluff overlooking the ocean, definitely a heating challenge. Thank you for the feedback

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2019
Response from HI-Point Montara on 11 Dec 2019
Thanks for the 5/5 review!

10/10 Excellent

Douglas

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Million dollar views; cozy interior and amenities
his is the first time I've stayed at a hostel in the U.S. I normally stay at hotels and motels. But it was a great choice. This particular location was the selling point. You're right on a cliff with a lighthouse, overlooking crashing waves and the great blue Pacific! I spent a lot of time sitting out on the benches absorbing the scene, even after dark. Inside the hostel, you go to the front desk to check in and are given bedding and a towel, plus a magnetic key card to open your room and your private locker in the room. y small room had one bunkbed and one single bed, which I took. I had one roommate, who was friendly. We negotiated when to shut the lights and whether or not to leave the window open. The kitchens and dining areas are a pretty wild scene, with people moving every which way preparing their meals, eating, and washing dishes. The facility is stocked with all the pots, pans, dish towels, utensils, stove, microwave, fridge, etc. that you need to deal with meals. It's a very generous setup. There are also community lounging areas, which people were using. While there, we were hit by one of California's rolling blackouts. This made things a little less convenient, with people using flashlights to move around at night. Also, we were asked to really limit our use of water, which is somehow tied to electric power. But the staff was great. They ran a generator to keep the infrastructure operating, and told people we didn't have to do any dishes. Great place!
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2019
Response from Hostel Staff on 8 Dec 2019
Hello Douglas, Thank you for the great review. Sorry for the late response, somehow missed it back in October. We are so glad you got through our challenging blackouts by PG&E. Sounds like you had a great stay despite the lack of full electricity. We hope you continue to explore hostels as an overnight alternative to hotels and motels and certainly come see us again!

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
wonderful place to stay. fresh ocean breeze and comfortable atmosphere
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2019
Response from HI-Point Montara on 30 Oct 2019
Thanks for the five stars! We're so happy you have a good time!

10/10 Excellent

Ken

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Beautiful location. Nice people vibe. Really great value. Wish I could stay with my wife. Very comfy bed despite having to sleep in the same room with 5 other guys.
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2019
Response from HI-Point Montara on 30 Oct 2019
Thanks for letting us know about your stay, Ken! We would love to have you back again some time!

10/10 Excellent

Matthew

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great
Nice, relaxing place
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2019
Response from HI-Point Montara on 30 Oct 2019
Thanks for the review, Matthew! Looks like you got to enjoy a beautiful sunset with us.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Business traveller
Liked: Staff & service, amenities
Ocean location and view is great! Bed was comfortable.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2019
Response from HI-Point Montara on 30 Oct 2019
We're so glad you enjoyed your stay!

8/10 Good

Nelishah

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2019
Response from HI-Point Montara on 23 Sept 2019
Thanks for rating us, hope to have you with us again!

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
The staff could be a little more forthcoming with information on how things are run. The bathrooms need to be cleaned more often, but the dorms and the communal areas are great!
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2019

2/10 Terrible

Verified traveller

Business traveller
Disliked: Staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
I requested cancellation and they denied it to me, I called them on advanced to cancel the reservation and they declined. So unprofessional.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2019

10/10 Excellent

yael

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great experience
I wished I stayed more than 1 night. I was comfortable even though it was a full house. Office staff was friendly. Room mates were friendly. But I wish they had more bathrooms.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2019
Response from HI-Point Montara Staff on 14 Aug 2019
Thank you for your review! We are so glad you had such a great experience at HI-Point Montara. Sounds like you made some new friends. We wish we had more bathrooms too, maybe some day.

10/10 Excellent

Susan

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2019

6/10 Okay

A

Liked: Staff & service
Very unique location near an old lighthouse. Facilities need major maintenance on the exterior and more lighting in the dorm rooms.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2019
Response from Montara Staff on 31 Jul 2019
Thank you for your feedback.

6/10 Okay

Maria

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2019
Response from Montara staff on 31 Jul 2019
Thank you for taking the time to rate us

10/10 Excellent

Tom

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2019
Response from HI-Point Montara Lighthouse Staff on 22 Jul 2019
thank you for the 10 out of 10!

8/10 Good

David

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
I had a hard time finding the place, but that could be my problem! The road sign is there but partially obscured and at an angle to the road. Signage to the beach is also inadequate.The layout is well thought out, and is much more comfortable than the exterior may indicate. The esprit de corps among staff at hostels is always inspiring! I recommend this hostel, especially for seasoned travelers.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2019
Response from Hostel Staff on 18 Jul 2019
Thank you for your review. We really appreciate the feedback. We are glad you enjoyed our staff and facilities. We are glad you found your way to us.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Stayed 1 night in Jun 2019
Response from HI-Point Montara Lighthouse Staff on 3 Jul 2019
Thank you for the 5 out of 5 rating! we really appreciate it.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Staff & service
Stayed 1 night in May 2019
Response from Point Montara Staff on 11 May 2019
thank you for the 5-star rating!

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2019
Response from HI-Point Montara Lighthouse Guest Services on 12 Apr 2019
Thank you for taking the time to rate the hostel!

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Amazing location.with breath taking views! Great amenities included use of a full kitchen(dishes and silverware too!) Great common areas, including a large sit down table in the kitchen with a huge window overlooking the ocean. Exceptional value!
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2019
Response from Point Montara Staff on 12 Mar 2019
Thank you so much for your review! We are delighted that you had a positive experience staying with us.

8/10 Good

Aleh

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 5 nights in Feb 2019
Response from Front desk on 27 Feb 2019
Thank you for submitting a great review of HI Point Montara Lighthouse Hostel :)

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Business traveller
Liked: Amenities, property conditions & facilities
Uptight staff, nice view. Really dark outside late at night.
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2019
Response from Front Desk on 7 Feb 2019
Thank you for taking the time to write a review about our hostel. We are sorry if you felt that our staff was anything but welcoming to you. Our rural location on the coast of California can be pretty dark at night especially in the winter when the sun goes down early. We hope that your experience will gear you towards trying out many more of our unique locations in the future.

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Stayed 1 night in Nov 2018
Response from Front Desk on 1 Dec 2018
Thank you for taking the time to review our hostel. Please feel free to contact staff with concerns during your next stay so we can try to help you have a better stay :)

10/10 Excellent

Treasure

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Amazing !!!
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2018
Response from HI-Point Montara Staff on 28 Nov 2018
Thank you For your review! we are glad you enjoyed your stay!

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Gorgeous views. Private rooms are small and very basic but each have an amazing ocean front view.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2018
Response from Front desk on 8 Nov 2018
Thank you for taking the time to give us a very nice review. Our hostel provides mainly dorm style shared rooms and a few private rooms that guests can inquire about with our staff. All of our facilities provide basic accommodation which is part of the reason we can keep our rates much lower than many other places. This lighthouse property has many ocean views and we even have a small cove beach on our property for our guests to enjoy. We hope your experience will bring you back to HI Point Montara Lighthouse Hostel in the future and we are glad you enjoyed your stay.

10/10 Excellent

Nataliia

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2018
Response from Front Desk on 20 Oct 2018
Thank you for the 5 star review of HI Point Montara Lighthouse Hostel!

10/10 Excellent

Heather

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Absolutely amazing!
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2018
Response from Front Desk on 20 Oct 2018
Thank you for your excellent review of HI Point Montara Lighthouse Hostel. we are glad you liked your stay and we hope to see you again soon :)

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2018
Response from Front Desk on 20 Oct 2018
Thank you for the 4 star review of HI Point Montara Lighthouse Hostel!

10/10 Excellent

Brodie, Vancouver BC

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Beautiful hostel right next to the beach with an amazing backdrop of the ocean and all it has to offer. Would highly recommend!
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2018
Response from Front Desk on 26 Sept 2018
Thank you very much for the great review of HI Point Montara Lighthouse Hostel. We are so glad you enjoyed our location and we appreciate your recommendation! We hope you will visit us again soon :)

8/10 Good

Aysun, San Francisco

Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort
I felt myself like a princess just in my house,
I came from San Francisco by public transportation in approximetly 2 hours ,I have to change 3 different ;car, shuttle,train.. But I was really surprised when arrive there. Nice views,comfortable,clean,like a luxury special hotel,
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2018
Response from Front Desk on 16 Sept 2018
Thank you for taking the time to write us a review. We are glad you enjoyed our property. Our location is somewhat rural, so public transportation can be tricky and there are some transfers for guests coming down from San Francisco, but it is doable. Our small staff does not provide any breakfast for guests, but we do have an in house espresso bar and can offer plenty of walkable cafes and restaurants to suggest to our guests. We hope you will visit HI Point Montara Lighthouse Hostel again soon.

10/10 Excellent

Crystal

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Amazing
Staff was very helpful and friendly. Beds were comfy but squeaky. Showers were hot. Has amazing views , best place I stayed at my whole trip
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2018
Response from HI - Point Montara Staff on 12 Sept 2018
Thank you for taking time to review HI-Point Montara Lighthouse. We are so glad you enjoyed your stay! The hostel is a really special place, we are thrilled to hear it was a highlight of your trip.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2018
Response from HI - Point Montara Staff on 12 Sept 2018
Thank you for the 5 out of 5 rating! We are so glad you had a positive experience.

10/10 Excellent

L, Wellington, NZ

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
The setting of this hostel is absolutely BEAUTIFUL! Million dollar views. I loved my time here. Clean set up and friendly staff, would definitely recommend to others.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2018
Response from Front Desk on 23 Aug 2018
Thank you for your feedback. We are so glad you had a nice stay at HI Point Montara Lighthouse Hostel. Our small staff tries our best to keep our facilities clean and our guests comfortable. We hope you will stay with us again soon :)

6/10 Okay

Sayed, Portland,OR

It has a good view and cheap, but way far from city. If you don’t have your own car with you better to not reserve a bed here because Uber is cost more then the Hotel payment. This place rule is restricted the check in is till10:15 pm and the check out is at11:00 am.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2018
Response from Front Desk on 23 Aug 2018
Thank you for writing us a detailed review. Our hostel is much more inexpensive than our competitors on the coast of California. Our location is 20 miles south of San Francisco and is accessible by bus most of the day. Our independent travelers should look into bus fare and bus times before booking if they do not have a vehicle and do not want to take a cab.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Love the location & access to SF. Nice areas to walk along seaside.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2018
Response from Front Desk on 23 Aug 2018
Thank you for the 4 star review! We are glad you enjoyed our location 20 miles south of San Francisco. We hope you will visit us again soon and try out some more of the local hikes :)

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
The Staff does the extra mile to help you with all k8nd of needs.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2018
Response from Front Desk on 23 Aug 2018
Thank you for the super nice review. We are glad our staff were able to help you with your needs. Please come back to visit us again soon!

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Staff & service
Beautiful Ocean Views
The Montara Lighthouse Hostel has beautiful views from several points on the property and some of the indoor areas. The hostel is located approximately 25 minutes from San Francisco and is a short drive away from areas such as Half Moon Bay. Not a lot within walking distance besides nature and hiking/walking trails. It is a great place to get out of town.
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2018
Response from Front Desk on 23 Aug 2018
Thank you for your feedback. We are glad you were able to take in all the local towns nearby. Our staff in happy to recommend many walking trails located very close to our hostel. We hope you will stay with us next time you need a getaway :)

10/10 Excellent

David

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2018
Response from Front Desk on 23 Aug 2018
Thank you for the 5 star review! We hope you will visit us again soon!

10/10 Excellent

Rachel

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
I am absolutely in love with this place. Cozy, clean, friendly, with gorgeous views!
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2018
Response from Front Desk on 23 Aug 2018
Thank you for writing us such a nice review! We are so happy you had a nice time and you enjoyed our location. We hope you can visit us again soon :)

10/10 Excellent

@NegativeCarbon, San Juan, Puerto Rico

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
This was such an awesome discovery it's hard to know how good a review to give it. I'm more than a little worried I'll have no chance of booking it once people find out the incredible bang for your buck staying here is. If you are in San Francisco for business or pleasure and you don't look THIS place up...well, put it this way, it's so beautiful there was a small photo shoot taking place in the driveway when I came through. Yeah, that beautiful.
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2018
Response from Front desk on 24 Jun 2018
Thank you for taking the time to give HI Point Montara Lighthouse Hostel a great review! We are so glad you had a nice stay with us. We usually have dorm space available and we welcome walk ins or you can book online. Our non profit welcomes all people so please spread the word! We are glad you liked our location and we hope you will visit us again soon :)

10/10 Excellent

Don, Cotati, California

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
just a night
Restored by the ocean! Sounds, smells and really comfortable accommodations made me renewed and ready for a week of work in San Francisco. This property is deceptively close to the city and makes working there a lot better. Thanks!!!
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2018
Response from Front desk on 24 Jun 2018
Thank you for the great review Don! Our cliffside location has ocean views and a small cove beach for our guests to enjoy. HI Point Montara Lighthouse Hostel is located just 20 miles south of San Francisco. We are glad you had a nice time staying with us and we hope you will visit again in the future!

10/10 Excellent

LiLiane

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great peaceful stay
Loved my stay here. It was quite serene. The front desk associate is really nice! Guests of hotel guests are allow an hour visit to the hostel. Parking is a bit off putting as you would have to park your car and walk downhill to the hostel. The view makes it all worth while though. Extra showers and toilettes in the back of the main building. Two kitchens. I used the automatic lockers but mine didn't work very well as my locker did not lock when the red light came on. I was in the six bunk dorm. Make sure to come out early morning for some whale watching. Great stay with children as well! ***If you are driving to the airport, make sure to add an extra 20-30 minutes on top of your GPS stated time. Roads are curvy with speed limits, the extra time will help.
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2018
Response from Front desk on 24 Jun 2018
Thank you for the very kind review of our Hostel. HI Point Montara Lighthouse Hostel is a historic coast guard property which adds to its unique layout. We have two kitchens for our guests to use as well as 7 shared bathrooms and many common areas for our guests to enjoy. Our cliffside location does have parking, but guests should be aware that there is a bit of a walk downhill from many of our parking spots. We are sorry to hear that your locker wasn't working very well, our staff would have helped update your locker if it was acting up. We hope that you will visit us again in the future!

2/10 Terrible

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities, room comfort
I was bringing my brother up to stay near where we live. AFTER I booked the room, I learned that it’s actually NOT a private room, but a twin bed in a male dorm room that has 6 beds in it. Orbitz, you owe me a refund of $39!!! Would you stay in a dorm room with Zero privacy???????? Not a chance!
Stayed 1 night in May 2018

10/10 Excellent

becky

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice view
Response from Front desk on 16 May 2018
Thanks for taking the time to complement our view at HI Point Montara Lighthouse Hostel! We hope you can visit us again soon!

8/10 Good

DMG, Gainesville, FL

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
1st Time Hostel Experience
I'm pleasantly pleased with my experience and would stay again. I loved being "over" the water. Made for a wonderful morning.
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2018
Response from Front desk on 2 May 2018
We are happy to hear that you had a nice stay at HI Point Montara Lighthouse Hostel. We hope you will visit us again soon!

10/10 Excellent

sang

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Loved the stay
Love the stay! Wish I didn’t have to leave. It was a nice set up hostel where the space arrangement really fostered travellers to converse with each other, and I had a great time socializing with the guests there, in addition to the awesome views of the waves crashing against the coastline and the nice sunset. The staff was also very nice.
Response from Front desk on 26 Apr 2018
Thank you very much for taking the time to write Point Montara Lighthouse Hostel such an excellent review! We are so happy to hear that you had such a nice time mingling with other travellers and our staff taking in the true hostel culture. We hope you will visit us again in the future!

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Response from Front desk on 31 Mar 2018
Thank you for the 5 star review! We hope to see you again soon!