HI San Francisco Downtown Hostel, gay-friendly hotel in Tenderloin / Polk, San Francisco
GAY-FRIENDLY
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🚶 7 min walk to Eros · 4 gay spots within 500 m · 5 / 1 km
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HI San Francisco Downtown Hostel

Google (1766) 4.3
Tripadvisor (1025) 4.0
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83
/ 100
GayOut Score
G4.3 🦉4.0
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Address
312 Mason St, San Francisco, CA 94102, USA
📞
Phone
(415) 788-5604
🌐
Website
www.hiusa.org

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About this place HI San Francisco Downtown Hostel

HI San Francisco Downtown is a Hostelling International hostel at 312 Mason Street, a block from Union Square. It offers dorm beds and private rooms and is a mainstream, gay-friendly hostel, not a gay venue. Google rates it 4.3 from about 1,800 reviews. Powell Street station is a few minutes' walk, and from there Muni Metro runs straight to Castro Street, the heart of the city's gay neighbourhood. The Tenderloin begins just west of the hostel, so take the usual big-city care walking at night. It is one of the cheaper beds in this part of town, so book ahead.

Features

Gay-friendly (straight venue) LGBTQ+ Safe space Lounge area Near public transport Mixed LGBTQ+ Walk-ins welcome Reservation required WiFi Day venue Evening venue Year-round Gay-friendly (straight venue)

Insider Tips

Community Reviews

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Google Reviews

Verified by Google
4.3
★★★★☆
1,766 reviews

Based on 1,766 Google reviews.

Jonathan Mendoza Jul 2026
★★★★☆

This hostel was not bad. Good thing about it’s close to the landmarks including the wharf area I you mind walking for a half hour. But near places like the civic center capital in sorts. The staff pretty friendly that’s all

Baha Dz Jun 2026
★☆☆☆☆

This is the worst hostel I've ever been !

Cindy H Jun 2026
★☆☆☆☆

My main concern with this hostel was the attitude of the front desk staff. On the evening I was checking in, I was waiting outside and rang the doorbell. A long-haired employee saw me waiting outside but made no effort to acknowledge me or let me in, acting as though I was invisible. I was left standing in the cold until another guest kindly opened the door for me. While I was checking in, the front desk employee avoided making eye contact and mumbled throughout the interaction, making it difficult to understand what they were saying. The entire check-in felt dismissive. I would encourage management to reflect on the hostel’s sense of welcome or basic warmth. That’s especially disappointing because this behavior really doesn’t reflect the friendly and welcoming spirit of San Francisco, and I’m afraid foreign friends visiting the city will leave with the impression that this level of service and respect is ok and acceptable. I noticed that several previous reviews have raised similar concerns about staff, yet it does not appear that meaningful improvements have been made. Whether the issue lies with individual employees or with the culture created by management, I strongly recommend that it be addressed. Unfortunately, repeated interactions of this nature made my stay very uncomfortable. As a result, I chose to leave early and have initiated a chargeback through my bank. You simply cannot leave this issue unaddressed and think it is ok to take people’s money. At this point, it is not just a “welcoming” or “friendliness” issue, it is a respect issue.

Info DnbeautyLounge Jun 2026
★★★★★
Maxim Vasilyev Jun 2026
★★★★★

easy to walk to market street, civic center, pierce. very affordable

Oguzhan Akgöl Jun 2026
★★★★★

perfect place for travellers

Wanjen Chiu Jun 2026
★★★★★

The location is excellent, with convenient access to tourist attractions, making it a great choice for a short visit to San Francisco. The building is a bit old, but the location makes all the difference. The staff are friendly, there's a curfew at night, and I didn't see any homeless people in the area, so it's relatively safe. The kitchen and laundry facilities are great; buying groceries and cooking at home is delicious and saves money. If you park in the parking lot across the street, you can buy tickets at the counter, which is cheaper. I hope the carpet in the double room can be removed; it looks noticeably dirty and old, and the wooden floor would be more comfortable.

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Last updated on 15 November 2026

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