San Francisco, CA

Airbnb Might Be Struggling, but SF Hostels Are Thriving—Sort of

Published

10 months ago

January 11, 2024

Airbnb Might Be Struggling, but SF Hostels Are Thriving—Sort of

The view from the double bed would be worthy of a five-star hotel: the serene green of Fort Mason sloping toward the Marina, the Golden Gate Bridge stretched out like a welcome mat, the rock of Alcatraz Island studding San Francisco Bay.

But it’s not a five-star hotel, or even a hotel at all. It’s Hostelling International’s Fisherman’s Wharf hostel, perched on a gorgeous bluff above Aquatic Cove, where private room No. 23 sets back guests as little as $100 a night. Visitors won’t have their own bathroom, but they can enjoy a cozy common area with a crackling fireplace, an in-house theater, an expansive shared kitchen and free breakfast.

A cozy room with a colorful bedspread, a number "23" plaque on the wall, and a window overlooking a serene outdoor view. — For as little as $100 a night, Room No. 23 at Hostelling International’s Fisherman’s Wharf hostel offers million-dollar bay views. | Source: Julie Zigoris/The Standard

The hostel—housed in a historic 1863 building that once billeted Civil War soldiers—is one of nine such affordable accommodations scattered around the city. While San Francisco hostels have long attracted young and crunchy international travelers on a budget, the city’s bargain beds are now giving Airbnbs a run for their money by offering more than just affordability.

Hostels’ increased privacy and perks are attracting a wider range of ages and demographics. The Music City hostel in Lower Nob Hill—which recently underwent a major overhaul—has rooms equipped with guitars and amps for practicing. The hotel-like Samesun on Lombard Street includes free parking and private rooms. The funky Green Tortoise Hostel in North Beach features zany carpeting, a boho common area and a free dry sauna.

“We’re very bullish about where San Francisco is going to be in two to three years,” said Russ Hedge, president and CEO of Hostelling International USA, the largest hostelling network in the world. The company also operates a location in Union Square and a pair of famed lighthouse lodgings down the coast in Montara and Pigeon Point, where you can fall asleep to crashing surf for as little as $45 a night. While Hostelling International closed one of its Downtown hostels during the pandemic, the company is now actively scouting a new location in the city.

All of this is conspiring to make the hostelling scene something it hasn’t been in at least a generation: broadly desirable. Across the country, elaborate amenities like rooftop pools and steam rooms have led some to speculate that hostels are poised to overtake Airbnbs as accommodations of choice.

A wooden sauna interior with benches and a frosted window. — A dry sauna available to guests at the Green Tortoise Hostel. | Source: Gina Castro/The Standard

“Guests want the social vibe that comes with staying at the hostel,” Hedge said. “But they also want a level of privacy that probably didn’t exist 20 to 30 years ago.”

That has led to changes like more private rooms, more single-stall bathrooms and private changing areas in shower rooms, amenities that didn’t exist in hostels a decade or two ago.

Even though hotel bargains are hard to come by in high-cost San Francisco, you can score a hostel bed for as little as $28 in the heart of the city with amenities galore—so why are so many of them only half full?

Perception Is Everything

Hostel reception with guests, sign "HOSTELLING INTERNATIONAL," and a mission statement for tolerance. — Guests check in at Hostelling International’s Fisherman’s Wharf hostel in San Francisco on Tuesday. | Source: Gina Castro/The Standard

With their prime locations, array of amenities and basement prices, hostels could be a stiff competitor to Airbnb, which witnessed a rise in vacancy rates last year. But both forms of accommodations appear to be suffering from the same problem: the negative narrative surrounding San Francisco.

“The doom loop narrative is keeping people away,” said Ruben Ortiz. The general manager of Hostelling International’s Fisherman’s Wharf hostel cited a recent school group—50 kids from the United Kingdom—that canceled their reservation because of what they were seeing on the news.

Overnights in San Francisco hostels were down 15% in 2023 as compared with 2019—whereas that rate is only 8% in the rest of the country, Hedge said. The Hostelling International president attributes the San Francisco drop to the lack of a rebound in travel from China and the Asian rim. But it’s not only that.

“Our travelers are quite well-informed,” he said. “So if there is media coverage that raises questions about a city or a neighborhood, they’ll take that into account in terms of their travel plans.”

At the European Hostel on SoMa’s Minna Street, that kind of news was happening in real time during a visit by The Standard. “Tourists are very scared to come to this street right now,” said receptionist Nikunj Upadhyay on the phone, while registering a guest’s complaint about people doing drugs outside his front door. “There are kids staying here.”

Two men are playing pool in a room with sports photos on the walls. — Guests can partake in pool and other activities at Hostelling International’s Fisherman’s Wharf hostel. | Source: Gina Castro/The Standard

The capacity at Green Tortoise is currently under 50%, lower than is typical for the slow winter season, when occupancy rates usually hover above 60%. The Fisherman’s Wharf and Samesun hostels are also below 50% occupancy.

Yet despite all the negativity in the ether, hostel guests interviewed by The Standard only had positive things to say about the city, highlighting its beauty and the friendliness of the residents.

“It’s a great city,” said Samesun guest Renata Paulo, who traveled from Washington, D.C., to celebrate New Year’s Eve. “I can’t wait to come back.”

The Hostelling International president, for his part, remains optimistic about the future of San Francisco—and about what hostels can provide for it. “Our guests have felt so welcomed by the people of San Francisco,” he said. “There’s an attitude that distinguishes it from other cities, a graciousness.”

What’s more, hostels can host group sizes not possible in Airbnbs, like touring cyclists or large Girl Scout troops, like the one that overtakes the Fisherman’s Wharf hostel every year.

“The whole place fills up with little girls,” Ortiz said. “And the chaperone moms sipping on their chardonnay, saying, ‘We have to drink to get through this.’”

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San Francisco, CA

Former San Francisco Giants Slugger Signs Deal With Chicago White Sox

Published

5 hours ago

November 18, 2024

Press Room

Former San Francisco Giants Slugger Signs Deal With Chicago White Sox

When former top prospect Heliot Ramos finally emerged for the San Francisco Giants this year, their outfield became fairly crowded during the season and when looking ahead towards the future.

Despite Jung Hoo Lee being sidelined with a shoulder injury that ended his rookie campaign, the everyday addition of Ramos alongside Michael Conforto, Mike Yastrzemski, Austin Slater and a rotating cast of minor leaguers because of injuries created a logjam.

Because of that, the Giants decided to ship Slater out to the Cincinnati Reds on July 7 in exchange for pitcher Alex Young.

That ended his eight-and-a-half-year tenure in San Francisco after he was taken in the eighth round of the 2014 MLB draft before becoming a top prospect ahead of his Major League debut in 2017.

But despite a few good seasons during his time with the Giants, namely in 2020 with a 151 OPS+ and in 2022 with a 121 OPS+ across his 125 games, they viewed him as expendable and shipped him out of town.

Slater’s tenure with the Reds was short, only playing in eight games before they sent him to the Baltimore Orioles ahead of the trade deadline.

Upon the season ending, the veteran outfielder elected to hit free agency, and according to Jon Heyman of The New York Post, he has now signed a Major League deal with the Chicago White Sox, although the terms have not been revealed.

The White Sox are coming off a historically poor campaign last year, so with them looking to turn the corner by getting established MLB talent into the mix, there’s a chance Slater gets a good amount of playing time.

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San Francisco, CA

SF Mayor-elect Daniel Lurie's new transition team includes OpenAI co-founder, former fire chief

Published

12 hours ago

November 18, 2024

Press Room

SF Mayor-elect Daniel Lurie's new transition team includes OpenAI co-founder, former fire chief

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — San Francisco Mayor-elect Daniel Lurie announced his new transition team on Monday nearly two weeks after he was elected as mayor.

The team consists of co-chairs and advisors. Some include Sam Altman, co-founder and CEO OpenAI, and former San Francisco Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White.

MORE: Daniel Lurie delivers first remarks as San Francisco Mayor-elect, shares vision for city

“I’m excited to introduce this talented and diverse team who will help guide our transition and lay the groundwork for the change San Franciscans demand,” Lurie said in a press release to ABC7.

“Every one of these incredible leaders brings a track record of shaking up the status quo to deliver results. My transition co-chairs share my commitment to building an accountable, effective government to tackle the many challenges confronting our great city.”

Lurie says the co-chairs will be providing counsel to him and his advisors.

Daniel Lurie’s transition team, co-chairs:

Sam Altman, co-founder and CEO of OpenAI
Joanne Hayes-White, former SFFD Fire Chief
José A. Quiñonez, founding CEO of Mission Asset Fund
Ned Sega, Co-Chair of the Daniel Lurie for Mayor campaign
Michael Tubbs, former Mayor of Stockton
Nancy Tung, Chief of the Vulnerable Victims Unit and Community Partnerships at the SF DA’s Office
Paul Yep, SFPD Commander in the Chief of Staff’s Office

Daniel Lurie delivers first remarks as San Francisco Mayor-elect, shares vision for city

Daniel Lurie made his first public announcement since becoming San Francisco’s mayor-elect after Mayor London Breed conceded the race.

Advisors

Sara Fenske Bahat– Transition Director
Ann O’Leary – Transition Counsel
Ben Rosenfield – Senior Advisor

Lurie is succeeding incumbent Mayor London Breed, who conceded to Lurie on Nov. 7, after election results showed Lurie receiving more first-place ranked-choice votes than Breed.

It is the first time since 1991 that an incumbent mayor has been unseated.

VIDEO: SF Mayor London Breed gives concession speech for mayoral race

San Francisco Mayor London Breed conceded to challenger Daniel Lurie on Thursday and said she called to congratulate the Levi Strauss heir.

Lurie said he would declare a fentanyl state of emergency on his first day in office, without offering further details about what that would entail.

Lurie is an heir to the Levi Strauss estate, a father of two and a San Francisco native.

He founded and served as the CEO of the nonprofit organization Tipping Point Community in 2005 to focus on anti-poverty initiatives such as housing, education and job training.

Lurie will be sworn in as San Francisco’s 46th mayor on Jan. 8.

Bay City News contributed to this report

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San Francisco, CA

San Francisco remembers traffic victims 10 years into 'Vision Zero' commitment

Published

20 hours ago

November 18, 2024

Press Room

San Francisco remembers traffic victims 10 years into 'Vision Zero' commitment

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — It was a powerful symbol in San Francisco Sunday of the dangerous toll of our roads.

A vigil honored the hundreds of people killed on San Francisco streets as the city pushes to make them safer. This comes as San Francisco marks 10 years of “Vision Zero” efforts meant to stop traffic deaths.

Three hundred and seventeen pairs of white-painted “ghost shoes” lined up on the steps of San Francisco City Hall Sunday.

Each was with a name, every one of them representing someone killed on city streets–on bikes and scooters, in cars and on foot.

It was the total of victims since 2014, when the city committed to Vision Zero and efforts to reduce and eventually eliminate traffic deaths by making roads safer.

MORE: SF eliminating 14,000 parking spaces as CA’s new Daylighting Law takes effect: Here’s what it means

“We never want to contribute more ghost shoes to this memorial. It’s the hardest part to see this number grow,” said Jodie Medeiros, executive director of Walk San Francisco. Medeiros noted noted that while the overall number of victims is down so far this year, the number of pedestrians killed remains the same.

“The same number of pedestrians since the policy was passed in 2014. And Walk San Francisco being the pedestrian advocacy organization trying to make San Francisco the most pedestrian-friendly city, this does hit us the hardest, and this is why we do push on our city to make sure that our streets are safe for people walk,” Medeiros said.

Among the safety measures they’ve pushed for are speed cameras.

“We worked really hard. Walks in Francisco and families receive streets and getting the speed camera pilot to come to San Francisco,” Medeiros said.

MORE: SF divided over ‘Slow Streets’ program: Here’s what residents are saying

Those efforts mean a lot to families like Jenny Yu’s. Her mom was hit by a speeding driver in 2011.

“A speeding driver turning left struck her with an SUV and threw her body to the other side of the road, where she needed to have surgery to remove her brain cap, because it was too much pressure, but they saved her,” Yu said, explaining her mom hasn’t been the same since. “She now needs 24/7 cae. She’s physically here, but she can’t be by herself.”

And, that’s why advocates are calling for another commitment from the city.

“San Francisco learned a lot in 10 years. So, how do we build on those learnings to make a really smart policy for the next decade?” Medeiros said.

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