Interviews + Profiles
Allison Doyle
Content Manager
United States
Allison Doyle works in marketing for Hostelling International. She is a content creator, a brand journalist, a travel writer, and a blogger. She lives in San Francisco.
United States
Allison Doyle works in marketing for Hostelling International. She is a content creator, a brand journalist, a travel writer, and a blogger. She lives in San Francisco.
Interviews + Profiles
Veteran Hostelling International staff member Danny Case is splashing fresh paint on the walls of the San Francisco Downtown Hostel. That is to say, he's infusing the hostel with his energetic and colorful personality as the new general manager. (Also, he does plan on literally redecorating.)
Ever wonder who serves the best Bloody Mary in San Francisco? Or where to go to see the best free view? How about where the weirdest fish store is located? Well wonder no more, because guests of the San Francisco Fisherman's Wharf Hostel can ask all these burning questions, and more, to Mel Hackett, the dynamic hostel activities coordinator with a penchant for graphic design, handmade jewelry, Mexican food, and Swedish pop.
The neighborhood that the San Francisco City Center Hostel calls home is a true melting pot, and in our Meet the Neighbors series we've talked with the people behind the many businesses that give this 'hood so much flavor.
Dim lighting and a warm welcome await any thirsty visitor to the historic Gangway bar on Larkin Street, just three blocks from the San Francisco City Center Hostel. Slinging booze for over a hundred years is no small feat, so for our latest installment of "Meet the Neighbors" we head over to this windowless pub in the heart of the Tenderloin to find out how they spike their punch.
Food + Drink
Look up San Francisco on Wikipedia and you'll discover that there are 117 neighborhoods in a city that's only 7 miles by 7 miles. Our series "Streets of San Francisco" dissects small sections of these 117 neighborhoods, taking the whole "microhood" thing to a new level! We've discovered the best tacos on 24th Street, shopping on Hayes Street, and Burmese food on Clement. Now we're
Independent cafes that serve high-quality coffee have cropped up across the country, and these days a new generation of coffee connoisseurs are raising the (espresso) bar and progressing our palates beyond the Starbucks daily brew. Sacramento visitors may be surprised to discover a thriving coffee culture in the Capitol City that rivals neighboring San Francisco. Locally roasted, small-batch coffee can be found at a handful of popular cafes in Downtown and Midtown, all conveniently located...
San Francisco is full to the brim with unique and interesting stuff, and in an effort to cast a small net and hone in on a just tiny teeny silver of what makes San Francisco San Francisco, we give you our "Streets of San Francisco" series.
There is something exciting and unexpected around every corner in San Francisco; at 49 square miles with less than a million people, this town is jam-packed with awesome. For our latest series, "Streets of San Francisco," we zero in on a small section of this great city to find what's good in the 'hood. Last time, we sampled tacos and gazed at the murals of lower 24th Street in the Mission District. Now, we head into the oft foggy and always cool Inner Richmond neighborhood to get a taste of...
Hostel News
Hostelling International USA is furthering its mission to promote sustainable travel through a new, eco-certification and greenhouse gas management program that was implemented in partnership with Sustainable Travel International. As part of the pilot program, eight of the participating hostels -- including the Point Montara Lighthouse Hostel and the Point Reyes Hostel -- qualified for a Bronze Eco-Certification Standard from Sustainable Travel International's Sustainable Tourism Education...
The future is looking golden for the Point Reyes Hostel! Last February we opened our new "green" building, and now we've officially received a LEED Gold rating.
The San Francisco City Center Hostel is a cut above the rest, a 99% cut that is! The hostel was recently given its "Energy Star" by the Environmental Protection Agency and rated among the top 1% for energy efficiency in hotel buildings of comparable sizes in San Francisco.
Eureka! The Sacramento Hostel now has new private rooms inspired by California's Gold Rush history. Hang your hat in The Argonaut, one of the mansion's large original bedrooms, with two full-size beds and an east-facing bay window that overlooks the courtyard and the fountain
Outdoor Activities
Rainfall in the Bay Area brings many wonderful things: snow in the mountains, wildflowers to the hillsides, and water to the handful of small but mighty waterfalls in Marin County. For those who enjoy a reward after a long hike, consider these four hikes around the Marin Headlands and Point Reyes hostels and enjoy a gorgeous stroll through Marin County open space with a waterfall waiting at the end.
Bolinas, California is a faraway place. Technically, it's only 25 miles from the Marin Headlands Hostel and 19 miles from the Point Reyes Hostel, but it's as far away from the rest of Marin County as you can get
As any budget-conscious traveler knows, some of the best things to do in a new place are free -- and a nice view is certainly at the top of the list! Since San Francisco is a city of hills, there are great views to be found everywhere, especially at the top of some 300+ public stairways. For the vista-hungry spectator who isn't afraid of an incline, this list of San Francisco's most scenic stairways will guide you on an epic adventure.
San Francisco may be metropolitan, but the city has never been a concrete jungle thanks to various efforts throughout its history to create public open space. These efforts started in the 19th century when civic leaders commissioned Golden Gate Park and since then, San Francisco has opened many public parks and squares. But in recent years there have been a few surprises added to the family of public space in the city. Newer spaces, such as sun terraces on downtown buildings and re-claimed...
The California coast offers an alluring escape -- beautiful views, ocean breezes, fresh seafood, and adventurous water sports. And while braving a maverick wave on a surfboard isn't everyone's idea of fun, thanks to the revival of a much more relaxing Hawaiian pastime, now everyone can surf the sea.
Arts + Culture
After 43 years at the Palace of Fine Arts, the Exploratorium packed up its fog machine and tactile dome and hit the road. San Francisco's beloved museum of science, art, and human perception reopens on April 17 at a brand new nine-acre facility at Pier 15 on the Embarcadero.
San Francisco has added world-class jazz music to the long list of reasons to visit this amazing cultural capital. SF is already an international force in art, technology, and cuisine, and the addition of the brand new SFJAZZ Center to our wonderful assortment of music venues is just one more reason for New York to watch out!
The Mission District's Valencia Street gets hipper by the day -- or in this case, hotter. Preservation Hall West: The Chapel -- the West Coast cousin to New Orleans' famous jazz music venue -- opened its doors last month during the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival, bringing the "hot music" of jazz to this uber-cool neighborhood.
In a pre-coffee haze this morning, I am sitting in a back-row seat on the Muni reminiscing about my latest trip to New York. I am someone who will gush with vivid animation and speak in wildly poetic prose about San Francisco – a town shrouded in fog on this August morning but beaming ever brightly in my eyes