About

Located in a historic Victorian-style 1880's building in the center of the downtown Gaslamp Quarter, our brightly colored, eclectically decorated hostel makes a statement worthy of posting on Instagram. With its double staircase and skylit atrium, our hostel is a nod to the Wild West days of San Diego.

Formerly a brothel and reportedly haunted, the heart of the Gaslamp Quarter’s entertainment district is just a step outside our door. Not only are we surrounded by the city’s best bars, clubs and restaurants, we are minutes from the baseball stadium, waterfront and ferry to Coronado Beach.

Other nearly attractions include the famous San Diego Zoo, Seaport Village, Midway Naval Museum and SeaWorld. Explore nearby neighborhoods and hiking trails or take tour of our myriad of microbreweries! We're also a short drive or bus ride from other beaches.

We don't believe in 'nickel and diming' you. - we still offer a light breakfast and use of our bath and beach towels are always free!

While the building may be Victorian, our amenities are all modern including:
- Privacy panels on all dorm beds that include a light, shelf and outlets to charge your electronics!
- Curtains on all lower bunk beds (and soon to be top beds as well)
- Bed linens/blankets/pillows
- Beach towels and beach gear (just ask for chairs/umbrellas/beach sports equipment)
- Community kitchen with lots of cookware
- Game room with foozball and tabletop shuffleboard
- Comfortable mattresses with fresh bedding, linen, pillows and towels
- Centrally controlled air conditioning/heat and ceiling fans in all rooms
- Lockers with outlets inside for secure charging of electronics in all dorms
- A variety of cereals and oatmeal, fruit salad, coffee, tea and hot chocolate daily
- Spa-feeling hallway bathrooms with hair dryers
- Fast wifi
- Filtered water dispenser
- Laundry
- Free luggage storage during stay
- Early check in and late check out (when available)
- Comfortable hang out spots
- Electronic entry to hostel and rooms
- Self check-in for after hours arrivals

PARKING:
We have parking passes for rent for $20 per night. Reserve directly with us, in advance, to guarantee one is available.

CHECK IN POLICIES:
- We welcome guests from outside of the San Diego area
- Pre-paid bookings are non-refundable
- To cancel bookings (other than Comic Con week) you must do so by 3 pm the night prior to arrival for dorms and 48 hours prior for private rooms.
- Guest staying during the annual Comic Con week in July have a 30 day cancellation policy. Details are included in the 'house rules' section.

PLEASE NOTE:
THIS SITE DOES NOT INCLUDE TAXES. City tax is 13.75% and is paid on arrival, even with pre-paid bookings.
We are on the upper floors of a historically designated building with two restaurants underneath. There is no elevator and it's 27 steps to our reception and another 24 to our top floor where most of the rooms are located.

House Rules

Check In

15:00 - 00:00

Check Out

until 11:00

  • Child Friendly
  • Non Smoking
  • Taxes Not Included
View House Rules

Facilities

  • Free Breakfast
  • Free City Maps
  • Free WiFi
  • Free Internet Access
  • Free Security Lockers
  • Free Luggage Storage
  • Bicycle Parking
  • Luggage Storage
View all facilities

Reviews

9.0Superb(411)
  • Value for Money
    8.9
  • Security
    9.5
  • Atmosphere
    8.6
  • Cleanliness
    8.8
  • Staff
    9.5
  • Location
    9.2
  • Facilities
    8.8
Summary of traveller reviews

Gaslamp Hostel in San Diego offers a fantastic location in the heart of the Gaslamp Quarter, perfect for exploring nightlife and dining. Guests frequently praise the friendly and helpful staff, and many highlight the cleanliness of the property. Some recent reviews mention noise from the surrounding area at night and occasional issues with bathroom cleaning schedules.

Stayed in Oct 2026
10
V
Vincent
Male, 41+, USA
I’m still there look like I found distant relatives.
Stayed in Sept 2026
9.4
M
Mavis
Female, 25-30, USA
Staff is very friendly and welcoming. They hold events several days during the week that created some bonding with residents and staff members. Location is also pretty good if you are thinking of visiting some touristy attractions with convenient public transportation (San Diego Zoo, Balboa Park) and they have parking available ($20/day) if you want to visit other areas in San Diego requiring a car.
Stayed in Sept 2026
10
A
Alyssa
Female, 25-30, USA
For a solo travel I love that the plan events for the hostel and easy to make friends. Staff was really nice!
View all reviews

Location

726 5th avenue, San Diego, USA
0.5km from city centre