HI - San Francisco - Fisherman's Wharf

With a woodsy setting, to-die-for views, a historic building and tons of fun extras, the HI Fisherman’s Wharf is one of the coolest hostels we’ve ever seen. We admit it, we had a hard time leaving (we kind of wanted to move in).

Eleven private rooms and 111 bunk beds are set in the original hospital of the Fort Mason military base—some in former surgery rooms. Rooms are bare-bones, with wooden bunks, storage lockers, blue mattresses (linens are provided, but you make the bed yourself) and perhaps a chair. Dorms range from four beds to a whopping 24, and doubles have either two twin beds or a bunk bed with a full mattress on the bottom. Rooms facing the back of the building afford incredible views of the grounds and bay.

Bathrooms, all shared, are large and spic-and-span. The blue-and-white stall showers offer toiletry baskets (a huge plus for anyone who’s carted soggy bags from communal bathrooms).

The hostel’s historic building sports black-and-white flooring, an original lobby mural and a small exhibit displaying then-and-now photos in old-fashioned wooden viewfinders. The hospital feel ends there, though, and the perks abound, starting with the common room’s wood-burning stove, cushy faux-leather sofas and ecclectic artwork. There’s also a chess table, stacks of board games and a book exchange.

Downstairs is a massive and well-equipped guest kitchen and eating area, with large tables, French doors opening onto the park and a pool table. A small adjoining room with a flat-screen TV and theater-style seating is the setting for many a free movie night, and an ample (and included) breakfast is served in the cheery Café Franco. Lined with windows and offering fantabulous views, the café also serves up organic lunches and dinners for $6.50.

Wi-Fi is free throughout and an Internet hub, with cute diner stools and walls lined with photography, is available for a fee—and located just off the laundry room. The young and knowledgeable staff is always on hand to give tips or set up airport shuttles, and there are activities aplenty: everything from pub crawls to free walking tours, both on site and at HI’s two downtown hostels.

Note that while there is no curfew, quiet hours are enforced from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout.