The Hostel California

location, decoration

the room is really small, especially the restroom; the owner does not answer the phone call

The beds are comfortable, and i slept wonderfully here! A wonderful experience for sure. Check out the town, and talk with the other guests! Most of them are on an adventure and have great stories to tell.

Authentic experience.

Decor, friendliness, overall vibes

Strange smell from the bathroom in John Muir dorm

Hostel was beautifully decorated inside and had a very warm cozy vibe. The room was nice and warm, water was hot, and all appliances worked in the room and kitchen. Beds were very comfortable and the parking was close.

Upon our arrival my wife and I were met by Kyle who was working the front desk that night. Check in was fast and painless but when my son went downstairs to try and get some information and interact a bit with the other guests he did not have a good experience at all. There were several guests in the common area playing cards along with Kyle, who did not even acknowledge my son when he entered the room. My son had to ask who was working the front desk and Kyle gave him a very unfriendly acknowledgment as if my son was bothering him as they continued their card game and drinking. Kyle did not introduce himself or even ask my sons name or invite him to interact in any way whatsoever. My son felt unwelcome, uncomfortable, and in the way but still tried to ask for some information regarding the local sites to visit the following day. Kyle bluntly said he did not know anything about any of them. When one of the other guests finally engaged with my son to give him information Kyle repeatedly interrupted the conversation, pushing the helpful guest to continue their poker game and drinking. My son felt incredibly awkward and left feeling very ignored and unwelcome. In the morning my son attempted to say good morning to Kyle and was flatly ignored yet again. Eventually after directly asking Kyle for his name he did engage with my son and they had a cordial conversation, however my son left the experience feeling very dejected and upset that he was not even acknowledged by someone who is suppouse to be a source of information and at the very least be welcoming. My sons experience was rescued by his interactions with workers Rayne and Matt who were extremely nice and immediatly introduced themselves and offered conversation as well as homemade bread. We loved the hostel and are sure the majority of workers are dedicated to the experience of the guests but we did not leave with a perfect experience because of this particular workers indifference.

Such a great vibe here. I spent a rainy day curled up by the window, alternating between reading a book, playing the guitar, and playing solitaire. All the guests here were great too. Had nice conversations with people from all different parts of the world.

It was exactly what I expected a hostel to be. But better.

The location was great, just off the main highway. Found parking right in front. It's a cute, eclectic house turned hostel. There's a living room with space to hang, play music, chat. There's a large dining room table, and coffee maker and tea station. The kitchen has lots of storage for food, and a large fridge. The room was small but cozy, and it had an ensuite bathroom with shower. It was quiet, warm and cozy. Perfect for a pitstop on the way up north.

Nothing! It's not a luxury stay, it was perfect for a casual trip.

My housemates! What fun! Coulda been sent by central casting for a perfect evening.

Didn't like at ALL that I was sharing a toilet with SEVEN people. If the place had been full up it would have been nine people.

Rain checked me in and showed me around he was very nice and cordial.

Location was perfect dead center of Bishop walking distance to a lot of different spots.

12 beds in one room, 1 restroom in that room. How can anyone get reasonable sleep

Lack of cleanliness

My housemates! What fun! Coulda been sent by central casting for a perfect evening.

Didn't like at ALL that I was sharing a toilet with SEVEN people. If the place had been full up it would have been nine people.

Everything was amazing. We loved the place, it was clean , nice staff and well equipped

Kyle was very nice and helpful

The room was stuffy. The fan only worked on high, and I did not want to leave the air conditioner on all night.

The hostel has a great vibe with a cozy common area and friendly atmosphere. The location is perfect for travelers passing through Bishop or exploring nearby natural spots. Rooms and facilities were clean, and check-in was smooth. Loved the kitchen setup and the community feel — great place to meet fellow travelers.

Parking space was a bit limited, and the walls are thin, so you might hear some noise at night — but nothing major.

Clean and quiet

Non gated parking lot

Great value for money and sense of community if you are into chatting with fellow hiker and climber guests.

My bunk bed was wonky and uncomfortable. I would not recommend staying here in the dorm in summer months.

We had the room with 2 very comfortable double beds and a full bath. The kitchen was big, sunny, fully equipped with lots of options on the 'free shelves.'

I love old houses and this one had space for everyone to find their own hangout area.

We had the room with 2 very comfortable double beds and a full bath. The kitchen was big, sunny, fully equipped with lots of options on the 'free shelves.'

I love old houses and this one had space for everyone to find their own hangout area.

The bed (lower bunk) was comfortable. Six in a room was crowded. Nice to be able to chat to other travellers. Plenty of outdoor space. Great value for money.

I'll always come back, great place.

John Muir room is NOT air conditioned. HVAC is faulty. The six bunks in the front room do not get any AC and the weather was hot. Staff expected a small fan to move air from the back two bunks to the front six bunks. I'm not a big person but the shower is small and hard to shower in. The shower curtain continuously fell off the shower rod and the baseboard trim needs to be replaced. There is a hole in the ceiling that acts as an exhausted fan.