Santa Barbara Hostel

A little before 2pm, we began our short walk back to the hostel. It was a good thing we got there when we did because there was only ONE person working the reception desk and there was a LONG line of people waiting to either check in or check out. This should have been #1 red flag to us already… #2 Red flag: sign on credit card machine saying, «credit card machine is iffy.» We were forced to pay in cash, which we obviously didn’t have because who pays in cash anymore?! #3 Red flag: former manager quit and has withheld password to view confirmed reservations on
. After waiting for what seemed like forever, we finally checked into our mixed dorm with 12 beds.
We set our stuff down and claimed our beds, but a Polish couple comes in, looking confused. Apparently, I had taken over an already occupied bed… I didn’t think it was a big deal; Joel and I decided that he and I would just share his bed. This «resolved» issue later bit us in the butt. –_​–
10 hours later…
Drama occurred at the hostel, which we really should have seen coming because there were TOO MANY red flags. We come back to our dorm room, expecting to get a good night’s rest for the next day of debauchery. Instead, one of the girls from the Poland group got the security guard because as I mentioned before, we were apparently occupying beds that were ALREADY taken by other paying customers. The hostel was so friggin’ disorganized! One of the managers just took off belongings from beds to free up space for us earlier on…
The security guard discovered that basically there were 14 people staying in the dorm room, but there were only 12 beds. At first he thought that there were people staying in the room who did not pay, but that wasn’t the case. All of us had paid. After nearly an hour or so, we successfully got the security guard to see the light: that the hostel management actually booked us THREE for ONE bed despite the fact that we had paid for THREE beds.
Yeah, it sounds like a horrendous night. We thought the same, but one good thing came out of it: we got to stay at a nice boutique hotel and paid-​for transportation to that hotel. The Harrison Hotel was a million times better than the hostel! Burnt mattresses and muddy shower floors transformed into down mattresses and pristine showers.
Yes, it’s true. Believe it. I learned a valuable lesson after all this drama: pay for hotel stays in full to prevent being thrown out in case hotels overbook guests. If a hotel ever «accidentally» overbooks, nothing can really be done unless the reservations were paid for in full and with credit. Oh, yeah — I also learned to pay attention to hostel reviews. –_–

This hostel is exactly two starts. The only convenience is the location. It was good as location wise but is horrible to get a good night sleep. Me and my friend left at 12 in the morning. The AC was in 60 and the room was still hot. A cockroach under the chair, a bad odor in the bathroom and the TV wouldn’t turned off. I decided to go back home and sleep in my bed. Oh! And the pillow is like the ones they have in the psych units, to make it more uncomfortable.

This hostel is the absolute best! We showed up and the room was freshly kept with poop stained towels and grayish white sheets. The courtyard is latent with friendly ladies of the night who are indistinguishable from the staff. Luke warm showers and used toothbrushes are an added bonus! If you want the true Miami beach experience this is the place!

This place is a big ol’ bucket of NOPE.
The pictures that show up on travel sites must be photoshopped to remove dirt and rust.
We got into town about 9am and I thought I’d check out the hotel even though check in was at 3pm. I went up to the office, labeled «Reception», at about 9:25 and it was locked. I called the hotel and the man who answered said to come back «later», that the office opened at 930. Okay, I can hang out 5 minutes. I asked if early check in was an option, he told me that 2pm would be the earliest, as someone had to bring the linens. from where?
Later, after I’d been up well over 24 hours, we come back to find one young lady preparing the rooms. Mercilessly slow. The GOOD news is, she scrubbed them down. The rooms were clean, even if basic and minimal.
… bad news is it was after 4 before she finished preparing the two rooms I’d booked, but luckily for her, we seemed to be the only people checking in that day.
She took a painful amount of time to actually check me in as well, as she wasn’t familiar with Hotwire bookings
((BTW, this hotel shows up as a hotel similar to Quality Inn, or a two star hotel in the convention center area of Miami. Avoid.))
I would have been content after I finally got checked in if I didn’t realize that this was Hooker Hangout after dark. My husband and nephew were approached a few times by women wanting to «hang out» in the office or somewhere else near, and I COULD have let that go as seemingly innocent until I, myself, was approached by a man who clearly thought I was a prostitute because I was by myself in the court yard of the hotel a few moments by myself one night.
So I guess if you’re into illicit activity (pretty sure there were drugs around, too. As a former party girl, I can pick this stuff out easier than some could), this may be your thing.
I came with a family and kids. THIS IS ABSOLUTELY NOT SAFE FOR KIDS.

Hotel & Hostel combo. There is nothing amazing about this place, but considering the price you get a clean room, daily room service and a mini-​refrigerator in your room. The doors are key clocked, not card swipe like most hotels. Try not to lose your key, there is a 20 dollar key deposit in case you lose it. The debiting machine was out of order, so we had to pull money out and pay the room fee in flat cash. So, if you are planning to put this down on your credit card (currently, I’m sure this should be fixed soon) be warned. Within the office there are computers for people to use and places to sit. On that note the hotel does have wifi. Very basic place to stay, people of all ages and traveling paths hanging out in the quarry area, friendly staff.

I went during Labor Day weekend, and booked the $ 20/​night beds. It booked it for the afternoon, but wasn’t going to make the check-​in time so I called in. The woman on the phone told me it wouldn’t really make a difference because they over-​booked people at the hostel, so it was going to be «first come first serve».
When I arrived at about 9pm, the lobby was packed with people. I spent about 30 minutes waiting anxiously in line, seeing just-​checked-​in people coming back saying that the beds they were assigned to already have people in them. Needless to say, a lot of people were upset. A lot of them had booked the beds since 6 months ago.
When I finally got checked in, I was generally impressed with the place — mostly because I was expecting much worse. The sheets given was ok (would recommend to bring your own), but the bedding and the pillows were quite decent. The shower was also quite decent as well. Not too big, but sharing the bathroom with 5 other people wasn’t that difficult at all, surprisingly.
The crowd were mostly Europeans. There was a nice patio center where people gathered outside. the only problem was that it creates a lot of noise for those who want to sleep. But to be honest, you shouldn’t cause people who are there are on holiday and looking to party anyway. If you’re the morning up-​and-​go tourist person, definitely bring some earplugs.
The lobby had lockers for you to use if you have your own locks; they also had three computer stations with free wifi if you have your won computer.
All in all, a pretty good bargain for such a cheap rate, but the organization could definitely be better.

When looking for a hostel the big factors are cost, convenience, and cleanliness. This place does well on all 3. We pushed our trip schedule up to get this place at $ 20/​night before the spring break price increase (still reasonable at about $ 40/​night). They give you clean sheets and a towel that, along with your key, are necessary to return for your $ 5 deposit. The room is clean and bathroom is clean. Pretty sure each one has it’s own bathroom as this property clearly used to be a hotel. Lots of people everywhere and a great place to socialize, although it could be a little bit noisy later at night. Most people seemed to head off for the nightlife around midnight, so actually it quiets down quite a bit at that time. The owner is a character… at least thats what I chalk his soup nazi-​esque personality up to. He comes off a little bit rough, but I think he is just best described as a pedant that deals with nutcases on a daily basis.
Location is pretty good, not sketchy, but clearly an area that is under construction to catch up with the more southerly points in Miami Beach. Parking is tough though, they have $ 20/​day spots that can fill up. I parked in a special area 15 blocks away that is the only free parking in Miami Beach (but can be towed during seldom held special events).

The main thing I want to stress about this place is: you get what you pay for. At $ 19/​person/​night, the price is absolutely unbeatable, ESPECIALLY during WMC.
The Good:
— Tons of interesting people, about 90% foreigners, including the guys who run the place. Friendly bunch. I heard it’s a great place to make new friends, but unfortunately my WMC schedule did not allow any extra time for socializing.
— I was actually able to reserve a room for four so we didn’t have to bunk with strangers. It gave me a piece of mind knowing my stuff was secure. Although, if bunking with strangers, they offer lockers for your valuables.
— Private bathrooms in each room.
— Mini fridge in each room! (this was a total pleasant surprise)
— Free WiFi and computers available to use in the lobby.
— Incredible location, about 2 blocks from the beach!
— Tons of bus stops around the area, no need to waste your money on cabs.
The Bad:
— Reservation process is unorganized and it was hard to get confirmation that we did in fact have a private room. Called in about four times to make sure but in the end it all worked out.
— Paper thin walls and windows that don’t quite close all the way. Not sure if noise is a problem during a non-​WMC weekend, but during WMC, don’t try sleeping before 2am. After being awake for 48 hours, I nearly ripped my hair out trying to catch a few Z’s while music was blasting from the courtyard.
— A little wary about the cleanliness of their towels/​linens. I’d recommend bringing your own just to be on the safe side.
Basically, if you’re okay with foregoing the glitz and glamour, this is the place to go. Honestly, if you’re visiting Miami, how much time are you going to be spending in your room anyway?