This was my first hostel, and I was pleasantly surprised. I was greeted in a friendly manner, offered a glass of water, and shown around. I could see immediately that the hostel was as social and community-orientated as advertised, which was cool to see; I wasn't up for mingling since my stay was so brief and I was dealing with jet-lag, and that didn't seem to be a problem. The facilities were clean, the bed was clean, and the extras that I wasn't expected (free tea, coffee, bread, peanut butter, jam, and full-day storage after checkout) made a difference. The location was great, too. There's a BART station nearby, as well as an Amtrak transfer-bus stop. It was a 25 minute to Pier 39. If you're okay with hostel-style shared space accommodation, you can't do much better.