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ITH Santa Barbara Surf Hostel

2.0 star property

Photo gallery for ITH Santa Barbara Surf Hostel

City view from property
Exterior
Living area
Living area
Train station shuttle

Reviews

9.2 out of 10
Wonderful

Popular amenities

  • Free Wi-Fi
  • Air-conditioning
  • Laundry room

Explore the area

View map
134 Chapala St, Santa Barbara, CA, 93101
  • Place, Moreton Bay Fig Tree
    ‪2 min walk‬
  • Place, MOXI, The Wolf Museum of Exploration + Innovation
    ‪2 min walk‬
  • Place, Santa Barbara Harbor
    ‪7 min walk‬
  • Airport, Santa Barbara, CA (SBA-Santa Barbara Municipal)
    ‪17 min drive‬

Room options

View all photos for Economy Shared Dormitory

Economy Shared Dormitory

Economy Shared Dormitory

9.6 out of 10
Exceptional
(7 reviews)
  • City view
  • Sleeps 1
  • 1 Single Bunk Bed

View all photos for Classic Shared Dormitory, Women only

Free WiFi

Classic Shared Dormitory, Women only

8.6 out of 10
Excellent
(4 reviews)
  • City view
  • 1 bedroom
  • Sleeps 1
  • 1 Single Bunk Bed

View all photos for Classic Shared Dormitory

Free WiFi

Classic Shared Dormitory

9.4 out of 10
Exceptional
(9 reviews)
  • City view
  • 1 bedroom
  • Sleeps 1
  • 1 Single Bunk Bed

View all photos for Basic Double Room

Basic Double Room

Basic Double Room

  • City view
  • Sleeps 4
  • 2 Double Beds

View all photos for Basic Double Room

Basic Double Room

Basic Double Room

9.4 out of 10
Exceptional
(3 reviews)
  • City view
  • 1 bedroom
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Double Bed

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About the area

Santa Barbara

With a stay at ITH Santa Barbara Surf Hostel, you'll be centrally located in Santa Barbara, a 1-minute drive from Santa Barbara Harbor and 6 minutes from Santa Barbara Bowl. .This hostel is 10.3 mi (16.6 km) from University of California, Santa Barbara and 0.2 mi (0.3 km) from MOXI, The Wolf Museum of Exploration + Innovation.
View more Hostels in Santa BarbaraOpens in a new window

What's nearby

  • Moreton Bay Fig Tree - 2 min walk - 0.2 km
  • MOXI, The Wolf Museum of Exploration + Innovation - 2 min walk - 0.2 km
  • Santa Barbara Harbor - 7 min walk - 0.6 km
  • Santa Barbara City College - 8 min walk - 0.7 km
  • Stearns Wharf - 10 min walk - 0.9 km

Getting around

  • Santa Barbara Station - 5 min walk
  • Santa Barbara Municipal Airport (SBA) - 13 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Jeannine’s American Bakery And Restaurant - ‬5 min walk
  • ‪SB Biergarten - ‬6 min walk
  • ‪Chad’s - ‬6 min walk
  • ‪Finney’s Crafthouse & Kitchen - ‬3 min walk
  • ‪Santa Barbara Roasting Company - ‬8 min walk

About this property

ITH Santa Barbara Surf Hostel

Hostel with free breakfast, 8-minute walk to Santa Barbara Harbor
ITH Santa Barbara Surf Hostel offers 9 air-conditioned accommodations with hair dryers. Guests can surf the web using the complimentary wireless Internet access (speed: 25+ Mbps). Bathrooms include showers with rainfall showerheads. Housekeeping is provided on request.
The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or nearby; fees may apply.
Make yourself at home in one of the 9 air-conditioned guestrooms. Complimentary wireless internet access is available to keep you connected. Bathrooms feature showers with rainfall showerheads and hair dryers.
Take in the views from a garden and make use of amenities such as complimentary wireless internet access and a picnic area. This hostel also features barbecue grills and a vending machine.
A complimentary on-the-go breakfast is served daily from 8:00 AM to 9:30 AM.
Featured amenities include laundry facilities, lockers, and a vending machine. Self parking (subject to charges) is available onsite.
A complimentary on-the-go breakfast is served each morning between 8:00 AM and 9:30 AM.

Property amenities

Internet

  • Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
  • In-room WiFi speed: 25+ Mbps
  • Available in some public areas: Free WiFi

Parking and transport

  • Parking on site (USD 20 per night)
  • Limited on-site self parking

Food and drink

  • Free on-the-go breakfast available daily 8:00 AM to 9:30 AM

Family friendly

  • Laundry facilities

Conveniences

  • Laundry facilities
  • Limited-hour front desk
  • Lockers
  • Vending machine

Guest services

  • Housekeeping on request

Outdoors

  • Barbecue grill
  • Firepit
  • Garden
  • Outdoor entertainment area
  • Outdoor furniture
  • Picnic area

Accessibility

  • No lift

More

  • Designated smoking areas (fines apply)

Room amenities

Bathroom

  • Hair dryer
  • Rainfall showerhead
  • Shower
  • Towels provided

More

  • Air conditioning
  • Heating

Policies

Check-in

Check-in start time: 4:00 PM; Check-in end time: 10:00 PM
Minimum check-in age: 18

Check-out

Check-out before 11:00 AM

Special check-in instructions

An adult age 18 or older must assume all liability for the booking
The front desk is open daily from 4:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Front desk staffed during limited hours
Information provided by the property may be translated using automated translation tools

Access methods

Front desk (limited hours)

Pets

Pets not allowed

Children and extra beds

Children are welcome

Payment types

Important information

Optional extras

  • Self parking fee: USD 20 per night

The above list may not be comprehensive. Fees and deposits may not include tax and are subject to change.

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
This property accepts credit cards, debit cards, and cash
Safety features at this property include a carbon monoxide detector, a fire extinguisher, a smoke detector, a security system, a first aid kit, and outdoor lighting

We should mention

This property does not have elevators

Property is also known as

I.T.H. Santa Barbara Beach Hostel
ITH Santa Barbara Beach Hostel Santa Barbara
ITH Santa Barbara Beach Hostel Hostel/Backpacker accommodation

ITH Santa Barbara Surf Hostel Reviews

Reviews

9.2

Wonderful

Rating 10 - Excellent. 139 out of 186 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 24 out of 186 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 13 out of 186 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 3 out of 186 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 7 out of 186 reviews

9.4/10

Cleanliness

9.4/10

Staff & service

9.0/10

Amenities

9.0/10

Property conditions & facilities

Reviews

8/10 Good

Chris

Stayed 1 night in Nov 2025

10/10 Excellent

Jacob

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Fun and friendly atmosphere. Matthew was especially kind in showing me around. Definitely would stay here again.
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2025

10/10 Excellent

Elizabeth

Stayed 1 night in Oct 2025

6/10 Okay

Jacquelynn

Liked: Staff & service
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2025

10/10 Excellent

Donald

Liked: Staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Very nice hostel! Friendly, helpful staff.
Stayed 4 nights in Oct 2025

10/10 Excellent

Martin

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Yes and yes.
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2025

10/10 Excellent

Jorge

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
My husband was in town just to drop of some of my son's belongings and needed a place to rest before driving back home...literally less than an 24 hour trip. Hotels were either sold out, super far or ridiculously priced at over $400/night. I saw the hostel & he said he loved the idea...meeting new people, having a place to sleep, being downtown and you can't beat the rate. I did get him the private bedroom because he snores. Eeek, don't tell him I shared that on the internet! He checked in rather late at 9pm and was welcomed in by Hailey. She shared the rules, gave him a quick tour of the hostel and he left his backpack in his room and went out to find some dinner. He shared that it was such a relaxed environment: people working on their laptops, chatting by the fire pit, cooking up a meal, and sharing a beer. When he came back most people had gone to bed. He used the restroom which he said were spotless, went to bed and slept all night. He commented that the hostel was super clean, trendy, and really had a great atmosphere. Everything is so close by and while the crowd was younger than him, he said it's definitely a place he'd come back to and said he thinks I'd love it too!
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2025

8/10 Good

Mei Qi

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Location close to the Amtrak station, sufficient restrooms for use, free breakfast as described, however there was no air conditioning in the room, just a portable fan available.
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2025

10/10 Excellent

Karim

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Amazing spot and awesome staff
Stayed 4 nights in Oct 2025

4/10 Poor

Emily

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2025

6/10 Okay

Jacquelynn

Stayed 1 night in Oct 2025

10/10 Excellent

Justin

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Clean room and great breakfast
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2025

2/10 Terrible

Sherry Belen

Disliked: Staff & service, amenities
I was never informed that we had to take out our sheets before checking out. The guy at the front desk named Drew (the ginger guy) did not even bother to explain properly or even stand up to show us where to put them. I had to ask again where to go. He was on his phone, never even bothered checking if we did it correctly or guiding us, and did not even bother checking our names upon check-out. The place really has potential, but you need to properly explain your rules, because paying $150 for a private room where we still have to take out the sheets ourselves sounds very unreasonable. I know it's not a hotel, but I've never been to a hostel where you have to take out the sheets. It would have been okay if it was explained before checking in, but it wasn't. Furthermore, the front desk staff lacked the decency to properly explain things to guests. Another guest approached us, saying she had never seen any private room guests taking out sheets before. She spoke with Drew, and he just shrugged it off like he didn't even care. We then had to ask again if we were, in fact, required to do it.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2025

10/10 Excellent

Jacqueline

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Such a cute and inviting space!
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2025

10/10 Excellent

William

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Everything was great except that it was really hot at night
Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2025

10/10 Excellent

Liezl, Stanton

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Steps from the Amtrak, beach, restaurants. Easy parking. Free breakfast. Clean comfortable beds and rooms and bathrooms. Kitchen access. Lots of common areas inside and outside. Weekly activities. Affordable prices!
Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2025

10/10 Excellent

Christopher, San Diego

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2025

10/10 Excellent

Stella

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
I had such a great stay at this hostel! The staff were super friendly and welcoming, the rooms were clean and comfortable, and the atmosphere made it easy to meet other travelers. The location was also perfect—close to everything I needed. I’d definitely stay here again and recommend it to anyone visiting. Only tip: bring a small fan for your bed. There’s outlets for each bed which is perfect for a small portable fan.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2025

10/10 Excellent

Summer

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The facilities were clean, comfortable, and well-maintained. The dorms were cozyand the beds were surprisingly comfy. There’s a common area where you can hang out, cook, or just chill, which was very nice. In the future will pick bed by the window. Many different age groups from everywhere. Parking was convenient. Thanks for your kindness and hospitality Drew!
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2025

10/10 Excellent

VITORIA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
It was great! Great location, so close to the beach and to Downtown, you can walk to both, staff so kind, space super clean - will definitely come back!
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2025

6/10 Okay

Yashira

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

Traci

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Great place!

My stay was amazing! I cannot say enough wonderful things. I've never stayed in a hostel, I was traveling alone as an older woman. I never once felt worried or scared. The staff are amazing. At first it's hard to tell staff from guests because the staff interact with the guests. Every night there is a free activity (I e., bbq night, movie night, karaoke etc.). 6 minute walk to the beach. Just across the tracks from the Santa Barbara train station. Free breakfast. Food is provided and you cook it exactly how you like it. The place is surprisingly clean. I will definitely return to this wonderful spot!
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2025

10/10 Excellent

Anthony

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

Charles

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Legendary staff. Good vibe, and in the heart of SB
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2025

10/10 Excellent

MEAGHAN

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
What a great spot! From the first intro to the property and staff to the end of my stay it was perfect. Great space, very clean, great location!
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2025