The Hostel California
Location: 213 Academy Avenue, Bishop, us
Star Rating: 8.2 Stars
Property Type: Hostel/Backpacker accommodation
About this Property
Central Location
Located in Bishop, The Hostel California is conveniently situated within walking distance from local restaurants, banks, grocery stores, and shops, making it the perfect base for exploring the area.
Cozy Accommodations
Each room at the hostel features air conditioning, heating, and comfortable carpeted floors. Guests can enjoy the crisp white bed linens and complimentary toiletries in either the ensuite or shared bathrooms.
Unique Amenities
Guests have access to a shared kitchen, outdoor garden with a cozy lounge space, and an indoor lounge area with plush sofas and a piano. The property offers free use of bicycles and skateboards, BBQ facilities, table tennis, and a variety of on-site activities like fishing and hiking.
Book your stay at The Hostel California for a memorable and comfortable experience in Bishop.
Important Information
Please be sure to check for current road closures during winter months. Highway 120 (Tioga Pass) typically closes from late October until late May. When the Tioga Pass Road is closed, it is not possible to drive to Tuolumne Meadows or enter Yosemite National Park from the east. All other park entrances, including those along Highway 120 from the west, Highway 140, and Highway 41, remain open all year.Guests are required to show a photo ID and credit card upon check-in. Please note that all Special Requests are subject to availability and additional charges may apply.
Policies
Check-in: 02:00 PM - 09:00 PM
Check-out: 11:00 AM
Amenities & Facilities
- Offsite parking discounted rates available
- Parking
- Non-smoking rooms
- Air conditioning
- Pets allowed
- Luggage storage
- Table tennis
- Shared lounge/TV area
- Board games/puzzles
- Shared kitchen
- Adult only
- Outdoor furniture
- Staff adhere to local safety protocols
- Guest rooms disinfected between stays
- Cleaning standards that are effective against Coronavirus
- Physical distancing rules followed
- Hand sanitizer in guest room and key areas
- Cashless payment available
- Fire extinguishers
- First aid kit available
- Guests can opt-out any cleaning services during stay
- Smoke alarms
- Guest room sealed after cleaning
- CCTV outside property
- Face masks for guests available
- Television in common areas
- Free wired internet
- Golfing on site
- Offsite parking discounted rates available
- Internet access
- Games
- Private picnics
- Japanese garden
- Fishing nearby
- Bicycle-friendly property
Rooms Available
-
Room, 2 Queen Beds
2 Queen Beds
Internet - Free WiFi
Sleep - Memory foam bed, premium bedding, and bed sheets
Bathroom - Private bathroom, shower, towels, and a hair dryer (on request)
Comfort - Air conditioning
Non-Smoking
Max Occupancy: 4 (4 Adults)
- Shower
- Air conditioning
- Private bathroom
- Premium bedding
- Free WiFi
- Memory foam mattress
- Bedsheets provided
-
Quadruple Room
Offering free WiFi and air conditioning, this carpeted room comes with an private bathroom and free toiletries.
Max Occupancy: 4 (4 Adults)
- Shower
- Air conditioning
- Hair dryer
- Toilet
- Private bathroom
- Heating
- Linen
- Toilet paper
- Shampoo
- Conditioner
- Body soap
-
Single Bed in Mixed Dormitory Room
This bed in dormitory features air conditioning.
Max Occupancy: 1 (1 Adults)
- Shower
- Air conditioning
- Toilet
- Private bathroom
- Heating
- Linen
-
Double Room
The double room offers air conditioning and heating, as well as a private bathroom featuring a shower. The unit offers 1 bed.
Max Occupancy: 2 (2 Adults)
- Shower
- Air conditioning
- Toilet
- Private bathroom
- Heating
- Linen
-
Queen Room with Two Queen Beds
The quadruple room features air conditioning, heating, as well as a private bathroom boasting a shower and a hairdryer. The unit has 2 beds.
Max Occupancy: 4 (4 Adults)
- Shower
- Air conditioning
- Hair dryer
- Toilet
- Private bathroom
- Heating
- Linen
- Toilet paper
- Shampoo
- Conditioner
- Body soap
-
Double Room with Shared Bathroom
The double room provides air conditioning, heating, as well as a shared bathroom featuring a shower and a hairdryer. The unit offers 3 beds.
Max Occupancy: 3 (3 Adults)
- Shower
- Air conditioning
- Hair dryer
- Toilet
- Heating
- Linen
- Toilet paper
- Shampoo
- Conditioner
- Body soap
Guest Reviews
- Himal (2/5): - Made me wait 1 hour to check in, i get its a hostel but i was there within check in time and if they were going to be out a message beforehand would have made a big difference.
- YaniLay (10/5): - The location is great, about a 45 minute drive to Mammoth lakes and close to different restaurants. Beds are comfortable, checking in and out is easy. Full access to kitchen, hot water and heating available. Blankets are comfy. Staff and other visitors are very friendly. Under the sink was messy, but other than that, a good place to stay.
- Vincent (10/5): -
- corinne (8/5): Très sympa - L’emplacement et un lieu atypique très accueillant Les équipements sont un peu vieillots mais ça passe
- ANGELINE (10/5): -
- Mark (10/5): - The new owners are nice, and the place is well-managed and clean
- Bogdan (8/5): Polecam - Atmosfera. Wyposażenie bardzo bogate
- Kim (7/5): - The price I'd rather pay a little more to have a better managed space. The shower in the dorm was quite smelly. Having bed lights would be nice, and curtains.
- Remy (9/5): great price, good vibe, good amenities - price, location, amenities hard to find a bathroom, and hard to charge phones in room especially if you are on the top bunk bed
- Morgan (10/5): Friendly and laid back with the best vibes - It feels like home and really warm and inviting. Had everything we needed and more. I loved the bikes you could borrow or crash pads. It was an unexpected amenity we were thrilled by.
- Rhonda (10/5): Just was accommodating and polite. - It was quirky with a hippy vibe.
- Ricardo (7/5): Nice house in a good location. I did not have luck and had extremely noisy people in my room. - Location is good. The house is large and comfortable. Noisy people on the room.
- Mark (10/5): - It’s always great. Always a good time with great staff and vibe.
- Luuk (8/5): -
- William (10/5): - Super amazing vibe, my first hostel experience did not disappoint! So many amenities and cool features no normal motel/hotel could offer.
- Dmytro (7/5): -
- Stephanie (9/5): A great-value stay for young adults on route to the mountains! - Decor, friendliness, overall vibes Strange smell from the bathroom in John Muir dorm
- Elias (8/5): -
- Mikhail (9/5): -
- Janay (7/5): - 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.
- Mark (10/5): Love THC 💚✌️ -
- Linnea (9/5): -
- Ainhoa (7/5): -
- Fausto (9/5): - Ambiente caratteristico, giovane e informale
- ZHENGHAO (8/5): -
- Matthew (10/5): This hostel was clean all amenities that you would need very cheap and close to everything in town - 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.
- Mary (9/5): -
- Alexandru (10/5): Highly recommend - Cool place
I love it 😍 lots of art. Kitchen has a stove!
- Eiji (10/5): -
- Jason (1/5): - 12 beds in one room, 1 restroom in that room. How can anyone get reasonable sleep Lack of cleanliness
- Carla (9/5): -
- Ford (10/5): -
- Keith (9/5): -
- Lauren (10/5): -
- Simone (10/5): -
- Nunnicha (8/5): -
- Antonio (8/5): - Acceso total a cocina y zonas comunes
- Mattie (10/5): -
- Yu (5/5): -
- Alicja (10/5): Z przyjemnością zatrzymam się tu ponownie! - Przede wszystkim gorąco polecam to miejsce ze względu na niezwykle uprzejmego pana, który zameldował nas późnym wieczorem – mimo późnej godziny był bardzo pomocny i serdeczny.
Wracaliśmy z Yosemite i zatrzymaliśmy się tu na nocleg – to był świetny wybór! Domek jest bardzo ładny, klimatyczny i przytulny w środku.
Lokalizacja również doskonała – okolica jest cicha i spokojna, a jednocześnie w pobliżu znajduje się lokalny bar oraz kilka przyjemnych knajpek, idealnych na śniadanie.
- David (8/5): -
- Dominika (10/5): - Everything was amazing. We loved the place, it was clean , nice staff and well equipped
- sonja (10/5): - Sehr chilliges Hostel
- bianca (7/5): - 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.
- Franziska (9/5): -
- David (10/5): -
- 武藤 (7/5): -
- Lori (10/5): Favorite place in the world. -
- Bresnihan (10/5): -
- Isaac (8/5): It's all about ✌️💚🩵 and happiness... - The staff is friendly and nice Sometimes the tenants gather in the kitchen cooking eating??
- Daniel (10/5): I felt at home and met such warm and friendly staff as well as the guests, some from Europe and other places - A Sixties throwback and decoration of the mountain culture of rock climbing and adventure Not a thing!
- Ayush (8/5): A fun and comfortable stay in a friendly hostel — perfect stopover for exploring Bishop and the Eastern Sierra! - 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.
- Manuel (10/5): I would return - Clean and quiet Non gated parking lot
- Inga-Marina (9/5): Wie im WG Wohnzimmer ❤️ - Die Unterkunft versprüht einen absoluten cozy vibe und man hat das Gefühl man betritt das Haus von Pippi Langstrumpf. Die Betten sind super bequem!
Wir haben uns aufgrund der Wetterlage dazu entschieden den Aufenthalt um eine Nacht zu kürzen und uns wurde proaktiv eine Rückerstattung für die nicht genutzte Nacht angeboten. So viel Kulanz haben wir nicht erwartet und uns sehr über das Entgegenkommen gefreut. Die Gemeinschaftsräume könnten sauberer sein. Liegt aber sicherlich auch daran wie stark jeder mitwirkt.
- TERRI (10/5): -
- sumiko (8/5): 長旅の癒しの場 - 自分で調理ができ久しぶりに日本料理を食べられたことかな✨
キッチンがあるとスーパーやコンビニで買い物して自由にできるところがいいですね。いろんな人達と会話もでき楽しかったです。 キッチンを使う人達のせいかとは思いますが、使い方が汚い‼️片付けが成ってない‼️
調味料関係を揃えてくださるのであれば、もう少し綺麗だったら良かったかな。整理整頓せれていればなお良かった‼️
- Inge (8/5): Etwas alternative Unterkunft mit Möglichkeit zum Gitarrespielen und zum Sitzen im Freien - Ich denke, diese Unterkunft ist Geschmackssache. Wer es gern locker und entspannt, fast wie in einer WG, mag, wird sich sehr wohl dort fühlen. Es gibt ein großes Wohnzimmer, eine Küche mit mehreren Kühlschränken (die aber weitgehend voll waren) und genügend Geschirr, so dass man problemlos kochen könnte. Man bekommt Kaffee umsonst - bei uns gab es sogar Muffins dazu. Das Zimmer war in die Jahre gekommen, aber sauber und es funktionierte alles. Man kann sich im Außenbereich aufhalten- es gibt dort Möbel, die etwas "zusammengewürfelt" wirken. Zahlreiche Gitarren, ein Banjo und ein leider völlig verstimmtes Piano stehen im Wohnzimmer. In dieser Unterkunft kann man, je nachdem, wie offen man selbst und wie gesprächig die anderen Gäste sind, schnell Anschluss finden. Wir waren zufrieden und für eine Nacht war es vollkommen ok. In der Küche könnte man ein bisschen mehr auf Sauberkeit achten.
- Yolène (10/5): -
- Zhenzhen (8/5): Very nice for climbers and hikers - very convenient. With laundry and coffee in 3 min walking distance.
- atsuko (8/5): - Staff was very hard working and doing laundry, cleaning all day.
Bed was very comfortable.
It was clean.
But… it can use some renovation.
Maybe changing shower curtain every other week (it could be a cheap vinyl one), would be helpful.
I love the hostel.
- Kalyana (6/5): Ok for one night - 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.
- RAUL (7/5): -
- KAZUKI (9/5): -
- CRISTINA (7/5): Una mica antic - Transport public molt a prop. Moltes linies d’autobus paren al voltant. Cafè gratuit. L’allotjament es una mica vell.
- FEDERICO (10/5): -
- Connie (10/5): The was a very friendly, well located, comforable place to stay. - 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.
- Olga (10/5): -
- Germano (8/5): -
- Kristie Drawe (10/5): -
- René (8/5): - Late Check-In wurde nach spontaner telefonischer Anfrage bis 24 Uhr gegen eine Gebühr ermöglicht. Sehr nettes und zuvorkommendes Personal.
Die privaten Zimmer waren sauber und die betten Bequem. Wasserdruck in den duschen war leider sehr niedrig, Badezimmer könnten eine Renovierung vertragen.
- Lidia (10/5): -
- Chiara (6/5): Stanza minuscola, nel complesso pulita e accettabile per una notte - Premesso che avevamo la stanza col bagno privato, abbiamo soggiornato solo una notte, quindi accettabile. Sicuramente come ostello funziona molto bene, ha tante aree comuni e spazi all’aperto. La posizione è centrale. Il letto era in parte da fare, stanza molto piccola senza spazio per aprire due valigie, la ventola in bagno era difettosa e faceva molto rumore. Diciamo che nel complesso per una notte va bene, per il prezzo che ha però ci saremmo aspettati qualcosa in più.
- Roque (7/5): - Daniel es un gran recepcionista. Tiene cocina y muchas zonas comunes con muchas cosas interesantes. Buen rollo. El aire acondicionado molestaba y no dejaba dormir, no se podía apagar. El recepcionista de la mañana peor.
- Robert (10/5): -
- Jacopoo (4/5): Anche no - Letto comodo Pulizia, vetustà della struttura che cade a pezzi. Parti comuni molto sporche.
- Isaac (9/5): - Friendly people Not enough room in the refrigerator for your food or items
- IORDAN (8/5): -
- Kihoon (10/5): -
- Özkan (10/5): -
- kevin (7/5): -
- Peter (7/5): Ein Hostel für Selbstversorger - Freundliches Personal; problemloser Check in und Check out; gut ausgestattete Küche mit ausreichend Sitzgelegenheiten für Mahlzeiten; stabiles WLAN; ausreichend kostenlose Parkplätze auf dem Grundstück; günstige Lage in ruhiger Wohngegend Das gesamte Interieur des Hauses ist sehr in die Jahre gekommen. Die Sauberkeit lässt noch Optimierungspotenzial zu.
- JINKI (10/5): -
- John-Juanito (10/5): If I go solo, thus us where I’ll stay! -
- Chloe (10/5): -
- Andrea (7/5): -
- larry (8/5): - 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.
- Andrew (9/5): -
- Oded (10/5): - Everything is perfect here, the room, the value for money, the cool stuff, the atmosphere, the guests Nothing I can think of
- zhengwei (8/5): - Surrounding was safe and had many choices of meals, but I could smell a faint odor of sweat in the room and the facility was old although they still worked
- Federico (7/5): - Abbiamo passato una notte al The Hostel California a Bishop. Ostello molto carino, atmosfera giovane e accogliente, con spazi comuni colorati e un bel giardino.
Avevamo la camera con bagno privato: semplice ma comoda, unica nota negativa il condizionatore molto rumoroso.
La sera organizzano attività e giochi di gruppo.
Bishop è una cittadina piacevole e l’ostello si inserisce bene nel contesto. condizionatore molto rumoroso.
- Andrea (8/5): -
- Barbara (10/5): -
- TALBU (6/5): -
- Webb (8/5): - PCT room. Large clean comfortable. Bathroom was large and had a shower/tub. Great room. Had to leave.
- Webb (4/5): Would stay here again. - Love this place. One large refrigerator not working. Staff and clients had to share the other large refrigerator. No labels for clients to mark their name or exit date on food items. The one fridge was stuffed. Very little room to add food items and unknown how many expired items occupied shelf space. The broken fridge had been out and was reportedly out for several more days. Hostel needs labels.
- Webb (3/5): I stay here again. - 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.
- Monique (9/5): an excellent place at good value! - the staff was very nice and accommodating. the shared kitchen was clean and the beds were comfortable. it had many places to sit outside. the bikes are not in the best shape...... I would probably rather pay $20.- and have some better working ones.....
- Alicja (9/5): Casa delle anime libere - È particolare. Sembra una casa dove vivono/passano tempo tante anime libere. Mi è piaciuto molto il fatto che c'erano molte zone comuni, la gente chiacchierava e cucinava insieme. Più che un ostello sembra una casa comune. Tutto ben organizzato ma sono sicura che non piacerà a tutti Mi aspettavo più cura nei dettagli. Tutto sommato però mi sono sentita accolta come a casa di un umico
- Rosa (9/5): -
- Vitali (7/5): It works for a night stay, but don't expect a hotel-like experience. - This is an interesting old victorian house with an interesting interior. Location is great, you can walk to coffee shops and some restaurants on the main street. Employee was nice and they have a cool house dog Lucie. Comfort of the room was far below my expectations. After reading all the reviews I expected something much better. But it still feels like an outdated hostel. Although it has a very interesting interior, it's quite old. I have to admit, they maintain it pretty well, it's clean. But it doesn't feel comfortable, at least our room with dormitory beds and a stair to a bathroom. Service is also at the hostel level, not the hotel. You will have just 1 big towel, no small towels for hands/face. Cheap synthetic bedding also doesn't help to feel comfortable at night. Maybe my expectations were too high because of the high rating. If you think of it as a hostel, you might have better impressions.
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