A Pacific Beach boardwalk fixture since the 1980s, ITH San Diego Beach Bungalow Surf Hostel at 707 Reed Ave, San Diego, 92109 has accumulated decades of traveler stories on its ocean-view deck — a hammock-strung space with unobstructed sightlines to the Pacific that most Pacific Beach hotels charge a premium for. The 44-room property operates all accommodations ensuite with private bathrooms in every dorm pod, coed room, and female-only room, a configuration that separates it from bare-bones hostel alternatives in the region. Staff members — including front-desk personalities Aidan, Sergio, and Bailey cited repeatedly in guest reviews — organize social events every evening, from beach bonfires to holiday activities, and many guests describe the experience as closer to summer camp than to a budget hotel. Guests paddling out for the first time can rent boards, wetsuits, and bicycles through the hostel's own in-house program, or gear up at Pacific Beach Surf Shop & San Diego Surf Lessons, a short boardwalk walk away. An adults-only property with a minimum age of 18, ITH also enforces an unusual residency restriction: guests must reside outside San Diego County to book, a policy designed to maintain the international, traveler-focused atmosphere that defines the hostel. The property has partnered with top-rated local yoga studios so guests can add a class to their stay, and a ping-pong table and dumbbells round out the on-site activity options between surf sessions. Wavehuggers, a beginner-friendly surf school with strong instruction reviews, operates just steps away on the same boardwalk stretch as the hostel. Complimentary breakfast — bread, fruit, cereal, oatmeal, and coffee — is served each morning, and the property carries an eco-friendly designation reflecting its sustainability practices.