his is the first time I've stayed at a hostel in the U.S. I normally stay at hotels and motels. But it was a great choice. This particular location was the selling point. You're right on a cliff with a lighthouse, overlooking crashing waves and the great blue Pacific! I spent a lot of time sitting out on the benches absorbing the scene, even after dark.
Inside the hostel, you go to the front desk to check in and are given bedding and a towel, plus a magnetic key card to open your room and your private locker in the room. y small room had one bunkbed and one single bed, which I took. I had one roommate, who was friendly. We negotiated when to shut the lights and whether or not to leave the window open.
The kitchens and dining areas are a pretty wild scene, with people moving every which way preparing their meals, eating, and washing dishes. The facility is stocked with all the pots, pans, dish towels, utensils, stove, microwave, fridge, etc. that you need to deal with meals. It's a very generous setup.
There are also community lounging areas, which people were using.
While there, we were hit by one of California's rolling blackouts. This made things a little less convenient, with people using flashlights to move around at night. Also, we were asked to really limit our use of water, which is somehow tied to electric power. But the staff was great. They ran a generator to keep the infrastructure operating, and told people we didn't have to do any dishes.
Great place!