A safe, well-organised and sociable option if you're passing through, from which to explore the vibrant Mission district and beyond. We stayed for the final night of our trip before getting the nearby bart direct to the airport the next day, which was easy.
There are four lockable rented rooms on one floor (by the kitchen and shared bathroom) so there is also security. Jason lives on the floor above, although was out of town during our Saturday night stay. His nearby mum Sandra is super helpful and informative, we enjoyed talking with her and appreciated the option to be able to return after sight-seeing to pick up our luggage on our way to the airport.
On reflection with the add-ons of air bnb commission plus $35 cleaning, in my haste and as new to the air bnb experience I'd simply assumed we'd be getting great value for money (ie less than a standard room in a hotel), however I later discovered we could have spent an extra night in fishermans wharf (holiday inn) with ensuite and pool etc, where we had stayed a week earlier, for the same cost. It does depend what you're looking for. We'd been influenced in our choice by the fantastic reviews Jason has earned as live-in host, so it was just bad luck on our timing that we didn't get to experience the personal side of what Jason has to offer, I sense this is a genuine highlight for many guests!
The main draw back we found, given the cost, was having to wait a little over an hour (8-9am) for use of the toilet on the morning of our stay, as it's inside the shared bathroom. It was in back-to-back use for two hours and having narrowly missed the 8.30 changeover we then turned into corridor hawks simply waiting for the next window offering relief...! A flashback to university days, less appealing for those in their thirties (like us) or older. Whilst the bedrooms are furnished to a high standard, the shower over free standing tub with 360 wrap-around plastic curtain was more challenging to use (narrow space) than a standard bath/shower door provides for, and I found the shower head unusually low. At only 174cm I had to crouch to rinse my hair out, which was an unexpected minor issue.
All in all, a great place to stay if you want to meet other interesting travellers in a private, friendly hostel-style setting and also have a healthy budget. It may work out better value if you stay more than one night, which should offset your cleaning fees.
Best wishes, Emma and Alex.