Ith Big Bear Lake Hostel & Retreat Center

United States , Big Bear Lake - CA
Big Bear Lake, Modoc Drive, 657
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50 reviews shown

10/10

Exceptional

15 Oct 2025

A.Richie

first time coming to Big Bear Lake, grateful i got a super great place to stay. Adrian help me to check in, Amanda give me a tour to all the facilities, Jimmy help me to grab some things that i need in the room. so far everything was fantastic, room is clean cozy, all the facilities is wonderful. highly recommended fir sure. thank you so much guys for the super outstanding hospitality!
hopefully i’ll be back one day to visit!

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

15 Oct 2025

I Putu Anindya Richie

not gonna lie, everything about this place is amazing!

Leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

27 Aug 2025

Sarah

Everyone was super friendly. Dog friendly. You’ll love it here, especially if you like community style stays.

Leisure Pet

6/10

Pleasant

04 Aug 2025

Verified traveler

ITH Big Bear

Pictures are very deceiving. Shower was very dirty for about a foot up and the bathmat was so stiff I don't think it had been washed in weeks. I never did get hot water in the sink.

There is no insulation between the rooms. Another guest was playing music so loud I couldn't read or sleep and this went on well past 10 pm. The vinyl tile on the floor had up to one inch spaces in in places and my foot was pinched several times not to mention the trip hazard.

Hostel or not I expected a clean facility.

Business

6/10

Pleasant

16 Jul 2025

Jerry

A Hostel

If you're looking for a hostel, then this is a hostel experience.

Self

6/10

Pleasant

10 Jul 2025

Andrea

Check in was easy and receptionist was very nice. The property is also very close to town and Big Bear Lake.

However the shower was dirty, and the bath mat had a previous guest’s trash on it. For this reason we didn’t shower during our visit. I believe there are other showers that guests share, but we booked a room with its own shower/toilet for privacy.

If you plan on staying out most of the day and just need a place to rest, this is an okay option.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

15 Feb 2025

Ishmael

I loved this HOSTEL and the STAFF! The ENERGY of adventure is present there. I highly recommend this HOSTEL in BIG BEAR!

Leisure Self

2/10

Poor

25 Oct 2024

Spencer

Multiple people staying in the same room, people coming in and out until 2am in the morning, slamming the door back and forth, entering the code, no respect for other people sleep, then once everyone is in bed, they start snoring and farting, I never stayed in a hotel before I probably wouldn’t ever stay again. Breakfast was extremely limited and I had one egg and a banana. Please is a joke, bathroom toilet did not work and water kept running, so while the bathroom needed to be cleaned or toilet fix the lady is folding sheets, care case of these people do not know what they are doing. After giving a bad review, you get these threatening emails from their staff? Very unprofessional behavior, pay a little more for privacy and a better property. Sunrise was nice outside, except the hippy stoner smoking weed in the front. If you want a crowded smelly, stranger danger stay, this is the place for you. The Chinese Covirent store down the street will also rip you off if you use a credit card. I do not recommend. Also the mattress are super soft and no back support, they use the cheapest material that they could find, also my sheets were dirty with someone long silver hairs.

Business Self

10/10

Exceptional

20 Jul 2024

Carolina

For the price this place is beyond incredible and fun! So many things to do around the city and in the Hostle. We definitely recommend this place and will be booking it again when we decide to go back

Business_and_leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

08 Jul 2024

Massimiliano

Good Stay on a budget

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

24 Jun 2024

Elayne

Beautiful building and great reading and friendly people!

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

19 May 2024

Rose

Loved it here

Jackie was amazing! Even gave me a parallel parking lesson. I will say the shower was a little dirty and parking is very limited, but otherwise very pleasant place!

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

15 Jan 2024

Jonathan

Staff and place are stellar. Nice cozy spot to rest the night. Will come here again if the opportunity arises. They also have a very friendly bear-dog to socialize with. Solid place. Thank you.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

13 Jan 2024

Verified traveler

Ski trip

Nice place, quite, great breakfast

Self

10/10

Exceptional

05 Jan 2024

Poushik

Exceptional stay and totally safe. This was my first hostel stay and enjoyed my time here.

8/10

Excellent

09 Sep 2023

Joseph Wilson P

1st time staying in a Hostel place. Like the experience of uniqueness of it. The style of the place is like a rustic cabin/lodge. Improvements could be a more parking spaces and an AC unit/system.

Leisure

10/10

Exceptional

05 Sep 2023

antoon

Very nice hostel, clean. Close to down town, and hiking trails. Staff was very nice and helpful.

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

06 Jun 2023

Dionisio

Good location, waited for a while for someone to check us in. No staff present when we arrive!

10/10

Exceptional

10 Apr 2023

Daniel

A great place to spend the night and share some time with other adventurers! Comfortable dorms and plenty of amenities and places to hang out.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

22 Apr 2022

Sandra

For young & old alike the hostel experience is one not to be missed. Great place to meet folks from all over, not to mention all PCT thruhikers taking a break from the trail.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

08 Mar 2022

Brian

Extremely helpful and friendly staff.

Shower on the west side took 5 min to warm up but it is to be expected in an older place.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

17 Feb 2022

David

I stayed there with my 8 year old son, so he could experience the vibe of a hostel. We had a great time, met cool people, and loved the openness of the property. It was well maintained, very friendly staff, bed was comfortable, but we did have a private room. We will definitely be coming here again. It was the first weekend that the hostel was open, so there were maybe a dozen guests, so it may be different when full, but overall it was a great experience.

Leisure Family

4/10

Poor

19 Dec 2021

Raziel

The last resort, no choice place to stay

First time to stay here and I would say it’s not comfortable. Everything is too small and old. Great thing I brought lysol wipes with me to clean. Shower is very small. Not ideal to take shower. I wonder why they did such small shower and nobody can use. Just a catch to have someone rent it. This is like a very last resort and no choice place to stay. The staff are really nice and friendly. I hope they will fix the rooms and the restrooms upstairs. And the place is very old so needs updating and cleaning.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

03 Dec 2021

Eduardo

Great place. Very friendly staff. Excellent value for your money.

2/10

Poor

12 Apr 2021

Candace

Horrible stay

A place for people who don’t care how and where they stay ! The place was horrible. It didn’t feel safe at all. It was dirty the smell of the home as you entered was guy wrenching. They say family friendly in description but not one thing about it was family friendly.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

28 Mar 2021

Verified traveler

The staff were really nice and warm and helpful！
Enjoy the stay there..

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

03 Oct 2020

Gabriel

My first time in a hostel and it was amazing! The place was so cozy and the staff were amazing hosts. They made me feel right at home. I highly recommended this place to anyone that wants to come up to hig bear to explore the city for a day. I will definitely be back. Shout out to Yogi for hanging out with me while I cooked up some stakes on the grill.

Business Self

8/10

Excellent

19 Nov 2019

Verified traveler

The original facility itself is WOW..old with quite a history. The original part houses 2 bathrooms and 4 private rooms (oone of which has 2 bunk beds). The newer section (east side) is not so great. it contains at least 2 large bunk rooms but only ONE TOILET/SHOWER. so unless your timing is incredibly lucky, you get to walk through the game room and kitchen to the other side of the facility and hope one of the 2 bathrooms is available....NOT a good setup. can't imagine trying to exist on 3 bathrooms if all 9 bunk beds + the 3 private rooms were filled to capacity

Family

10/10

Exceptional

25 Oct 2019

Verified traveler

Say Hi to Yogi for us

Dont be Shy! this place was awesome and we would definately go back!

Partner

8/10

Excellent

26 Aug 2019

Aaron

Big Bear cabin room

Decent place with nice people. It's more like a Hostle than a hotel. Typical for Big Bear, the room was small but the bed was comfy. Would stay there again. They were the cheapest and they had guitars on the wall you could play.

Friends_and_family Friends

2/10

Poor

24 May 2019

Kai

Disappointed

I have stayed at this lodge several times. On my most recent stay, I became sick and asked if I could cancel my remaining nights. I was told that it was fine and that I would receive a refund. I asked if they were sure because if not then I would just rather stay and not waste my money. I was told that I would definitely receive a refund back to my account the next week. It’s been over a month. They are now ignoring my emails and refuse to honor their part. I am highly upset. I have sent several emails and I was guaranteed a refund. This shows poor service and management on their part. My next step is filing a grievance with the BBB. I can’t believe a business would tell someone one thing, not follow through and then just completely ignore them. The average person doesn’t have money to waste. I have been a loyal customer and referred several people to them. I am extremely disappointed. I don’t understand how a business can lack so much integrity.

8/10

Excellent

20 May 2019

Verified traveler

No major complaints

Staff was great - very welcoming and friendly. Reasonably clean. Didn't take advantage of the food, but it looked good. Bed was comfy. General maintenance needs help (stuff looks patched together)

6/10

Pleasant

20 May 2019

Dani

bathroom dirty, but friendly staff and food included. a bit pricey for hostel

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

23 Apr 2019

Verified traveler

Hiker friendly!

PCT hiker staying for one night to resupply etc. The place was amazing, can highly recommend for any other hiker as it has everything you need and excellent service.

10/10

Exceptional

26 Feb 2019

Larry

Great place to stay

Check in was easy and they even provide towels/shampoo etc. if you need a shower. They also provided a complimentary dinner and Breakfast.

Great place to stay

4/10

Poor

09 Feb 2019

Gabriela

Not what we expected

The place is really cool and it’s location is great, but the only thing that we didn’t liked at all was the service. We payed for an all-inclusive plan and the first night there was not enough food for everyone, as well as the breakfast the next morning. So at the end we payed for food that we didn’t eat.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

18 Dec 2018

Verified traveler

When you travel to knew places you have never been alone it can cause one to be on there toes and cautious but from the moment I set foot into the ITH front desk I felt welcomed. I will never forget my first incredible night at big bear with the laughs and friends I made. Can't wait to make it back again.

10/10

Exceptional

11 Oct 2018

Ofer

A nice place and great staff, good value for money

A special place, a lodge with atmosphere and not one of the motels that all look similar. We had a tasty dinner and breakfast was also nice, and the staff and owner were very friendly and helpful. Great value for money.

10/10

Exceptional

05 Oct 2018

Leticia

Nice place, relaxing, great breakfast, Eric was super helpful , id definitely come back.

Family

8/10

Excellent

30 Sep 2018

Verified traveler

Suoer cool spot. Friendly and helpful also cool atmosphere

10/10

Exceptional

14 Sep 2018

Mandana

Free breakfast...great location ..price

Great place ....location close to all.like village.free breakfast i had pancakes coffee eggs and dinner.....best priced books fast...no private bathroom if u look in for 5 star posh w private bath this ain't it

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

12 Aug 2018

kevin

really enjoyed layout, amenities,staff, kitchen, pool table, outdoor areas, and clean queen bedroom with private bathroom/shower

10/10

Exceptional

03 Apr 2018

Ronald

Great place

Great place to relax and gather your thoughts.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

23 Feb 2018

geoffrey

fun time with friends, old and new

This Hostel/Hotel is located in a historic cabin in a wonderful location, just 3 minutes to \"The Village\". My wife and I met up with another couple for a day of skiing and shenanigans, however we were having so much fun at the hostel, , meeting new people and enjoying life that we decided to not ski, just hang out! The service was tremendious and we All LOVED the huge fireplace in one of the many shared areas.

Family

2/10

Poor

09 Jan 2018

Verified traveler

Arrived but nobody was present to check me in. Would not recommend.

6/10

Pleasant

23 Apr 2017

Micki

Cool historic mountain lodge

First time in a hostel, we got a room with private bath and shower but I think it was less comfortable than the larger shared bathrooms. Bathroom floor creaked so loud I was worried about disturbing the folks in the next room so it was a long night. Bed and bedding were comfortable enough. Staff was very accommodating. Meals aren't provided in the off-season (spring).

Family

10/10

Exceptional

02 Apr 2017

Christopher

Good value, fun atmosphere hostel

Keep in mind this is a hostel. Every now and then, I like to stay in a hostel. The environment is different and you get to meet cool people from other countries. This hostel is just like any other ski lodge, cozy, warm feeling atmosphere. Friendly staff. We rented the king room with private bathroom. Again, for a hostel it's a great option. Stayed one night, dinner served was BBQ baked chicken with rice, bread and salad. Not bad. Breakfast wasn't as impressive, pancakes and coffee. Not very healthy. There are games to play with your fellow travelers. The location is central too. Definitely recommend this hostel for a quick weekend getaway, especially if you like to meet strangers from out of town and enjoy a social atmosphere. I do agree that you can hear easily in this lodge but I don't think it's too disturbing for one night.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

10 Mar 2017

Amber

Nice for a hostel and the price

It's a great big bear on a budget place to stay. Especially great if you're traveling solo and want to meet cool, like minded folks. For a hostel it was very nice, cute, quaint and the staff was friendly and nice. It can be a bit noisy though when you're trying to sleep, especially going to bed early so bring ear plugs. There's only one bathroom too so be prepared to share and possibly wait while others shower and get ready.

8/10

Excellent

11 Jan 2017

ferdzky

the place was good. you cannuse all the amenities for free

8/10

Excellent

28 Dec 2016

Leo

Good service and nice place to stay.

A really nice place to stay in big bear lake area. Good service and nice views from our room. The only thing I don't like is the location. You have to climb up a hill to get to the lodge. The hill was extremely slip, and cars with chains couldn't climb up the hill. I would recommend the lodge to clean up the ice or put a sign there to have customers to park at the foot of the hill.

Partner