I was lucky to find out about the Embassy Network via the NomadList Slack community as I was looking for affordable accommodation in one of the most expensive cities to visit, San Francisco.
I booked Sami's Hostel, which is a three bed room (one double and two singles) with own toilet. I had read many reviews before I booked and felt comfortable that it would be a good experience -- upon arrival, I was definitely right about this! Although the room is called 'hostel', it's not a hostel style at all -- the bed was amazingly comfortable with lovely fresh crisp white sheets, fab pillows and a great doona (+ fresh towels). I shared with two long term residents who were lovely, considerate and welcoming, so I felt relaxed and able to sleep well (I was rarely disturbed in my sleep, if at all!). The bathrooms are very short walk away and are your own individual bathroom, so this is definitely not crappy hostel style here! The room and bathroom appear to be kept very clean too, I never felt concerned about this too, which was great. Downstairs, there is a stocked kitchen for guests to use for making meals, so I was able to save money and eat here each day too -- great perk about this place!
The Red Vic encourages you to set up a profile to book and therefore meet other guests, so I met some really interesting people during my time here and connections that I'll continue the conversation with well after my visit to SF. I also found the wifi to be great and I could get work done in the coworking/event space each morning. I must add though, this isn't a typical hotel (even though there are more expensive hotel rooms) and you won't get hotel service but you will get to meet some creative interesting people and be apart of a community while in SF.
Haight Street is a colourful and creative street with some fab shops, and if you can look past some of the travellers who are located along the street at night (who I found to be friendly and harmless), it's a fascinating hippy area that hollas back to the SF of the past. It's easy to get to downtown from here too on the N train or bus, or a cheap Lyft ride to many parts of the city. Some great spots to get food and coffee nearby and a short walk to a Whole Foods too.
In all, if you come with the right attitude and open to meeting people, the Red Victorian is a great affordable option while visiting SF. If you're expecting a proper hotel experience and don't want to speak to anyone, then maybe it's not for you. It's truly unique and I'll definitely be back! I'd also love to try other Embassy Network locations around the globe :)