CLIPBOARD : COLONIAL INN HOSTEL

“Beautiful turn-of-the century Victorian house, three blocks from the beach, 20-minute drive to Disneyland and other attractions. $10 a night.”

Do the accommodations sound too good to be true? Guess again. The Colonial Inn Hostel in Huntington Beach is just such a place, providing shelter to travelers and others looking for affordable accommodations in Orange County.

The Colonial Inn occupies a three-story Victorian house built as the Hotel Evangeline in 1903. It was converted in 1982 to the hostel, according to owner Mary Parkinson.

Visitors sleep two to a room in the 40-bed hostel, sharing bathrooms and the kitchen with other guests. Guests cook their own meals, though sometimes everyone staying at the hostel pitches in to cook a large meal.

The hostel plays host to many European travelers, especially in the summer. It is also a favorite among bicyclists touring the California coastline. “An old barn in the back has been converted into a storage space for bikes and surfboards,” Parkinson said.

The house rules are simple, she said. No drinking or smoking, and the door closes each night at 11 p.m. The hostel is also closed during the day, which encourages guests to go exploring.

There is no time limit to a guest’s stay at the hostel during the winter months; during the summer, stays are limited to seven days.

There are two other hostels in the county, in San Clemente and Fullerton. However, the Colonial Inn is the only one that is run independently. The other two are operated through the Los Angeles and San Diego councils of American Youth Hostel Inc.

People most often hear about the hostel through word of mouth, Parkinson said. It is also listed in the guidebook, “Let’s Go U.S.A.,” and other European guidebooks.

Parkinson said that traveling is an integral part of her life--she just returned from Africa--and opening a hostel is a way to help fellow travelers.

“We were always talking about doing something like this in college,” Parkinson said. “It just seemed right.”

Her guests at the Colonial Inn would have to agree.

Address: 421 8th St., Huntington Beach

Telephone: (714) 536-3315

Miscellaneous information: Availability is limited, so call ahead for reservations.