> By the way, anybody here using something other then AirBnB or booking.com? Would love to hear if there are other good options to consider.

I usually go with hostelworld.com. I was a bit anxious in the beginning but in the last 3 years I've stayed in more than a dozen hostels and overall had a good experience. For example, there are two lovely small hostels in the Bay Area, one in Marin Headlands and one in Pigeon Point.