All can stay in the slightly pricier single room, but this can be as much as $49 per night. There are two more options; you can stay in a room with two bunk beds or three bunk beds. The two-bunk option will cost you $20 per night. You also need a non-U.S. passport to stay in the dorms. Even though I have a U.S. passport, I was able to stay, as I had flown in from Korea on the check-in day and had a stamp from Korean immigration. You need to put down a $20 key deposit, which you will get back at the end of the stay. You must also pay for the entire stay while checking in. They only accept cash!

Environs:

Very clean--the staff was actually installing a blue ball light in the TV room on my first day--although it was not as hip-looking as on the Internet site, as things have a bit of a worn look. I imagine when it opened a few years ago, it had that MTV Real World look; now it looks like the last few weeks of Real World, when all the roommates are snug and comfortable with the environs, i.e., worn down and thinking that going home would be nice.

The hostel is on Melrose Avenue--a bit away from the main action, but close enough so you don't get a complex. A few more blocks on Melrose is a place called eZen, which has T1 access at $2 per hour! Thus don't use the two slow-witted Internet stations upstairs at Orbit.

There is also a free shuttle to Orbit from LAX. I chose to rent a car to have more freedom of movement. Parking is a bit of a problem, but not a major one; I was able to find free street parking within close walking distance of the hostel. But the majority of the hostelers were using the bus system, which has improved a great deal since I lived in L.A. 10 years ago.

There is free breakfast served until 10:30am, but it's bad coffee and toast. You're in L.A., for Julia Roberts's sake, so go find a great diner for breakfast. On Melrose, there's a place called Vienna Cafe, which is a hip place to get breakfast.

This is a hip hostel, with lots of European backpackers. You are bound to meet some cool people. I was lucky to have one of the outside rooms (walls to the outside on two sides), thus I was able to sleep very well, although when I was checking in, there two Dutch girls who were checking out as they did not get any sleep the previous night.

The owner is also a great haircutter. When asking for a place to get a haircut, the girl working at the front desk suggested the owner, and for $20 I got a great haircut.

Overall, I was pretty happy with the Orbit expereince, although a bit misled by their website.

The Orbit Ho(s)tel was such a God-send! Realise I labelled it with an 's' in brackets because although it prides itself as being a hostel, I felt that the facilities it boasted of put it on par with 2 or 3 *** hotels. The Orbit, as its name suggests, is decorated with a futuristic theme, not quite unlike some really cool funky accommodation of the next century! Expect to enjoy bright green walls in the lounge, complemented with glaring yellow love seats and coral blue table lamps.

I paid US$17 for a dorm bed, 6 to a room. For 4 to a room, one pays $22. For your own private double, it costs merely $52, which is $26 per person. A great deal. Every room, whether dorm or private, comes with an attached bath and toilet. A nice gentleman, David, does the housekeeping and cleaning every afternoon.

The in-house chef, Marco, a Brazilian gentleman, cooks fantastic breakfast for three bucks (bacon, potatoes, egg, O/J). Or you can enjoy free continental breakfast to your heart''s content. Everything here is DIY, so prepare your own meals and wash up after you. No cooking facilities, so prepare easy stuff. A trick: many people prepare pasta by putting the stuff in a jar of water and microwaving! Presto!

Location, you said? Right on hip Melrose street, where the opening credits of Melrose Place was filmed. One street next is the route on which bus #312 takes you all the way in airconditioned comfort to the Walk of Fame! Melrose and West Hollywood is also the heart of hip downtown, boasting night life you never imagined exist, and also lots of alternative lifestyles.

As you can guess, I loved the Orbit! Oh, I forgot to add this: for free transfer from LAX airport, call the toll-free number when you arrive!