Boutique Hotel in Venice Beach, California, Ranks High Among Guests

The somewhat plain exterior of the Inn at Venice Beach hotel belies what waits for guests inside. Look again, though, at the trendy sign and beautifully intricate mermaid mosaic on the outside of the building, and you get a better idea of what to expect from this 43-room boutique hotel. The New Orleans-style central courtyard (picture 1), the cheerful rooms, and the perfect location in Venice, California are only part of what draws guests to the Inn at Venice Beach hotel year after year.

Frommer's calls the Inn at Venice Beach hotel "a good choice for travelers who want a near-the-beach, near-the-boardwalk location without being at the center of the fray"¹ and "a reasonable value for budget-minded travelers (the bi-level loft suites are a great value if there are more than two of you)."¹ (More on the loft suites later...)

Amenities

The Inn at Venice Beach hotel offers free Wi-Fi, refrigerators, complimentary water, in-room coffee, and in-room safes in every room. The hotel itself has an exercise room, a free-to-use computer with Internet, an extensive complimentary breakfast, and hot cookies in the afternoon. The breakfast includes items such as pastries, granola, oatmeal, waffles, yogurt, fresh fruit, toast, milk, coffee, and various juices. The Inn at Venice Beach hotel is also non-smoking.

Rooms & Rates

Rooms (picture 2) are clean, comfortable, and spacious at the Inn at Venice Beach hotel. Beds are comfortable, and the pillows are plush and inviting. In the loft suites the living room furniture was a bit dated, but it was nevertheless clean and in good condition.

Rates run about $160 to $249 (about $199 average) depending on the time of year and type of room. If you can afford it, definitely get a loft suite (picture 3), particularly if you are going to stay more than just a couple of nights. Plus, at the moment the Inn at Venice Beach hotel is offering a $50 gift card that you can use in future stays at any Pacifica Hotel (the mother company). If they aren't running this special, the manager says they are usually running some sort of discount or special, so do ask.

Things to Do in Venice Beach, California

Simply stated, Venice Beach is the cool place to be. Literally. When the temperatures in San Joaquin Valley rise into the 100's in the summer, you can expect temperatures in the low to mid 70's in Venice Beach.

The Inn at Venice Beach hotel is only two blocks from the famous Venice Beach Pier and Boardwalk (picture 4), full of shops, restaurants, activities, and, shall we say, interesting people. Stroll along the boardwalk, watch pro-level skateboarders at the skateboard park, rent a bike or kayak, or hop aboard a segway and tour the entire boardwalk. Take up surfing if you dare, or if you are already a surfer, this is a great place to do it.

Be sure to drop by Muscle Beach at the Venice Beach Recreation Center, where muscle celebrities such as Steve Reeves (who played Tarzan and Hercules), Jack LaLanne, Joe Gold (founder of Gold's Gym), and other greats have worked out.

Venice's famous canals (picture 5) are just a few blocks away from the Inn at Venice Beach hotel and well worth the drive or walk to see them. Streets around the canals are mostly one-way, so ask for a map at the front desk first. The canals are picturesque, lined with upscale houses, and dotted with rowboats and canoes tied up to docks.

For some reason (probably because the area is residential) gondola rides are not available in Venice Beach proper. The nearby gondola rides, however, are just as romantic as you'd dream them to be, especially at sunset. Gondola rides are available in nearby Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, and Redondo Beach.

What Other People Are Saying

People who have actually stayed at the Inn at Venice Beach hotel are, by and large, giving the hotel rave reviews. On Expedia.com 97% of the reviewers/guests recommend the Inn at Venice Beach hotel. On Trip Advisor I found the following comments about the Inn at Venice Beach hotel from guests who had stayed there. From BARB54Narberth: "it exceeded our expectations," and "a nice boutique hotel with a personable staff who go the extra mile to make your visit pleasant." From Tbalsar: "This was a great place to stay. Only disappointment was that it was only for 1 night. Location is great, breakfast was more than enough."

Finally, a comment from JHENHAPL "We chose the Inn at Venice Beach because of the location and price. From the time we checked in, the staff was friendly and extremely helpful! Breakfast is included and was a step above the average continental breakfast-included bagels, waffles, and hard boiled eggs. Wi-fi is also included for free and it is a fast connection. The Inn is two blocks away from the beach, and about three blocks down from Muscle Beach....some really great people watching!!! There are some really great restaurants in walking distance. We really enjoyed C & O Trattoria...great Italian for a great price. We had pizza delivered one night...Lenzini's Pizza. Fast delivery at a great price. Overall, we were extremely satisfied with The Inn at Venice Beach!!!"

To Sum It Up

The Inn at Venice Beach hotel in Venice, California, is a reasonably priced hotel, clean, comfortable, and close to the beach, pier, boardwalk, restaurants, and various vacation activities. In general, people speak very highly of the hotel, the rooms, the location, and its amenities. The Inn at Venice Beach hotel, overall, is highly recommended.

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Frommer's.com