Report - Inn at Venice Beach - Venice/Marina Del Ray by CJW

Another pre or post cruise hotel that is good for some people...

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=601984

Near LAX driving/time-wise...

(left on Washington, right on Lincoln right to the airport)...

Good location if you have a car...

Good location if you don't have a car and want a bunch of cool LA in walking, and public transport distance...

again, a tour company that I have used and like will pick up here:

www.amazinglatours.com

Then you are thisclose to Venice Beach, without being right on the boardwalk...

as well as being very close to restaurants and things in Marina Del Ray...

(Santa Monica Pier and Boardwalk will be up at the north end of a start walking from this south end of venice Boardwalk - less than an hour if you are an average walker)...

There are also public shuttles at certain points I'll get to later in the report...

Now this is really a very "European" hotel in styling and feel, small balconies, courtyard in the middle, you'll see what I mean in a minute here...

Look for this sign on Washington Blvd.

(and again like a lot of the interesting boutique hotels in LA, the outside doesn't look "that" cool)...

If you have a car, you can park on the street here as well, just note the sign:

as long as you are not parking between 8:30 AM and 10:30 AM on Tuesdays, you are free and clear!:D

Here's the small art deco lobby, cool free coffee blends and such available...

More to come...

Here is a "small/regular" king size bed room...

There are bigger available, but this is more about location and quaintness than room size...

note the "all important" mini-fridge under the counter/bar there...

note the small balcony out the door there...

bathroom...

So here is a view out of a front balcony on Washington Blvd...

Note the arrow to see how close the Venice Beach Boardwalk is...

and so here's a front view facing Washington Blvd...

If you want to be able to look right and watch Venice Beach this is good, if you just want "air" and a little balcony to hang out this is good...

Then, if you want to see why I really liken this to a "European" style hotel, you need to see this...

This is the quiet, quaint, fantabulous little inner courtyard...

There is a little cafe right next door here for breakfast, brunch, and lunch...

Great if you get a balcony here, or one facing the front, and just use this for peace and relaxing...

Feels like you are in LA, and Europe at the same time...

Which brings me to the entire reason that this area is named "Venice" in the first place...

The Venice Canals walking/jogging path about 1/4 block away...

There are people jogging, dog walking, etc. all along here going north and south...

Then right next door...

Baja Cantina

great for California/Mexican food and happy hour!

www.bajacantinavenice.com

also Siamese Garden for great Thai Food right on the canal...

www.siamesegarden.com

...and so rent some bikes or skates from here (or another closeby)...

go a little further to here...

here for great surf/beach boutiques for men and women (T-Shirt and sunglasses mecca!)

here for super cool designer boutiques...

and head further north to here, the famous Muscle Beach:

this takes you almost to the Santa Monica Pier, so close, that's in another report/review...

...I guess I'm going to have to put this into a bunch of my reports...

Please if you have not been to or actually stayed in these areas/hotels recently, please don't bother replying and giving info on what anything was like 2, 5 10, 125 years ago...

I go here regularly, all hours of the day or night (up till 4 PM some nights, so I know what's safe for walkers, and I lurv my job!), and anything that I'm posting for people, is in all context of "safe" for what I'm recommending.

I have lived around here for my entire life, and part of my job is to look and investigate, AND STAY AT hotels in the area for out of town clients and work events. So I recommend based on a "local" expertise, as well as an "out of town expertise"; and have actually stayed at these places (as a local - and get direct thumbs up or down from the out of towners)...

So, unless you are regularly staying around here, at these places - CURRENTLY - then please don't bother with old news or "rumors" from years ago...

Thanks in advance...:D

I wanted to add a link to a recent review of this hotel:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=13867805

Thanks to Cessna140 for reporting back!

Glad it worked out well for you!