Stayed at the Inn at Venice Beach in July of '08. It was our first time to stay in this part of LA, and we are from out of state.

The hotel is well maintained and the staff was great. Front desk was very helpful in providing directions, booking a tour, and making sure our stay was going well.

The room was large, but could use some additional horizontal surfaces in the large bathroom (just a small table would have helped).

The hotel has a central, small courtyard which is used for the free breakfast each morning. It's really nice to sit out and enjoy a cup of coffee. However, if you are a late riser, I would suggest you stay on one of the upper floors as the courtyard noises might wake you up earlier than you want.

There is a limited amount of covered parking available at the property. This was great as it kept our car out of the sun.

Finally, this property is located on the far south end of Venice Beach. The water is only about 200 yards from the lobby. There's a great pier right at the end of the road on which the hotel is located. However, It's a 10-15 minute walk up the beach to get to where the 'action' is (street vendors, buskers, muscle beach).

I would definitely stay at the Inn at Venice Beach again.

we stayed here for 6 nights in June 2008 - after reading other revies on TA we decided on the Inn at Vencie Beach and we weren't disapointed.
The location is fantastic - a block from Venice Beach, walking distance to Marina Del Ray and a couple of miles to Santa Monica (which we walked to along the beach front path!)
the room had everything we needed and the staff couldnt do enough to help us. You get a free continental breakfast each day and they get fresh cookies delievered every afternoon - just what we needed after a day bike riding!
I'd recommend this hotel to anyone who wants a really relaxing hotel in a great location.

In mid-May, my wife and I traveled from Finland to spend 2 weeks in California visiting our son who had been studying at USC. We spent the first 4 nights at the Farmer’s Daughter, which we chose primarily because of its handiness for visiting the city sights and its good location near to the Grove and Farmers Market.

After a long weekend visiting friends near San Francisco, we spent our last 5 nights at the Inn at Venice Beach, which we chose because of (1) its attractive location on the coast; (2) its very competitive price; (3) the good reviews on TA.

The hotel more than met our expectations, and the price-quality ratio is extremely high for budget-conscious travelers.

Plus points: Splendid location, right next to the canals and a stone’s throw from the beach. Comfortable room. Free self-service buffet breakfasts. Very pleasant staff. Our son, who acted as our chauffeur and guide during our visit, was allowed to have a free breakfast when he came to collect us in the mornings, and received a “pass” to use the hotel car-parking area during the day-time. All three of us were lent beach towels on request.

Minor quibbles: No pool – but not surprising bearing in mind the price. On Saturday night – disturbing noise from adjacent restaurant until the early hours. Lack of a customer-accessible computer in the lobby. Disposable cutlery and plates in restaurant not very environment-friendly – but again a cost-saving feature. The outside appearance of the hotel is rather “plain” and does not do it justice.

For others spending 2 weeks in the LA area, I would recommend a similar combination – first sight-seeing in and around the city, then a spell on the coast.

We spent two wonderful days at the Inn at Venice Beach (a little bit of a misnomer, since it is really on the edge of Marina del Rey, which is a good thing). Our room was nicely laid out, quiet (we faced the back) and absolutely spotless. The entire staff was friendly and welcoming. Plenty of restaurants within walking distance, and the beach is only a couple of blocks away. Breakfast is fine, the inside courtyard/ patio is fabulous and peaceful. We recommend the Inn highly, and we will be back the next time we're in LA.