Air Venice on the Beach

The view from the Oceanfront room on the 4th floor is breathtaking, and for me it was worth the price. You’re right at the start of the boardwalk, so you can walk all the way down from there. The room had a comfortable bed, plus a fridge and microwave, and although the bathroom was small, I didn’t mind. The Suite on the first floor could work well for a larger group, but in my opinion you lose the higher-up view. I loved the room and would book here again.

I picked Air Venice partly because it’s near the iconic Gold’s Gym Venice, and the location was perfect. Step outside and head right, and Venice Beach is right there. My room was spacious, had windows, a microwave, and a full-size refrigerator. I also liked getting in with a keypad code instead of keys or key cards, including after hours. Everyone on staff I dealt with was nice. The missing bedside table was inconvenient, though: there was no lamp, clock, or nearby place to charge my phone.

The room was clean, bright from all the windows, and had a lovely ocean and boardwalk view, just like the picture. We booked Air Venice through Expedia, then I read reviews the day before and got worried. Once we arrived, the beachfront location and room matched what we’d expected. It is an older hotel and the rooms are a little outdated, but the brick wall gives the room some historic character. There’s some noise because it’s right on the boardwalk, which comes with the location. We had a very pleasant stay and would return.

We booked three nights and upgraded online, but the room we finally reached was much smaller than advertised and had no ocean view. Before that, we arrived around 9:30 p.m. and waited until 10:00 for the night shift to show up. People experiencing homelessness were camped outside and trying to enter, and my partner and I felt trapped because we couldn’t check in or leave. We got checked in around 10:30. While we were getting our room code and towels, a woman was coming down the stairs, screaming, with a guest pleading with her. The desk said, “Please, not again,” which made it sound like this had happened before. We decided to leave and book somewhere else. While we waited for our Lyft, that same guest told us, word for word, “I have a flight in the morning. I was asleep, and when I woke up, this woman was in my room. She stole my ID and I don’t know how I’m going to board tomorrow.” That left us worried about room security and whether door codes are changed between guests. I asked the hotel directly for a partial refund for the three nights. They replied, “Sorry, this does not breach any of our agreements, but if you would like to continue your stay, you are more than welcome to come back and complete your three nights booking.” I was disappointed by the lack of concern or accountability. I wasn’t looking for luxury, but consistent desk coverage and secure room access should be basic expectations.