Inn at Playa del Rey

The room at Inn at Playa del Rey was beautiful, and my Del Rey Queen Partial View had a gorgeous view. I even may have brought that cute guy I matched with on Tinder over after we may or may not have kissed. The airport was super close, too. I took a little break from Sydney while my ex-husband looked after the kids for three weeks. I got to revisit my favorite places, including Erewhon for groceries and smoothies, LA Fitness, and Target. And, of course, the beach. My time at Venice Beach was amazing, and staying in Playa del Rey made it even better.

We had such a nice view of the wetlands from our balcony, and breakfast was great with eggs made to order. The wine and cheese hour was a lovely extra, too. It's an easy walk to the beach and trails. The place is so cute and relaxing for a few days, and everyone was friendly and welcoming. Can't wait to come back.

The wetlands views from the room are a birdwatcher's dream, easily 5/5. Breakfast was lovely, especially the granola, key lime pie, and fresh orange juice. The hotel is also close to the beach. They let us drop off our bags early, and the room was ready about an hour ahead of time. They texted to let us know. A lot of the staff came across as brash, though. Housekeeping filled the hallway and stood outside our room listening to us talk. The walls are so thin we could hear exactly what the upstairs neighbors were watching, even at a reasonable volume. Our bed was uncomfortable and creaked whenever we sat down. There's no room fridge, and for ice you have to carry your bucket to the front desk. The building is old and could use some maintenance: bathroom caulking, paint on the windows, and the balcony door lock and hinges. There was a huge puddle right in front of the main entrance to the parking area. The hotel sits beside a busy road, and getting in from the west during rush hour can be a real struggle, with traffic backed up as far as you can see. The entry layout is confusing, with lots of twists and turns if you don't use the creaky elevator, which had an expired license. The place has the potential to be fantastic, but the service, building, and layout need work.

The location was a highlight, just a short walk to the beach, and we even got a discount at the local Greek restaurant, Kafe, by showing our room key. My husband and I loved our cozy nautical-themed room, the comfy bed, and the relaxing balcony. The homemade food was delicious, and they brought out fresh cookies every day. The staff were welcoming and made us feel right at home. A perfect weekend getaway in LA, especially for us Canadians. We'd absolutely recommend it and hope to return.