Venice hotels for your next visit

Live like a local at Venice Beach's only beachfront hotel just steps from the famed boardwalk and the Pacific. Rest your head in one of the oceanview rooms or stay up at your own beach house party in the two-person tub and turntable–decked Dogtown Suite. Locals and tourists alike can visit the rooftop bar for sunset cocktails.

This craftsman-style inn was built in 1911 by Warren Wilson, the owner of the now-defunct Los Angeles Daily Journal. Now on the National Register of Historic Places, it's been faithfully restored and furnished with exceptional antique pieces; many of the rooms are named after characters with ties to the area (Venice founder Abbot Kinney, sometime local Charlie Chaplin). Each of the nine rooms has its own character and amenities, though four share a common bath. The more extravagant suites offer an ocean view, a fireplace, a patio or a private entrance.

This oceanfront spot proves that staying on the beach doesn't have to come at a premium and saving a few bucks doesn't have to mean slumming it. Rooms are bright, clean and comfortable—which is all you really need when the sand is just a few steps away. Consider reserving one of the hotel's limited number of parking spots, lest you have to trek halfway across Venice to find a spot.

Public art—and a general flair for the eclectic—has always been a hallmark of Venice, and this funky budget hotel is no exception. The sea-green exterior features an 18-foot-tall mosaic of a dancing, red-tressed mermaid (named Romy, since you asked), and while the straightforward rooms offer little surprise, framed black-and-white portraits of old-school Venice help ease the monotony. Hands down, the undisputed heart of the hotel is the Spanish-style courtyard, where guests gather for a continental breakfast each morning surrounded by lush plants and a handsome tiered fountain.

In 2014, fashion photographer Glen Luchford seized this fixer-upper on Rose Avenue, once rumored to be the brothel of Venice founding father Abbot Kinney. Under Luchford’s hand, the century-old interiors—spread across two floors, with an emphasis on a trio of stunning, individually styled suites—were beautifully transformed. Luminous French doors, antique pine dressers and clawfoot tubs honor the building’s past while ticking every design purist’s checklist. In case you need more pampering, though, there’s Stumptown coffee in the lobby, as well as in-house massage therapists peddling Shiatsu and Thai treatments.

Restraint is relative in a neighborhood of extremes, but this well-refurbished Art Deco gem is a solid mid-range choice. The unadorned, apartment-style rooms are ideal for backpackers on a budget, and amenities are limited (for example, there’s HBO, but no AC); if you’re traveling with the family, ask for one of the units with kitchens. The property isn’t without its charms, however (nor history—Charlie Chaplin is said to have been a recurring tenant). In addition to the bright candy pink-and-turquoise exterior, the beach is just across the street, and views from upper-floor rooms let you take in all of Venice in a glance.

Inter-guest bonding opportunities abound at this hostel-like landing spot. Prices are certainly higher than what you’d pay for a dorm-type situation, but then again, you’re also getting more than just a bunk bed and a locker: crisp, Pop Art-themed rooms have flat-screens, minifridges and CO Bigelow toiletries. Better yet, the front desk agents won’t look askance if you show up with a crew—thanks to dedicated Crash Pad Suites with pull-out sofas and expanded living rooms, the more-is-merrier consensus seems justified. Between the Ping-Pong tables, record players and weekly pub crawls, staff seem to go out of their way to ensure the party doesn’t stop.