James Irvine Garden Tours and Activities

Basic Motel 6 stay. The area felt safe.

You coldn't ask for a superior location; The Inn at Venice Beach is precisely that -- a two-block stroll from the beach, that populated by a string of restaurants, coffee shops, and night spots. I'd particularly recommend the Baja Cantina, directly across from the parking lot. It's an excellent upscale Mexican restaurant. You pay to park at the Inn. Presently, the fare is $38/night, which is both robbery and comparatively low for the area. The 3 floors here are accessed by elevator, and the rooms are of reasonable size and cozy. Bedding was fabulous, and the A/C was effective and welcome. There's a coffee-maker and a small fridge in the room. Both were of great use. We had a sliding door with access to a tiny balcony; sadly, 90% of our view was of the tree that grew next to the Inn, the other 10% was of the street below. Notes? First, the bathroom is tiny. Really, small. To enter and close the door behind you, you almost need to stand in the tub. It 's a major "tell" that this is an older property. And the shower has a fixed head (one pattern setting, no adjustments of spray direction or angle). And there's a shelf that blocks the user from the shower's full spray and WILL hit you in the elbow as you maneuver around it. The tray belongs in the back of the shower, not the front. Lastly, it'd be nice to have the front desk manned by personnel fluent in English. It was occasionally difficult to make oneself understood by the staffers. Overall, liked it a lot. We will return