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Travels with Baby Reviews: Inn at Venice Beach, Venice, California
In this Review: Overview The Rooms Breakfast Words to the Wise Bottom Line More Info & Helpful Links Read recent customer reviews at TripAdvisor
While it's hard to see much of Los Angeles without a car, it was great to set out for the beach and eateries, not to mention strolls through the canals, simply on foot and with stroller. Better still, bike rentals, including a baby trailer and child helmets, are available right at the boardwalk, with the Santa Monica Pier just a pleasant bike ride away.
I'd had the Inn at Venice Beach in my sites for some time, but as you can imagine, availability can be a challenge. I didn't think it was going to work out for this trip, but when I stumbled onto a last-minute deal on a "family suite" that had opened up at the Inn for our dates, I jumped at the opportunity. The family suites are 2 stories with a vaulted ceiling above the living area and a kitchenette with microwave, small fridge, sink, and coffee maker tucked under the staircase. The loft above has a queen size bed with its own TV in an armoire, while the lower level has a queen size sofabed, and second large TV in an armoire. The suite's one bathroom is located on the lower level--the best placement if you have kiddos sleeping on the fold-out sofa. With an
active crawling and cruising baby, I knew the stairs
could be a potential problem for us, and I arranged for
a rented safety While the family suite was certainly spacious and would have been perfect with just our older kids at 4 and 6 years (even at 3 years I think it would have been great), the stairs will make it a challenge for any family with a mobile baby or toddler. Fortunately, the hotel's standard rooms do not present this problem for guests with wee travelers, who will also appreciate the hotel crib provided at no extra charge. All rooms include free high-speed wireless access. If you are very noise-sensitive, request a room that looks in toward the courtyard rather than out at the street. Our upper-level room faced Washington Blvd., and we did hear some conversations in the night, though I considered it part of the Venice Beach atmosphere and the kids slept through without complaint. Breakfast at Inn at Venice Beach
Would we return? Possibly. I'm a fan of Venice Beach, where rooms are in high demand and vacation rentals very difficult to get. This hotel presents a good option for families, though clearly we would wait a couple of years before booking the suite again. More Travels with Baby Hotel Reviews All photos, video, and content (c) 2010 by Shelly Rivoli. No compensation was accepted in exchange for this review.
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gate to help take care of the problem. But as I recount
One
of the perks of staying at the Inn at Venice Beach is the
complimentary continental breakfast served at the
cobblestone courtyard on the main level. Don't be
embarrassed if you have trouble finding it, however--in
spite of looking like it's simply on the lowest level, I
ran into two other people who were searching for it on
my way to the front desk to ask. Unfortunately for us it was
drizzling during each of our breakfasts, so we huddled
indoors in the small breakfast room and looked out on the
courtyard instead. There was a kid-pleasing selection of
the basics: toaster waffles, yogurt, bagels,
cereal, coffee, and tea. Neighboring conversations in
German and Italian definitely added to the cobblestone
charm of the setting as we ate. 
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