Hotel Erwin Venice Beach - a Joie de Vivre Hotel, Venice

The staff was very friendly at the Hotel Erwin when we checked in which was nice because we had driven all the way from Scottsdale AZ. We stayed in one of the brand new suites overlooking the ocean. Really liked the new design and all of the art work. The suite was spacious and a pretty good value for our family of four as my wife and I had some privacy in the bedroom and were able to separate from our two sons who slept on the sofa sleeper. Normally I have to rent two rooms since the boys need their space. We love Venice Beach, there is no place like it on earth..."Other-worldly" I'll call it. While the wife and I took a bike ride on the bike path the boys went skateboarding and played basketball on the famous courts. What a great vacation! We are trying to return to this gem when Arizona gets even hotter in August. I highly recommend...

It was a little over priced to be located where it is. Yes, it has the ocean right next to it, but the area isn't what is hyped up to be. The parking situation is another add on to your bill. Valet parking is the only way to park, unless you like spending money on beach parking ( and there is no overnight parking there). There were no microwaves in the rooms unless you got a suite, which to me, would be a huge expense. The room is nice however. The bed is big and comfortable, and the Television is a good one. I wouldn't return there. Not worth my time and money.

The location was awesome. The staff was very nice, helpful and friendly - Nancy was the bomb! Parking was easy and valets were great. The hotel was also very quiet. Easy access to downtown and other parts of LA. I found a route to UCLA that took less then 20 minutes each way. The hotel is under construction, but it never bothered us. Without doubt, I will stay there again.

Rooms are filthy,you could not see out of windows from all the construction debri. AH construction we were not informed of the renovation in progress,Air conditioning did not work in first room note we were moved to two additional rooms during are 12 day stay. Manager hides in office was told by staff he doesn,t like to get involved with customers this proved to be true even after are room was broken in to. the only positive in an employee named Shauna Note asst manager Vadim told me there were other best western that may better suit my needs. alast the were all booked so I my family and I were stuck.

What a great time we had. The experience was very good, overall but the service and view were the high points. The room was clean and well appointed and very spacious. Again, the service was excellent. These are people who know that the customer comes first.

Before our stay we were not aware of any "remodeling". This alone is a misnomer as removing all balconies and the exterior of a building is not remodeling. That's reconstruction. Jackhammers (balcony) and drills (room next door) did indeed start right on time each morning around 7:00am. If you were in the room when equipment was being used you had to yell for those in the room to hear you. It did not end until the evening each day. Debris and cement fell from floors above as well. Rooms are small but sufficient for sleeping. Toilet clogged up the first night and to bare feet the carpeted flooring always felt damp. Pretty disgusting. Not pleasant having to wash your feet before going to bed. (wear sandals) Bathroom interior is as old as Venice Beach and needs to be "remodeled". (Mustard yellow tile and tub??) It's microsopic and the shower head is made for people 4 feet and under. (not sure what that's about) Balconies are NOT accessible during remodeling and even keeping the curtains open does not allow a view. The windows are covered in debris, dust,cement, etc. Impossible to see the ocean or bike paths! Also, the hotel cannot easily be located. We passed it three times before realizing the buidling covered in scaffolding was our hotel! Not just portions of the hotel but ALL FLOORS and ALL SIDES, scaffolding. That said, the area, location and staff were awesome. Always friendly and very helpful. No other hotel in VB is closer to the action. Housekeeping is ok but you have to REQUEST the sheets to be changed each day. Otherwise it's every three days. The beds were also comfortable. Complimentary breakfast has a great variety! (Hey, you're already up at 7:00am anyway, right?) The staff in the dining area very pleasant as well. Awesome location and Venice Beach is devine. Five minutes from Santa Monica Pier. VB is beautiful and not too crowded. Lots and lots of interesting things to do and people to see. Ignore the panhandlers/homeless and you'll be fine. We would definitely stay there again but only AFTER all renovations and reconstruction have been completed. Cool place, excellent staff, crappy to keep the hotel open under such conditions. Family friendly. What a great way to inspire kids to learn about diversity. I felt safe though we didn't travel too far after dark.

My family stayed at the hotel during a period of reconstruction. We were told to expect some scaffolding and hammering early in the morning. Instead, the hotel could not be seen under the scaffolding and black netting, fumes from building materials were everywhere and the interior of the hotel was freezing cold due to the exterior walls being torn open during the reconstruction. I would not recommend this establishment to anyone and am shocked that any hotel under the Best Western banner would be allowed to remain open under such conditions.

We knew this hotel might be a bit funky, but on arrival discovered whole place is covered in scaffolds and tarps. This project is supposed to continue until June of 2006. Jackhammers start at 7:30 am, continue all day. We were assured that construction would not affect hotel interior, but upon stepping into the hallway in the morning, were confronted with clouds of cement dust, maids wearing dust masks. Parking garage and cars coated in cement dust. We had booked two nights, but left after one. Would have appreciated some warning. Check carefully before booking this hotel!

We were greeted after a long drive from San Francisco by a really friendly guy at the front desk. For the week we stayed at the hotel we were really impressed with the staff, always friendly and eager to please. (they even made arrangments for us to buy Laker Tickets) The lobby of the place is really neat, with some great photography. We stayed in a hotel room with a nice ocean view and had never been to Venice Beach. The room was impeccably clean. The hotel is just a few steps from the boardwalk, which we loved. We enjoyed the people-watching and shopping. We rollerbladed for the first time too... Overall, we had a great time in Venice Beach and this hotel and would recommend it to all.

I enjoyed my 3 day stay at the Best Western Marina Pacific Hotel. The rooms were clean and very comfortable. Great free breakfast. We will return.