Hotel Erwin | 1697 Pacific Avenue | Venice Beach, California | www.hotelerwin.com
There are many reasons to love Venice Beach and Hotel Erwin is one of them. Attracting a hip, young crowd craving a taste for the laid back Southern California surf and skate lifestyle, Hotel Erwin captures the creative spirit of Venice with its funky, bold decor, rock-n-roll art, graffiti walls and boutique feel. Named after its owner, this hotel adds a stylish vibe to the mostly youth hostel scene in the area.
Paying homage to the local scene, Hotel Erwin is more than just a place to sleep. It immerses visitors in the SoCal lifestyle upon arrival even if it’s only for a few days. Try the ‘Ink n Stay’ package with a $100 voucher for a tattoo by a local artist and a bottle of tequila to boot. The location is a bonus – being steps away from the beach is more than ideal for someone looking for a sun and sand weekend getaway.
Recommended for: A beach and party crowd looking for a funky, hip hotel in the epicentre of lively Venice – perfect for friends travelling together, solo travellers and couples.
LOCATION
Hotel Erwin is located on Pacific Avenue, only 200 feet from Venice Beach, overlooking the whirling circus on the Oceanfront Boardwalk. It’s the only beachfront boutique hotel in Venice. The location is unmatched and unless you want to be staying at youth hostels across the street, Hotel Erwin is the best choice.
DESIGN
Loved the design – bold, bright, colourful, and use of surf and skate wall decor and original art work. My favourite is the surf board multi-media installation in the lobby projecting surf videos on a loop and the graffiti welcome to the valet parking. The hotel has only one elevator. It may test your patience, but you’re in Cali – relax and chill out like the rest of the locals.
VIBE
Hip, urban, creative, rebellious, diverse. And musically inclined. You don’t even have to step out of your room to hear live music coming from above or below on the streets. If you’re looking for a quiet place or white glove luxury, this isn’t the place for you. Hotel Erwin fits right into the eclectic, edgy vibe of Venice and delivers everything but boredom. Guys, strip out of your business suit and into your board shorts. Ladies, don your favorite straw fedora, maxi dress and sandals. Welcome to Hotel Erwin.
ROOMS
Hotel Erwin has 119 rooms including 38 one bedroom suites. We stayed in the Sunset Oceanview King Room with a balcony offering views of the Boardwalk below and the Pacific Ocean. The room fits in with the ocean vibe – bright, airy and breezy with its turquoise and white colour scheme. The bed is comfortable; bathroom, modern. Step onto your balcony, have a seat and wind down with a glass of Prosecco as you gaze out towards the ocean and listen to the funky music coming from below. Exactly what I did. Simply refreshing and chill.
HIGH LOUNGE
The trump card for Hotel Erwin is its 7th floor open-air rooftop bar, High Lounge, offering a 360 degree view of LA. Famously known to be the best place to sunset gaze, High Lounge does not disappoint. Saturdays are filled with a hip, 20-30 something crowd and a dj spinning sexy beats. If it gets slightly chilly and you forget a sweater, High has you covered, offering guests blankets to warm up. Order a cocktail, chill on one of the lounge chairs and wait for the magical moment when the sun dips down over the Pacific. We came up here twice and loved it.
FOOD + COCKTAILS
Hotel Erwin serves breakfast and dinner at their lobby level restaurant Barlo Kitchen & Cocktails. Serving farm fresh “barn to belly” ingredients, my favourite was the Barlo Burger matched with the Garden of Venice cocktail recommended by staff and my husband loved the poutine.
PRICE RANGE
According to LA standards – $200-$300/night is an average cost for most hotels and Hotel Erwin fits right in. You will be hard pressed to find anything lower priced in LA unless you land a great deal on Priceline. If you’re going to spend that much anyways, why book a standard cookie-cutter hotel when you can stay at a unique beachfront boutique hotel offering you an insider’s look into the SoCal lifestyle.
Having worked at boutique hotels and having experience travelling the world, Hotel Erwin was of my more memorable stays. After staying in the heart of Venice and embracing the eclectic vibe, I left knowing why people move to California in the first place. I will be back.
Disclosure: Hotel Erwin hosted my weekend stay during my vacation to LA. However, they did not ask me to write any favourable reviews. Views are based on my personal experience at the hotel and what I think would be helpful for my readers travelling to Venice, California.
Photo Credit: Hotel Erwin.
