PodShare Venice

Catherine O★★★★★★★★★★5.0a year ago

I’m a big fan of the feel of a hostel and this place lived up to the expectation. The property and yard are huge, the bamboo and butterflies and big open grass space was my favorite part of being here. The location couldn’t be better with a coffee shop and the canals essentially across the street, all the restaurants of Abbot Kinney 2 blocks up and the beach and boardwalk only a 12 minute walk away!! I had a blast here. Perfect ground zero for an adventure in Venice!

Janani Raman★★★★★★★★★★1.02 years ago

This place has potential but needs significant improvement. As a guest, I felt unsafe and couldn't escalate my concerns effectively. As a registered nurse, I felt compelled to write this detailed review to inform others and prompt the owner to take action. Cons: - The back bathroom shower head was old and dirty, with little water pressure, and the cubicle smelled of mold. The toilet had dried urine stains and smelled unclean upon arrival. It was cleaned shortly after we checked in. - The laundry service cost $7 for washing and drying without providing detergent. We used our own pods but were refused a subsidy. Guests couldn't control their own washing, as staff handled it. My clothes returned with an odd sock, my partner lost a sock, and my bra had a broken strap. Staff said, "sometimes things go missing in the wash." - Staff were seen vaping on the job and seemed unresponsive, possibly due to being high. - Privacy was lacking, even in the bathrooms. Door locks were easily opened from outside, and there were gaps in shower cubicles. As a female, I had to change in the open when showers or other changing areas were occupied. Privacy curtains or designated changing rooms would help. - Other guests were inconsiderate of shower times. One guest was in a shower for hours, possibly smoking. The receptionist said she was fine and vaping. This guest also made noise in the kitchen during quiet hours. - We encountered bed bugs during our stay. My partner and I noticed bites and found bugs in our bed. When we reported this to the staff, they seemed indifferent and offered no solutions. We were concerned about bringing bed bugs home with us, and this issue significantly impacted our comfort and peace of mind. - We rented a queen mattress in pod 35, a high-traffic area near the kitchen and bathroom. The mattress was comfortable, and the hostel was quirky, but after four nights, our initial excitement faded. Pros: - Inviting grounds with a basketball court, ample outdoor seating, hammocks, and benches. - Staff accommodated our request to move to a quieter pod. - Convenient bus stop with a bus every 15 minutes. - The venue offers baggage storage and on-site laundry.

Jack Martinez★★★★★★★★★★4.02 years ago

It is a former church that was converted to a hostel. The beds are incredibly comfortable, showing that a great deal of attention was paid to how they were selected. My arrival was very late. They stop receiving guests at 2:00 AM because staff leaves the property. Given I am not from here, I had to take a train and a bus half-way across town. It wasn’t easy and Dustin went above-and-beyond to facilitate arrival, even staying late - we all have to go home…so this is one of the hotel staff members that truly cares. The major issue is the absence of air conditioning. There are over 30 beds and people generate heat. Ventilation is very limited. He was so kind to find me a bed near a window. If not for the incredible service, the issue with the A/C would have prompted a 3-star rating. Hostels do operate on limited margins, so insulating, installing an A/C system, and paying the electric bill would be very costly.

Manny Pantoja★★★★★★★★★★5.03 years ago

If you’re up for an adventure this is the place to be. I stayed here for 4 days! I was only expecting to stay for 2 but I felt so comfortable and safe that I extended my stay. The staff were so so friendly. Clean amenities and a great space to work upstairs if you’re a remote worker like myself. There were >no

Kim★★★★★★★★★★2.02 years ago

They have an open room concept, meaning: you don’t sleep (for example) in a 6 bedroom with a door, because there are no doors. Everything is open and connected - all the beds, the living area, kitchen, bath and exit. So you hear noises all the time. Me and my boyfriend stayed for one night and didn’t get much sleep. I especially didn’t like that the bathrooms weren’t separated from the sleeping area and not closed off. I’m the back, we’re we were sleeping, the sink was open to the room, the shower and the toilet had louvered doors, so you would hear everything (really everything) all the time, all night. Although quiet time was supposed to be from 10pm to 10am, you couldn’t sleep longer than 7/8am as people were beginning to use the bathroom, which, again, you could hear. The exit door was opened early, too, so it got cold and someone from staff turned on the light and talked to some people very loudly. Also, for the whole unit there were only 3 toilets (4 but one had no door at all) which wasn’t enough as people kept waiting or looking for a free bathroom. Lastly I was a bit disappointed of the vibe. I am used to hostels being super welcoming and friendly. Here staff was friendly when asked something, otherwise seemed annoyed. But: I have to say, the bathrooms were quite clean most of the time and I guess if you get a bed high up in the big room and not right to the hallway between bathroom, kitchen and beds, you might not have all these problems. And free parking was great.