PodShare Venice - Backpacker Hostel in Venice - 522 Venice Blvd., USA

**Edit: This problem is now fixed. The building has heating. WARNING! Do not book during the winter or spring. This place does not have heating. At night the temperature drops to 40-50 degrees, which is extremely uncomfortable to sleep in, especially since they don’t provide adequate blankets for this type of weather. I’m sleeping in my winter jacket at night to stay warm and my head still gets very cold - and I’m from Minnesota! Not sure how this is legal. When I asked the staff they claim they have no heater. When I pressed the booking company, they put up a tiny 12 inch space heater pointed at my bed - that barely does anything in a giant open space building. You won’t be able to sleep, your experience will be very uncomfortable and you will probably get sick. Not worth any price to charge - it feels like you’re just sleeping on a stiff mattress outside.

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.

I just loved staying at this place! The idea with the pods is so cool and you get to meet so many people, some are passing by some are longer-term resident. The beach is only a 10 min walk away, so just perfect! You won't regret your stay there! :D

Quaint, rustic, offbeat travel hub in the heart of Venice is a perfect spot! features Co-Living at its finest! I have visited POD Venice once a year, since 2021 and I enjoy my stay there more & more every time! The staff is friendly & welcoming and the Manager on duty -Dustin- was attentive, informative, & helpfull! They offer a variety of on-site amenities & truly help with local happenings & events to attend. Very amazing place, not your average by the beach hostel :)

This place was like finding water in a desert. Brilliant stay, good service, location was like excellent, the whole idea of shared living was amazing, met some nice people from all walks of life. It was very well maintained, basketball ball court if you want to flex, 10pm to 10am are quiet hours as they make sure people get some quiet time. Jerit and Dustin both did a fab job of taking good care of customers.

When you wake up with bed bugs capture a specimen. Take pictures. Otherwise you are lying about parasitic insects. I don’t think you should stay here. I left in the middle of the night and there’s no concierge to check you out so beware. If you can’t afford anything better than this, just grab some cardboard and crash on the beach. Edit: Look at the response from “management”LOL! Edit: improved to 2-stars since the hygiene thing isn’t universal. I might be bourgeoisie.

We spent the day at Podshare with their day pass and man did we have a great experience!! Awesome facilities, unreal location and such a cool community of artists, social people, and good vibes. The staff is amazing and accommodating.

Dustin is really welcoming and helps break the inital awkward feelings of staying somewhere new, especially somewhere like dormitory-style quarters. Everything is comfy, the ambiance at night is incredibly relaxing, and this place truly is a gem 💎💗