Gjelina Hotel

Opposite Abbot Kinney's boutique strip in Venice, Gjelina Hotel occupies a low-slung four-star building where concrete and reclaimed cedar replace the neighborhood's usual beach-town stucco. Rooms sit back from the street behind a walled courtyard, muting the avenue's weekend foot traffic.

The ground-floor kitchen shares sourcing with the original Gjelina restaurant nearby, and breakfast leans on the same wood-fired oven. A ten-minute walk reaches the Venice boardwalk and beach.

The address suits design-minded travelers and couples over families chasing pool resorts, with valet parking easing the strip's notoriously tight street spots.