Venice’s Stay Open pod hotel modernizes hostel travel in L.A.
The final time I slept in a bunk mattress, I used to be 13 years outdated. (I used to be at summer season camp, the place a impolite lady in my cabin knowledgeable everybody that folks can fart of their sleep.) However once I arrived at Keep Open, I nonetheless discovered myself hoping to get a prime bunk.
To be clear, the sleeping quarters at Venice’s beachfront pod resort aren’t precisely bunk beds — reasonably, they’re refrigerator-sized “pods” stacked atop each other, like large Lego bricks. Opened in October 2021 in one of many outdated Snapchat places of work, Keep Open is sort of a extra grown-up model of a hostel, mixing components of Japan’s capsule accommodations and more moderen co-living experiments. The house is vivid and trendy, with large home windows, millennial pink bedding and a dangling disco ball that’s framed by a chief view of Venice Seashore.
Keep Open pod resort in Venice.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Occasions)
Steve Shpilsky, the CEO and co-founder of Keep Open, desires to assist change the notion of the hostel, which he says is considered as “form of a foul phrase.”
“You ballot the typical American, ‘What do you consider a hostel?’ They’re like, ‘Oh, I’m gonna lose a kidney.’ Horror film. It’s not an incredible first impression,” he stated.
Shpilsky, 45, labored in conventional hospitality for years — financing and creating accommodations, together with the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills and the Hyatt Regency close to LAX — earlier than he got here up with the concept for Keep Open. Although hostels are already fairly fashionable on different continents, the mannequin hasn’t modified a lot during the last century. “It’s like taxi cabs earlier than Uber got here alongside,” he stated.
For my current keep, an app on my telephone allowed me to unlock the door, which opened to a colourful, multistory loft. With 12 custom-made “pods,” three loos (with hotel-style merchandise), a number of desks and screens, and a washer and dryer, the house has the vibe of a giant Airbnb full of strangers. On the primary flooring, there’s a film projector and a phone-booth-shaped workplace pod.
Sebastian Solari, proper, from Lima, Peru, and Pasha Makhrinsky, from Kyiv, Ukraine, recline in certainly one of a number of sitting areas.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Occasions)
The primary flooring can also be the place David Draffin, the resort’s operations supervisor, lives. He was employed after reserving a pod at Keep Open — he began speaking to Shpilsky about his expertise working with hostel corporations and the 2 discovered that they shared related beliefs.
Other than being extra inexpensive than conventional accommodations (pods value round $100 per evening, relying on availability), Draffin stated Keep Open appeals to digital nomads who have to maintain working whereas they journey.
“I discover, in my background in hostels, you take a look at an area and [it’s about], ‘How many individuals can we bodily get in there and maximize the cash?’ Whereas the method right here is, you’ve received to have sufficient residing house to work house to social house,” Draffin stated.
Heyishi Zhang, from Toronto, writes in her journal inside her pod. The ladders are for visitor staying on the second tier of the pods.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Occasions)
As I walked by way of the second flooring, I received a glimpse into the place I’d be sleeping that evening. I had the highest pod closest to the window, with a fully ridiculous view of the ocean.
With a sliding door and a curtain, the pods might be closed for privateness (however not locked, which might be for the very best when it comes to claustrophobia). My pod had two small cabinets, a white-noise machine and fan, and several other shops on each ends of the mattress.
Shpilsky stated he needed the pods to “really feel like your individual little house,” upgrading normal bunk beds into pods with mattresses from Silk & Snow, dimmable lighting and even crown molding.
“What are the ache factors of a hostel? [Terrible] mattress and bunk beds, and it seems like jail,” he stated. “Pod accommodations are good, however then you definitely take a look at lots of the ideas and it feels such as you’re sleeping in a morgue. There’s no openness and social factor.”
Dominick Wuethrich, visiting from Michigan, enjoys one of many lounge areas.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Occasions)
Shpilsky first contemplated the concept earlier than the pandemic, however as work tradition has shifted away from bodily places of work, he discovered a handy silver lining. As a substitute of investing all of the money and time to construct new constructions, he may take over empty areas.
“There’s principally going to be the scale of Manhattan when it comes to accessible workplace buildings within the U.S. over the following 5 years,” Shpilsky stated. “Why do you must construct one thing from the bottom up if there’s an incredible constructing and a superb location that could possibly be used for one thing higher than it was supposed for?”
Sebastian Solari, 24, was working at one of many desks once I arrived. He’d been touring from his residence in Lima, Peru, for the final 12 months and a half, staying in conventional hostels the place it’s frequent to have anyplace from 4 to 24 individuals sleeping in every room. Many hostels use normal steel bunk beds, which suggests there’s little to no privateness past the communal loos that vacationers share.
“Staying at greater hostels is sweet as a result of you’ll be able to meet individuals, however typically after some time, it’s simply an excessive amount of,” Solari stated. “You’re assembly individuals daily, they arrive and go, it’s onerous typically to focus.”
After touring by way of South America, Solari discovered himself at Keep Open, saying it has a pleasant vibe and an attention-grabbing setup that offers him extra privateness, work house and socialization than standard hostels.
“If I rented an Airbnb on my own, I’m going to be uninterested,” he stated.
Dominick Wuethrich, visiting from Michigan, stands outdoors the financial institution of pods accessible for company.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Occasions)
When it comes to growth, Shpilsky is hoping to launch Keep Open places in Santa Monica and San Diego within the close to future. Although the Venice location has solely 12 beds, he’s hoping the following constructing, close to Santa Monica’s Third Avenue Promenade, will likely be a lot bigger.
“Our objective is to get our 100 beds up and working as shortly as doable,” he stated. “As a result of I believe it’s more durable for us to go from the [12] beds now we have right here to 100 than it will likely be from going from 100 beds to 1,000.”
To this point, he stated that Keep Open has been working at 90% capability. Shpilsky added the typical age of its clientele is 33, and most of its company are worldwide vacationers.
“Basically everybody that comes right here is identical individual,” Draffin stated. “They’re at a sure age the place they don’t essentially need to keep in a hostel dorm room. They don’t need to pay for a resort, they could need some communal vibes occurring. However they do need their very own house.”
After I toured the house and left to seize a slice of salad pizza from Abbot’s Pizza Firm, I made a decision to eat my dinner on the resort’s rooftop to catch the solar setting over the ocean. Quickly sufficient, Solari and Pasha Makhrinsky, from Kyiv, Ukraine, wandered upstairs to speak.
As soon as it was darkish, some company started disappearing into their pods. As I moved my issues into my pod, I used to be pleasantly stunned by how snug and roomy it felt. With a twin mattress and sufficient room to take a seat up with no fear of hitting my head, I may perceive the attraction.
The view wanting over the second flooring of the resort. The string set up is a part of the decor, together with artwork on the partitions.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Occasions)
As soon as quiet hours kicked in at 10 p.m., I discovered myself chatting in hushed tones on the mezzanine with Solari, Makhrinsky and Jasmine Dawes, a healer from Tynemouth, England, who had simply returned to Keep Open after a visit to Mt. Shasta. Dawes stated she enjoys staying at hostels since they typically lead her to attention-grabbing individuals, and Keep Open felt extra refined than the typical lodging.
“I believe it is a very nice level-up to do this in a very stunning manner,” she stated.
All through the evening, as we refilled cups of tea and exchanged tales, it felt a bit like I used to be again at summer season camp, swapping snacks and late-night tales with new mates from all over the world. Solari instructed us a few day when a number of company rented bikes to discover the Venice canals, and I considered how lonely L.A. can really feel if you first arrive.
“Will you be right here tomorrow evening?” Dawes requested me at one level. “We’re going to make curry!”
By 1 a.m., after we all determined to shuffle off to mattress, I noticed I had forgotten a telephone charger. With out skipping a beat, Dawes supplied that I may borrow hers for the evening. Once I crawled into my pod, I made a decision to shut the curtain however maintain the door partially open, to permit some morning daylight to wake me up.
Maybe I’m only a heavy sleeper, however I snoozed peacefully by way of the evening, unable to listen to anybody else’s loud night breathing or late-night TikTok scrolling. As I packed up my issues to go residence, a small a part of me wished I’d be round to eat curry for dinner with the remainder of the group the following day.
