The Local List 01. Carolyn Schneider’s Venice Beach
The Local List 01. Carolyn Schneider’s Venice Beach
The hospitality expert shares her favorite place to snag a bar seat, a sensorial art experience, her go-to facial spot, and a peek behind the scenes of the hotel world.
Introducing a new series this week, The Local List, dedicated to exploring places through the eyes of those who know them best. We'll highlight the beloved spots, lesser-known gems, and local favorites that make these places special. I love talking about people’s favorite places as much as I love talking about peoples favorite things. Now, I have an excuse to have these conversations, save them, and share them with you. x
Carolyn Schneider is the perfect person to kick off this series with her guide to Venice Beach, CA (and a little spillover into Santa Monica). Carolyn is the founder of Corner Booth, a creative hospitality agency that builds and evolves hotel brands. With over 15 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Carolyn transforms spaces into magic experiences that guests can't wait to return to (see here, here and here, for starters).
Born and raised in LA, Carolyn spent her college and post-grad years in New York City before moving back to LA and settling in Venice Beach. Her experience in the industry gives her a unique perspective on what makes a place truly special—from the ambiance and service to the design and authenticity of the experience. (Plus, I’ve been itching to get down to LA lately so I selfishly want this list for my own trip planning.)
First, Carolyn shares her favorite local spots in Venice Beach. Then I share our conversation about her journey from cocktail server to launching her own agency, the pivotal advice that guided her career, and her insights on creating memorable guest experiences. Plus, get a peek into her travel tips and favorite stays around the world.
Dudley Market Dudley is a true local Venice spot. A great DJ, fresh caught tuna sashimi, natural wine and a great burger. Snagging a bar seat here is the perfect night for me.
Isla Our friend’s Leena Culhane and Brian Bornemann opened this restaurant down the street from their other local hot-spot, Crudo-e-nudo. Everything at Isla is perfect from the florals to the deserts, but I especially love a cocktail they call Chef’s Breakfast - a bougie Espresso martini.
Heavy Handed A casual order-at-the-counter smash burger spot with patio seating. Come for the 90’s R&B playlist; stay for the best soft serve in town. I go exclusively for a twist, but choco dip is also a solid move.
Gjusta Grocer You can’t really have a Venice list without mentioning Gjelina group, but my go-to treat is the miso date cookie from Gjelina Take away. It’s pretty perfect.
Chromosonic An immersive and sensorial art experience. Ticketed and meditative.
Violet Hour Skin I get monthly facials from Natarsha Bimson of Violet Hour Skin. She uses all natural and organic products and is a self-described skin nerd. I always replenish my ISUN lip balm with her. As a lip balm addict, this is by far my favorite product I’ve found in the chapstick category.
OSEA A cute retail shop and spa. I pick up little gifts here. The Sea Minerals Mist is really lovely and a refreshing crowd pleaser.
Venice Flying Carousel I spend an hour almost every weekend here with my toddler. Artist Robin Murez hand-carved this incredible kinetic carousel and it’s currently stationed in a lot right on the Venice canals. It’s truly magical and I love sharing it with other families.
Mosaic Tile House Another local Venice art piece. Couple Cheri Pann and Gonzalo Duran have completely covered their home from floor to ceiling in mosaic tiles and open on Saturdays to the public. It’s a quirky neighborhood tourist attraction, but I grew up in LA and only recently learned about it. Another good one for kids.
Open They call themselves a Mindfulness Studio. I go for a class called Flow, which is essentially yoga but with some twists and turns. They also offer breathwork, mediation, a sauna and cold plunge. The space is beautifully designed and the best guest experience I’ve seen in the fitness space.
The Canal Market My neighborhood coffee and bottle shop. I pop in pretty much every day for Amigo coffee, or to grab a bottle of wine, flowers or last minute cooking essentials. They also have a wine club and do monthly low-key wine tastings on the back patio.
Carolyn and I met in college through one of my roommates (also from LA) and it’s been so fascinating and impressive to watch her journey through the hospitality world. We lost touch for a couple years since both leaving New York and it was such a treat to catch up with her on all the amazing things she’s been up to.
Tell me about your background and what you're up to now.
I consider myself very much a hospitality person, although when I graduated from NYU, I started my career in art galleries. I was working in a contemporary photography gallery in Chelsea, and my boss was a Devil Wears Prada type of the gallery world. He was very intense, and workdays were somewhat trauma-filled, but during that time, I got really inspired by the art world. Hotels, in particular, became to me like a 360-degree art experience. Hotels are so sensory-based in that it's not just about looking at art on a wall. It's very much about how you touch and feel things: linens, scents, and all of the brand touchpoints are so immersive.
So, I started figuring out how to break into this industry with the idea that—in a dream world—I would open a hotel brand one day. I was living in Brooklyn and got a real estate agent to look at some run-down properties to see if that could be an option. I also started auditing a hotel investment class. A friend connected to the Ace Hotel in New York at the time (when that property in Midtown was just the coolest spot ever) got me a job as a cocktail server in the lobby with the idea that I would scrappily figure it all out.
I ended up getting some really good advice from someone high up at Ace. He said the best place to start is in events within a hotel because you learn about every department.
I started there with the goal of networking, always in the background trying to make contacts and figure out my next move. I ended up getting some really good advice from someone high up at Ace. He said the best place to start is in events within a hotel because you learn about every department. You have to liaise with housekeeping, sales, and guest services, and understand the financial side of it a bit. So, I got a job in the events department and navigated my way through the sales and marketing world of hotels. I ended up working for another brand in New York called the Vikram Chatwal Collection, which was the same ownership group as the Dream Hotels.
In 2013, I moved back to LA to open the Ace in downtown LA on the sales side. That was a really exciting opportunity because being part of a hotel opening is a big deal; you're in hard hats and really part of the development process. All the while, I was always formulating my own concept. I ended up moving to work with Proper Hospitality, which now has a couple of properties in LA. Later, I moved to Nomad Hotels, opening the Nomad in downtown LA.
I had conceptualized a hotel concept that I was calling “Le Motel”, focusing on motel renovations. I was trying to figure out how to make it work—whether to lease a building, buy one, or get investors. I ended up meeting an investment fund that had already purchased three motels but were running them as rundown motels. It was the perfect moment; I had this brand concept ready to go. We partnered and launched what is now called Casetta Group, a brand and management company.
The history of the building and interiors pave the way for the experience, and then begins all of the work with art programming, cultural programming, culinary approach, sonic landscape, scent, service style—the many layers that give a hotel life beyond just design.
Within the first couple of years, we rebranded, renovated, and relaunched The Pearl Hotel in San Diego, Casa Cody in Palm Springs, Hotel Marina Riviera in Big Bear, and created the design and brand of a project in Taos, New Mexico called Hotel Willa, and another in Silver Lake, Los Angeles called Hotel Lucile, and another in Hudson, New York, an old mansion from the late 1800s; all three of which are forthcoming.
At the end of 2023, I left my active role with the company, and now I'm a free agent. I've always done some advisory where I do what I did with Casetta—brand building and creating the hospitality experience. Now I do it under my brand, Corner Booth. I help clients envision their hospitality experiences, pulling together all the moving parts. I consider myself the conductor, onboarding an interior designer, architect, graphic designer, landscape designer and all creative partners. I give creative direction to the talented teams necessary to execute a memorable and consistent hotel brand.
The history of the building and interiors pave the way for the experience, and then begins all of the work with art programming, cultural programming, culinary approach, sonic landscape, scent, service style—the many layers that give a hotel life beyond just design.
What do you think are the most important elements of creating a memorable guest experience?
First and foremost, I think design is what draws people in. Doing something fresh and new that sometimes feels like it’s risk-taking, or timeless; something you wouldn't necessarily have in your own home, feels exciting. It's a thrill to enter “vacation mode” when you're staying in a space that you don't experience in your day-to-day life. That's always the first entry point.
It's important for every single person in the hotel to feel passionate about the space where they work. To me, that's what really changes a hotel experience and the dynamic of a team.
But next, the service element is everything. What I do involves brand training that takes the design beyond just the visual aspect and really trains on-site teams to have stories to tell the guests. It's one thing to have a beautiful velvet couch, but there's usually so much story behind the color and fabric choice. Depending on the project, there's a lot of depth in these pieces that can just appear as aesthetic items if you're not doing brand training. For example, we might choose an emerald green color because, in the early 1900s, a gemstone was uncovered in the area adjacent to the hotel. That starts a narrative that might then spin off into the direction for graphic identity, naming and more. The on-site operations teams usually get excited to have fun talking points like this, and to get immersed in the brand themselves.
There are so many design stories—training and getting the staff really engaged is key. Housekeeping or The Front Desk staff might not remember every single detail of the design, but maybe they'll remember one thing, and that becomes their go-to when a guest asks about the property's history. It's important for every single person in the hotel to feel passionate about the space where they work. To me, that's what really changes a hotel experience and the dynamic of a team.
Design and brand training go hand in hand. There are many details involved, but those two things are pillars for me.
What are some emerging trends you're seeing in the hospitality industry, specifically in the boutique hotel space?
I guess I have two different responses. On the positive side, I think many hotels are becoming more sustainably minded. Hospitality can be a very wasteful industry because of single-use items—linens, disposable cups, etc. So, it's been great to see many brands adopting more sustainable initiatives, such as using more reusable items and getting rid of plastic bottles. Maybe it's a trend, but I think it's a positive one. Even small efforts make a difference.
It's tempting to digitize some aspects of the business because of the high costs, but it's crucial to maintain that human touch to keep the experience memorable and impactful.
The second one is challenging and I don’t have my full opinion on it yet. As AI becomes more prevalent, we're seeing more automated processes like kiosk check-in, which has always been a hot-button issue for hotels. I've always believed that human service is necessary for creating a truly impactful guest experience. However, labor is really expensive these days, so from a developer or investor point of view, there’s a temptation to slim down on staffing to save costs.
I think there are good and bad ways to integrate technology. I'm not opposed to hospitality models that utilize keyless entry, but you need to compensate on the brand side by creating a strong brand voice and ensuring there's a human on the other side of a text message to bring soul and emotion into the experience. It's tempting to digitize some aspects of the business because of the high costs, but it's crucial to maintain that human touch to keep the experience memorable and impactful.
What are your own favorite travel resources when you're planning and organizing your own trips?
A bit obvious, and although I'm not great at Instagram, I do get a lot of travel ideas there. Whenever I see an inspirational photo or a hotel that catches my eye, I always save it into a folder. I also am pretty diligent with the Google Maps “Saved” feature. I love pinning favorites there so that I can recall them when I revisit a city, or want to send a quick guide to a friend.
Otherwise, I'm all about word of mouth. We have so many friends and colleagues who are well-traveled or have visited interesting places. I like pooling resources from them. For me, the best way to plan is to talk to people you really trust. One of my good friends, Briana Masson, is an incredibly knowledgeable travel advisor who books amazing international trips via her company Jette Sette. She's the first person I text when I'm thinking about going somewhere to ask if she's heard of any great hotels. She’s currently based in Lisbon and I can’t recommend her enough.
What is your most memorable stay and what hotel is at the top of your wish list?
One that I think about and talk about a lot is in Japan, on Naoshima Island off the coast of Kyoto. It's an incredible art island. It is a former fisherman's town, where the dilapidated homes were transformed into galleries, and the island houses an incredible collection of contemporary art. The island is tiny, but it features works by artists like James Turrell and Rauschenberg, and it even has an incredible Monet exhibition.
There’s one hotel on the island called Benesse House, which has a few small buildings. I stayed in the Museum House, which offers insane views right over the island. From your room, you walk downstairs and you’re in this art museum that’s open 24/7. There’s also another hotel building called The Oval, which has a man-made pond in the middle reflecting the sky. You take a little tram to get to it and there are probably 10 rooms arranged in a circle around the pond. Everything is artful and feels like you’re on another planet—it's incredible.
Another hotel I think about a lot is Bambu Indah in Ubud, Bali. It’s completely sustainable, with everything made from bamboo, including the elevator, which is this mechanical masterpiece made from bamboo. We stayed in an incredible house adjacent to bridges connecting to the saltwater pools. It feels like a fairy tale land, overlooking rice paddies and farms. All the food is farm-to-table, making it the most magical place.
On my wish list, there are so many places. I love Japan and would really love to go back. I’ve been twice, and both times were amazing, but there are many remote parts of Japan I’d like to explore. I’ve stayed in ryokans in Kyoto, but I would love to do more of the onsen ryokan experience in the countryside. I’m dying to check out the floating hotel, Guntû as well.
In Europe, there are a lot of hotel groups I'm interested in but haven’t stayed with yet. The Experimental Group properties and La Colombe d'Or in France are on my list. There’s also Masseria Moroseta, La Posta Vecchia or Hotel il Pelicano in Italy, all of which I’ve heard great things about.
Like everyone, I'm obsessed with White Lotus. Do you find that show to be an accurate portrayal of the behind-the-scenes of hospitality?
Unfortunately, yeah! I think the show is extremely well done; obviously it’s the TV version, but hotels are crazy. It's a very atypical work environment because you're working not only in a bar, but also in a 24 hour office…with beds. People come to hotels for so many reasons, and it can be very dark, very sexy, and very mysterious. There are just so many layers to it. You have people on vacation, people working—business and pleasure, it's a mad mix.
The people who work in hotels are usually very social because their job is to entertain in a way. I have so many wild stories, and every hospitality professional I know has their own share of insane stories—things you can’t make up. Confidential, of course.
What is the last thing you bought that you feel really good about and how did you find out about it?
I'm a very big lover of sample sales, and I used to go all the time in New York and LA. I would clear my closet and start over with amazing boutique brands that you can get at a deal. Instead of fast fashion, I prefer to wait and scoop up my annual wardrobe at a boutique fashion bargain. Now that I have a toddler, I’m almost more excited about shopping for baby clothes. Recently, I saw that a cute kids brand called Milk Teeth was having a sample sale; I wish their stuff came in my size. Lucky for me, I discovered a womenswear brand that they were partnering with called Ali Golden, based in Ojai.
I went there intending to shop Milk Teeth for my daughter (she made out pretty well) but I ended up shopping for myself too. I got these great pants that I love and have been wearing almost every day since I got them. I’m a pretty impulsive shopper, so when I like something, they end up in my constant rotation. The style is called the Painter and I got them in a cream canvas. They’re a little bit loose and really comfortable but can be dressed up or down. I keep getting compliments and sending the website around—it looks like they don’t have the cream online but I might buy the black and indigo as well.
Thank you, Carolyn! You are truly a wealth of knowledge about this industry—you’ve created such special spaces, and I loved chatting with you.
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If you have your own Venice Beach favorites, or feedback about this new format, I’d love to hear! Share in a comment below or hit reply to send me a note.
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I enjoyed listening to Carolyn talk about the design and branding process for hotels! We recently stayed at Forestis in the Italian Dolomites and the things that she talked about rang true in what we experienced at the hotel - more so than in most places I have stayed.
I love this idea for a series! Crossing my fingers you'll do London