A sense of home, family and belonging is what Donna Silver wants all guests to feel when they enter The Aliza Hotel Venice, a boutique hotel she co-founded with her brother in 2024. Together they transformed a vintage motel into a design-forward family-owned hotel with a strong sense of place.
The Santa Monica native graduated from USC with a degree in Communications and followed her culinary passion and trained at Apicius in Florence. She again returned to Italy to earn her MBA in Food and Beverage Management from Bocconi University in Milan. Back in L.A., the mom of two is focusing on creating a place that welcomes locals and visitors with elegant design and the warmth of family.
Tell us a little about your childhood growing up in Santa Monica. What were some of your favorite memories and things to do?
Being a true Santa Monica native, this city has always been very close to my heart. I grew up spending afternoons at Douglas Park, and now I get to take my own kids there to play. Even though Los Angeles is a big city, Santa Monica has always felt like a small town. I still run into people I went to elementary school with, and there’s something really special about that sense of community.
It sounds like your grandmother, Aliza, is a big influence in your life. Tell us more about her.
My grandmother, who is now 96, has been fortunate enough to watch our family’s legacy grow over the course of almost a century. She has 18 great-grandchildren, all of whom she gets to see regularly, along with her children and grandchildren. We’re a very close, very large extended family, and she’s always been at the center of it. She’s the reason we all continue to gather for holidays, birthdays, Sunday lunches, and just about any excuse to be together.
What was the inspiration behind The Aliza Hotel?
My grandmother really is at the center of it all. My brother and I wanted to create a place that captures the feeling she created for our family—a home where everyone feels genuinely welcomed. We try to bring that same warmth to every guest who walks through our doors. We love greeting guests at the front desk, getting to know them, and welcoming back familiar faces year after year. We hope staying at Aliza feels more like visiting a friend’s home than checking into a traditional hotel.
What do you hope The Aliza will be for Venice and the larger L.A. community?
Being on Rose Avenue, we hope Aliza becomes a home base for both travelers and locals. We welcome so many families—parents visiting their kids, grandparents meeting a new grandchild, people celebrating graduations, birthdays, and other milestones. It’s incredibly meaningful when locals recommend us to their friends and family. As we continue to grow, we’re also excited to open our doors to the neighborhood through community programming. From our Pilates and Sound Bath series to watercolor workshops, we hope Aliza becomes a place where locals feel just as welcome as hotel guests.
You are a mom and entrepreneur. Tell us a little about how you manage family life and business life.
Balancing motherhood and running a hotel definitely isn’t easy, but I’m fortunate to have a wonderful support system in both parts of my life. As a business owner, you’re never really off the clock, and as a parent, you’re not either. It can be challenging to be fully present in both roles, so I try to be intentional. When I’m at the hotel, I’m focused on our guests and team. When I’m home with my kids, I rely on the amazing people around me so I can be fully present with my family.
How old are you kids? What does a typical day look like for you?
My kids are 4 and 2, so life is definitely busy. Most mornings start at Aliza, helping guests, working with our team, and overseeing our events and programming. Around 2 p.m., I switch into my second full-time job: Mom. The transition between those two worlds is probably the hardest part of my day because they require such different parts of me, but they’re both incredibly rewarding.
You are starting a series of wellness programs at the hotel, tell us more about that? Is it geared towards moms?
Yes! We recently launched Wake Up at Aliza’s, a recurring Saturday morning series featuring wellness and creative experiences, including Pilates and Sound Bath classes and beginner watercolor workshops. While they’re open to everyone, I definitely had moms in mind when we started planning them. As a mom, I know how hard it can be to carve out time for yourself. My hope is that people can spend an hour or two doing something that helps them feel grounded and recharged before heading back to the rest of their day.
When not working, where will we find you?
Probably at the farmers market with my family—or at home trying to perfect my sourdough loaf.
What are some of your favorite spots in and around LA.?
I’m a huge foodie, so whenever I get the chance, I’m usually trying a great restaurant. I can never say no to a burger and dirty martini at South Beverly Grill, the lemon roll at Enya on Sawtelle, or a scoop of brown sugar banana ice cream from Tori’s on Montana Avenue.
