The Secret Cottage is, indeed, in a secret location. That is mostly good, because the views are spectacular and the entire compound, chickens and friendly dogs included, is as charming as anyone could want. (The dogs were faithful companions to my daughter on her daily runs.) The only downside is that the trip to the cottage off the Topanga Canyon Road is a little challenging, but Google Maps got us there reliably. Don't get a vehicle with low ground clearance, or else drive very slowly. The cottage itself is bigger than it appears in the photos. All of the rooms are substantial and we easily had a Thanksgiving dinner for our family of 5 (two are locals). Using the queen-sized sofa bed in the living room didn't crowd the room; and the queen bed in the bedroom doesn't crowd that room either. The coyotes yipping at night were a fun added touch. Lynn has a flair for recovering old stuff, spiffing it up and decorating with it, which adds to the charm. The cobalt-blue restored gas stove (fully operational) is just one example. Two very minor negatives: the trip from the PCH to the cottage takes some time, so plan your trips. That said, if hiking is what you like, there are several good hikes very close by in state parks accessible from the Topanga Canyon Road. The tube-type HDTV doesn't seem to be connected to anything but a DVD player, so don't plan on lots of TV watching (as if anyone would seriously consider doing that in a beautiful location like this). One the plus side for cord-cutters, the WiFi Internet service is extremely good (I'd love to know how they got Verizon to build their FIOS fiber optic service (which powers the WiFi) all the way up there!), so you can Netflix and Hulu to your heart's content on whatever device you bring with you.
Bottom line: we've already recommended The Secret Cottage to parents of one of our daughter's college classmates for when they come to visit her. Highly recommended, and you will not be disappointed.