Location, location, location! This lovely apartment is a mere 1/2 block from the action on 2nd street and a short 10 minute jaunt to the ocean. My husband and I spent 4 nights in this aesthetically pleasing ground level apartment in Belmont Shore.
Even though the weather was a bit cool and damp, my husband and I were grateful for the window AC in both the bedroom and dining area. We tend to be hot sleepers and appreciated being comfortable temperature-wise. Though the bathroom is a tight squeeze, the rainfall shower was a bonus. All soaps and shampoos were provided, the bedroom's walk-in closest offered ample hangers for our clothes and the entire place was spotlessly clean. The kitchen featured nice appliances and welcome conveniences like a Brita pitcher and Keurig machine with enough coffee pods to see us through our stay.
While absolutely lovely to look at, comfort in this apartment is another matter entirely (and is the reason for the 3.75 star rating versus a solid 5). As an Airbnb "Plus" rated accommodation, I had higher expectations. The sofa in the living area is low slung, soft / lumpy (and upon a closer look), stained and worn. The other seating option (a bamboo beauty) was made to be admired but not sat on for any length of time. The dining room chairs were the only passable option for us to spend any time in over our 4 night stay.
The queen bed too, is soft and lumpy - and a spring coil mattress. Just getting in bed, my husband and I rolled to the middle. In this day and age of sleep technology, most vacation rentals provide memory foam / tempurpedic options. And why not a king size bed?! I'm not sure why the papasan chair was given precedence in a room designated for sleep but given the option, I'd choose the king bed every time. The room was certainly large enough to accommodate the bigger bed while still having space to include a fashionable wing-back chair. Lastly, the bed frame / headboard / mattress combination gave zero ambiance for any intimacy; even simply rolling over or changing sleep positions caused the headboard to jut into the wall behind it. It was embarrassing to know our upstairs neighbors wouldn't have to guess what was going on ....
A few key things were also missing in this rental: a luggage rack (absolute necessity for every traveler), a full length mirror (what woman gets dressed without one?) and an umbrella (in an area that experiences some kind of precipitation almost daily, this seem like it would be a common courtesy).
As noted above, this is an aesthetically pleasing, up-to-date apartment in a fabulous location. Because this accommodation lacked our #1 priority (overall comfort), I would not stay here again. However, I would definitely recommend it as an option for friends or family traveling to the area. Just because we're picky about comfort doesn't mean other folks might have different priorities; and maybe we spend more time in the accommodations than most travelers. While vacationing, my husband and I tend to lounge a bit longer over morning coffee and like to wind down in front of the TV in the evenings before bed. Whatever the case, Angela's place is a charming respite for travelers on the go who need a home base while visiting the area.