stella & james's guesthouse was cozy, affordable, and very conveniently located. it's just a couple minutes off the highway and has curbside parking under a big tree (a perk that shouldn't be overlooked!—my car was always cool when i left in the mornings). it also has one of the nicest, most luxurious showers i've ever used in my life, better than some upscale hotels. check-in and check-out were both effortless, and stella responded almost instantaneously at all normal waking hours and was very accommodating. the a/c was also effective.
i do have two caveats for interested travelers:
1/ the mattress on the bed is /very/ firm. my partner was happy with it, but i found it didn't give me enough lumbar support. if you prefer a softer sleep, make sure you bring a lumbar pillow or similar.
2/ there were quite a lot of very aggressive ants. i have local friends who have also experienced more ant problems than usual this summer (2022); it's extra dry so the ants are extra thirsty. i had ants invade the shower, the bathmat, and a glass of water i left out for half a day, all in search of water i suppose. it wasn't too hard to clean these things off and shoo them away, but if you're very bug-averse... i guess you might want to avoid socal in the summer in general.
that said, overall i had a positive stay and i'd recommend it for anyone who wants a cozy place that gives half-hour access to a ton of the metro area.