pro's
- the location is incredible in terms of proximity to the trailhead. the views themselves are it mountainous and the space feels overall isolated - which was so nice for me. the fact that its 20 min down to the main road if you're going into topanga, and 30 mins from the westside if you're going down off the mountain was a real thing - the space is ideal if you dont plan to leave much
- there's a lotta dogs on the property. a whole lot. there's someone on site who cares for them, and does a great job at keeping them from barking, and i found that i liked the idea that they provided a bit of safety
- the space itself is nice. the sheets etc were far from the nicest / most high quality, but i found every night i slept super solid and woke feeling so cozy and rested. the views out the doors and windows are incredible.
- ariana was super accomodating to requests for things like hair dryer, and hangers.
- i would have very very very happily stayed longer - i found myself feeling so grounded, good and calm in the space
con's
- when i first arrived, there was a major issue w the hot water, which was frustrating cause it'd been flagged in other comments and id asked about it. it took 5 days to fix and 2 days of service people being in and out. the final day was really bad - power off, water off, workers everywhere - while i was trying to take a call. ariana responded quickly and was on it right away which i appreciated
- there's zero cell phone reception once you turn off the main road to head up the mountain, and zero reception at the house. the wifi worked 98% of the time so that wasnt a huge issue but its def a thing to be so isolated
- the kitchen isnt super well appointed. there's a small convection oven but the stove doesnt work great, the oven doesn't work great if you're trying to really cook, there's no blender, few cooking utensils, etc. in fairness, ariana talked about / forewarned that its not suited for long term guests
- there's a lotta dogs on the property. a lot. sometimes they bark, late at night. the person who lives on site does a great job keeping them quiet -- but its worth mentioning. its def not the spot if anyone has a fear of dogs.