The photos do not lie. This home is a little oasis in Los Angeles. The grounds are beautiful. Very quiet, very idyllic, very picturesque. I arrived and my breath was taken away. At first glance, everything was perfect. And I was very happy with me pick.

First things first, Hal was hands-off (which I do not mind at all), but was available when I needed him. When I arrived, the hot tub wasn't working, but he had someone come around and it was fixed on day 3, which I appreciated.

The kitchen was large and had everything you need. And the dining table is gorgeous. Hal also has a welcome packet with some restaurant recommendations and then wifi password. The internet was excellent and also worked in the backyard!!

Unfortunately, there were some things I didn't realize or like so much. The mattresses on the beds were both extremely uncomfortable and lumpy. The bed in the room with the stain-glass window was higher on one side and neither bed was comfortable. This might not be bad for a shorter stay, but I stayed for over a week and by the end I just ended up leaving a whole day early because I just couldn't take the mattress anymore. The sheets were also dirty, which was a bit off-putting, but there is a washer and dryer in the garage.

The other problem for me (might not be a problem for others) was that the TV didn't turn on and even if it did, there was no cable. Like I said, for some people this might not be a big deal. But I was there for 12 days and wanted to watch TV. I didn't realize that that wasn't going to be the case.

Also, there was no light for the hot tub, so it was pitch black when I went in at night. I saw some fairy lights in the yard, but had no idea how to get the lights on; even after trying every light switch.

One other thing to be wary of is that there is no curtain in the bathroom that looks out to the side of the yard. It's not a huge deal, but one time my mum was sitting on the toilet as someone walked passed (the spa guy) and it was very awkward for her. Imagine sitting on the toilet and a stranger just staring in at you through the window.

The only other thing is that I wish parking was a bit clearer. I parked in front of the house garage and got a parking ticket. Turns out I was parking on the wrong side of the street.

Overall, this was a wonderful place to stay. A gorgeous home. A beautiful setting. Hal seems like a really nice guy, but it just wasn't comfortable.

3 1/2 stars out of five!