Lauren's place is better than what I had anticipated. It is walking distant to shopping centers and directly across from the Santa Monica pier. It is not just ocean view but pier view! The only downside I would say is at the entrance to the place, there could be a few times where people are sleeping on the street or just lounging on the sidewalk smoking. The other downside was the stairs to get to the room; I would take this as a note if you are going with a child under 3 and strollers and luggages are involved. :) No A/c like the previous reviews mentioned but the weather was impeccable during our stay. I would definitely book here again when my daughter is older or if we plan on a family trip without her :)