I’ve used this platform many times, and this was the worst experience so far.
When I arrived, there was a family rummaging through the trash cans that were set out on the curb in front of the house. The driveway was completely full with cars, even though the check-in instructions stated that the driveway would be available. I messaged Clive to ask about parking, and he said that he owns all of the cars, and it would be okay to park behind them (I will say that he responded immediately, which I do appreciate). That left me no choice but to parallel park behind three cars, and also block the sidewalk in front of the house. As I was parking, a man from inside walked to look out the front door. When I got out of my car to see if the parking was okay, he closed his door and went back inside without acknowledging me. I stayed in my car looking over the check-in details, because it didn’t feel right parking in such a way that I was blocking the sidewalk. After about 5 minutes, the man came outside to ask what I was doing. I asked if he was Clive, and he said no. He then scolded me for how I was parked. I told him that I was renting Clive’s studio, and that I was told it would be okay to park behind all the cars. The man then angrily came out and moved his car for me to park in his spot. Ultimately, I was able to use the driveway, but not before being made to feel completely unwelcome.
Then I got inside the unit, which I was able to do easily by following the check-in instructions. The accommodations were meager, but were just fine for an overnight stay… that is, until I reached the bathroom. The towels looked about 1 wash away from having holes in them. There was no body wash in the shower, but there were three, very heavily used bars of soap, complete with other peoples’ pubic hairs attached to them. The shampoo bottle was empty except for the cold water that it was refilled with.
I can’t say much for the location, other than that the neighborhood felt unsafe. By looking at the map, I could see that it was a short drive to manhattan beach. I wasn’t visiting to go to the beach, otherwise it might have been a little more of a convenient experience.
I stayed there because it was inexpensive. Sure, they say that you get what you paid for, but I actually paid the same amount for an absolute 5 star experience in Burbank the previous night.
Though I do appreciate Clive’s responsiveness, I would only recommend this place if you need somewhere to lay your head for the night, and nothing else, and even then, it’s not a great value for what you will pay.