We had a great time in Santa Monica and appreciated the nice touches that Akiko provides, such as fresh fruit, coffee and pastries in the morning, and clean towels if needed. The bedroom was fine for us, but might be a bit small if you bring a lot of luggage. There were other guests in the house, but we saw them rarely and they always observed the safety protocol. A big plus for us was the Metro line, which is about a 15-minute walk and is one stop away from downtown Santa Monica.