I really enjoyed my time here. I booked this place to celebrate my birthday, and it delivered on everything I was looking for. It goes without saying that this place is all about location. What I wanted more than anything was to be able to sit outside and relax on a deck/balcony overlooking the ocean, and I spent a large part of my time doing just that.
There are no photos of the deck/balcony in the listing, so I was a little unsure of what to expect. The balcony/deck is right on/over the ocean but I was a little disappointed with its condition; both the balcony itself and outdoor furniture are a bit run down and uncomfortable -- and the waves can be very loud (and a little intimidating, at times) as they pound on the shore literally right at your feet. The building even shakes a bit times from the power of the waves. (I read about this in other reviews and dismissed it but now I understand why other people mentioned it. It takes a little time to get used to!)
For me though, any negatives were overshadowed by the amazing oceanfront location. I lucked out and had perfect sunny weather while I was there. I witnessed an absolutely stunning sunset and watched a massive pod of dolphins swimming by (though I did wish I had binoculars to watch the dolphins I spotted numerous times, as they were further out in the ocean than I thought they would be).
The Malibu pier is a super-easy 5-minute walk away (as are numerous restaurants and businesses). In terms of walking on the beach, though, you have to time things just right with the tides. There really isn't any beach in front of the building, so you have to walk down the beach to the south (which you can only do from the property during limited windows of time, due to the tides) or by walking past the pier to the north. I really enjoyed watching the surfers on the beach past the pier -- they were there all day, every day during my stay. And you can also do some beach combing and exploring in the numerous tide pools that form in this area if you catch the tides just right.
In terms of the unit itself, the photos in the listing are pretty accurate though things are a bit worn down (which is not at all surprising since this place is a short-term rental). In general, it was clean and had pretty much everything I needed/expected. (Something to keep in mind if you're planning on doing any cooking: While they do have frying pans and pots for the stovetop there are no baking pans or baking sheets to use in the oven. I was, however, able to borrow one -- and got it quickly -- when I reached out about this).
This is not a fancy high-end rental -- it's really all about having the ocean and beach at your feet and the Malibu pier within walking distance. If that's what you're looking for, you won't be disappointed.