PROS: This was a fab little apartment, LITERALLY steps from the beach and for that alone it was a nice place for us to stay. It's very well located for walking into Venice beach, buses into Santa Monica and the surrounding Hollywood area, a note which is missed from Donna's description but is a real boon if you're not driving. The actual listing looks EXACTLY the same as the pictures so that's great. Also Abbot Kinney boulevard is VERY COOL, and also just a short walk from the apartment, wonderful place to check out too.

Listing says can be noisy due to location, but that does it a disservice, it's actually quite tranquil, particularly in the living area, which was lovely.

CONS: The bed was a real downside for us, it's so horribly squeaky that it makes a noise (entirely of its own volition), all night which we found really disturbing and unfortunately wouldn't be fair not to mention. There's a memory foam mattress which adds to the discomfort of the sleeping experience as its so soft and very hot to lay on and makes the squeaky divan even worse! That being said though if you are jetlagged you'll probably collapse exhausted on it and not even notice. For a couple of days stay it wouldn't be an issue, for 8 nights you might get weary of it.

Could do with a little extra seating or couch in the living room, but the one that's there very comfy though to relax on.

Contacted the host with a view to potentially paying more to have a later checkout as we had a night flight, and was disappointed that she lied about having a new couple coming into the flat, until she learned that I may be willing to pay for a whole extra night, at which point the incoming "couple" immediately disappeared. That put us off actually paying for the extra night in it's entirety out of principle, but I guess that's just a personal view on scruples and I wouldn't let that put you off staying at this apartment, but it's something to be aware of.

Air conditioning units are permanently attached to the windows, so they cant be shut to block surplus noise, that being said, I'm from Central London so I didn't find the apartment especially noisy at all.

That being said Donna is a consummate professional and runs the apartment as such, communications is swift and to the point.