When I was first sussing out a place to stay in L.A. for a solo weekend getaway, Alexandra and Ajay had only 18 reviews, yet had already achieved Superhost status. Intrigued, I began looking through the listing and reviews, and words like "bottle of wine" and "books" and "art" all leapt out at me. (So did the outdoor firepit, but in the height of summer that probably wasn't going to happen.)

I liked that the room is a detached guesthouse (connected to Alexandra's art studio) with sliding glass doors that make up two-thirds to three-quarters of one wall, letting in lots of light. After a long day of summer sightseeing, it was bliss to come home and shower, don the provided terry robe, slide open the doors, and watch Netflix. In the mornings it's likewise pleasant to wake up and step out on the deck to birdsong and the white noise of distant traffic (at night, you'd hear crickets, and maybe fall asleep to the whir of the ceiling fan).

The deck itself is fully screened from neighboring yards, so there's a real sense of privacy along with the lovely light. I also appreciated that there's bottled water chilling in the fridge, to take out for those hot days in the city, and that the location is in close proximity to the 405 and the 10 freeways.

The shower may be one minor point of adjustment—you'll find that it may take 5–6 minutes to run the tap for hot water, and while I like blistering hot showers in any weather, I didn't want to waste water either, especially in CA's drought. So I took cool to lukewarm showers, which was actually fine because temps were in the 90s anyway. Something to be aware of.

All in all, I'd highly recommend it for solo travelers or couples. You're surrounded by books and art and light—with a comfortable bed, can lights on a dimmer switch, a couple of candles, and a potted orchid for the table—and Alexandra is very friendly (I didn't get to meet Ajay, unfortunately). A quiet neighborhood oasis in the big city.