Derek is an amazing host and his little hideaway in Topanga is adorable. I went with my husband and my in-laws and it was big enough for all four of us to be comfortable, but small enough to feel intimate. There are great views of Topanga and other reviewers say the roads are bendy but I thought it was really easy to navigate the area. Derek gives his guests complete privacy but is always a short message away - he's incredibly quick and thorough in his responses - he even responded to me before the trip from Hawaii within an hour. We read the reviews that one can't really do much cooking and I would say that's true because there's just one portable burner, but there's a nice mini-fridge and toaster oven. We brought tons of food with us, arrived after lunch, and holed up for about 20 hours until brunch the next day. Highly recommend this place for anyone who needs to do stuff in the valley, wants a staycation, needs to be close to Malibu, etc. It's just close enough to everything - even LA - to be a really great base, but it's in the hills so it seems like a little haven.