We were a large group of friends (all in our mid-fifties) looking for a place for a weekend get together. Cindy's house was perfect for us. 10 of us (including a couple spouses) stayed at the house and we felt each bedroom had a good sense of privacy from the rest (with the obvious exception of the master bedroom with it's attached small bedroom, as properly identified in the property description. Note that the master also overlooks the downstairs with only shutters separating it, so you can hear everything going on in the great room). 5 additional friends staying elsewhere came by to visit during the day/evening, and the common areas easily accommodated us all....again, there was room for small groups to break off and have private conversations.
The decor and finishings in the house are not modern, but they are extremely well maintained and clean.
I did not search for water heaters, but only noticed one. None-the-less, nobody complained of running out of hot water (though it might have helped that several of us chose to shower in the evenings while the others had a wide range of wake-up times in the mornings).
Having three private parking spaces (two in the garage and one outside) is, I'm told, rare for the beach. There is also a nearby public parking lot associated with a marina on El Carmel Pt., which we used during the day...I don't know how secure it is overnight.
The location was outstanding for us. We looked out at the Bay and could take walks along it or the ocean. We walked to restaurants, markets, and the nearby Belmont amusement park (though, at about 1 mile away, you wouldn't walk to/from Ralphs with lots of heavy groceries). The neighborhood itself is quiet.
We didn't have any issues with checking in or out, and the few questions we had were promptly answered by Cindy or her property manager.
Since this property is perfect for larger groups, I'll provide some details on the layout for folks to assess if it meets their needs.
5 bedrooms (actually 5+) and 4 baths.
The ground floor has the kitchen, great room (combined dining/living room), a semi-separate breakfast area, and a semi-separate den. The kitchen has a lot of counter space and a huge central island. I liked having the counter space the island offered, though it did limit the amount of people that could stand in the kitchen, and you had to walk around it to get between the sink and the stove.
There are also two bedrooms on the first floor with private baths, and a full bath for guests.
The second floor has the master bedroom with an attached small room (suitable for a child or, in our case, a short person) and a bathroom. The master overlooks the great room, with wooden shutters for visual privacy (you can see it in the photos), but as another reviewer mentioned, it doesn't block the noise. This floor (actually, up a small flight of stairs if my memory is correct) also has a second queen bedroom, which either uses the downstairs guest bath or shares the master bath. The master bath does have doors that can separate it from the master bedroom and allows access from the rest of the house.
There is a third floor bedroom with a full bed which also will share the master bath. There is also a roof-top deck accessible from the third floor.
Finally, I'll follow up on some other guest's comments to state that the downstairs is a fairly standard layout. Once you venture upstairs, there are lots of turns and small stairways and doorways. That's what gives the upstairs bedrooms a sense of privacy, but when you first walk up there it does seem like a maze. That's something to consider for folks who don't like stairs.
All in all we had a fantastic time here and the house was great. If we gather again in the San Diego area, we'd come back!