I’d like to start off this review by saying that we enjoyed our stay. This is a very honest review of this Airbnb so, you can truly decide if the price is worth it for you. Also, please read this as a 3.5/5 star review.
First off, the good stuff- The view here is amazing, and you can hear the ocean all day. There is no need for air conditioning because the coastal breeze is sufficient. The leasing woman was really nice and, checkin/checkout was super easy. The bed was comfy, and the whole place was very clean. The kitchen was well stocked for long stays. They also have beach stuff to use for free! Wi-Fi was strong for working from home. The location is also about 15 minutes from Santa Cruz, 30 minutes when there is traffic. You’re right next to a deli, a “market”, and, a restaurant. The deli is amazing, the restaurant and, the market were ok.
I took one star off because the rules for check out were pretty excessive. Of course we would have cleaned up after ourselves but, we did basically all of the work a housekeeper would have done to avoid all of the extra fees (besides mopping, and laundry). This didn’t make sense after already spending nearly $300 on a cleaning fee. Further, the fees/fines listed were drastic. EX) $150 for a lost parking pass (paper in a plastic sleeve), $600 for improper use of hot tub, $35-100 for excessive trash, $35 per housekeeper for excessive sand or property left excessively dirty. Most of this is pretty subjective.
I took another half star off for a mix of things..
-You have to keep the windows open 24/7 to keep it cool but, their were parties almost every night on the beach that you could hear so, it was hard to fall asleep. You can also hear cars + loud dirt bikes all day because you have a road below you on either side of the place, which makes it hard to concentrate if you’re working. Also, you’re RIGHT next to the pool so, you hear that too.
-We asked for late checkout but, had to confirm it was fine the day before checkout so, they could accommodate the possibility of someone booking a checkin that day. This defeated the purpose of planning ahead for a late checkout.
-They let the pool cleaner park in our reserved spot so, we had to park up the hill and, carry a bunch of stuff to the place (multiple trips). I had anxiety that we would get towed.
-There is a thin room divider that you can close to separate the bedroom from the living room. Issue here: you can’t change or have bedroom privacy if guests are also staying in the living room (it’s very see through).
-More blankets are needed because it gets really cold at night.
-Really look at the pictures of the Airbnb to make sure you are seeing it in the right perspective (size, area, placement, etc.)
Overall, I think this was an average stay for the price. The view did not make up for everything else.