Courtney's place was perfect for myself, my husband, and our two children (ages 3 & 7). We used the home as our base of operations during our visit to Santa Cruz, and it was nice having a place to go to escape the sun, make meals, and recharge. The beds were comfortable, and the decor was minimilist and thoughtful. The kitchen had all the basic stuff that you might need to cook and/or eat with (cups, mugs, plates, pots and pans, utensils, etc). There was a coffee machine which we didn't end up using as we didn't bring our own coffee. We ended up going across the street to Verve Coffee Roasters, which was overpriced but tasty. The blackout blinds in the bedrooms were great, as they helped our kids wind down and sleep after a full day of play. Overall we had a great stay.
A couple things of note (that some could consider dealbreakers):
-The stairs leading up to the apartment are very steep. I had to take multiple trips up and down them each time we arrived or left because I was too nervous to let my three-year-old attempt them without my full support.
-Both nights we were there, we could hear people talking loudly down on the street. It wasn't like regular business/restaruant patrons; this was between the hours of 2-4am. Fortunately the kids weren't disturbed. This is not within Courtney's control, of course. But just something to be aware of particularly if you are a light sleeper.
-The apartment itself, while generally clean, had a feeling of being slightly run-down. A section of wall where some kind of shelf used to be was unpainted, a piece of glass was missing from a cupboard door, the light button in the bathroom was barely hanging on, a soap dispenser in the tub was nearly empty (the previous guest had obviously filled it with water to try to get the last of the soap out), a load of linens (clean) was left in the dryer, kitchen drawers had fallen off their runners. Things that are ultimately not a big deal on their own, but to me it just shows a lack of attention to detail which then makes me wonder what other things might be being overlooked/neglected.
-The check-in/check-out process was unclear. Courtney did message me the check-in instructions after I had reached out to see if we could check-in early, but there were no check-out instructions, so I just did the basic things like strip the beds and pile the dirty towels, do the dishes, take out the trash.
To sum up, I would recommend staying at Courtney's if you just need a neat, central location from which to explore the area. Best for couples or families with older children. If you are particularly fastidious, or are more used to a boutique Airbnb experience, this might not be the right place for you.