We had a decent stay at this property but, to be honest, there were a lot of things left to desire.
Location:
It's right next to Rio Del Mar State Beach which is super convenient if you want something beachside. It's also only a 20-25 min drive from Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Location-wise, this property is in a great spot to explore Aptos, Santa Cruz, and the other cities/towns in the area.
Cleanliness:
Most of the bedrooms were a bit dusty and the outer bedding and decor pillows didn't seem clean. The bedding looked old and a lot of us didn't feel comfortable resting on top of the beds or even within the beds, so we actually used our sleeping bags to sleep on top of them. The dishes were also unclean and we had to wash them before cooking/using. The floors were also dirty prior to our arrival, so it was uncomfortable walking around barefoot. The was also a tear in the single green lounge chair in the living room that existed prior to our arrival. Showers were clean and one of them was a really cool Ariel shower that had a built-in radio that we enjoyed using!
Amenities:
All was provided as listed except for some big essentials - shampoo and soap. The listing said that the property would include this and, like most hotels and Airbnbs, should have included it. But we arrived to empty showers, so we had to go out and purchase our own. I had messaged the host/property owners about the issue and they said they're "not longer able to supply single use plastics". While they offered to go and get some for us, it was already too late. I would suggest they update their listing to mention that they do not supply soap and shampoo, otherwise they'd be inconveniencing future guests who are expecting it with their amenities.
Clean Up:
There were a lot of instructions on cleaning/what to do with bedding, towels, dishes, flooring, and garbage. With that laundry list of to-dos, it makes me wonder why there's even a cleaning fee involved, even moreso a high a cleaning fee. Because there were a lot of us staying, we managed to take care of the clean up list in a reasonable amount of time. But I can't imagine a group of 4 or less tackling the list in under 30 min.
Pricing:
We booked 2 nights at $290/night. This was great because we couldn't find anything cheaper in the area. But then there was a $400 cleaning fee, $138 service fee, and $115.80 occupancy fee. I can understand the occupancy fee, tolerate the service fee, but the cleaning fee was what caught my attention. Out of all of the Airbnbs I've stayed in the past, this was at least $250 more than the other cleaning fees I've seen. They can try and justify it as necessary to clean the property after every stay, but considering we arrived to a semi-dirty property, I'm not sure I can say anything good about that high cleaning fee.
Overall, we had a decent stay, but considering the older furniture/bedding, semi-clean dishes and flooring, missing amenities, and the ridiculously high cleaning fee that essentially made this stay a non-budget-friendly one, , I can't give a high rating and recommendation for this property. If changes are made to the property, prices are adjusted properly, and the listing is updated, I may consider booking a stay again. But until then, you might find something for a similar price but higher-end.