Our stay in Aptos was absolutely wonderful. The beach view is absolutely stunning and being right on the sand is incomparable.
FYI- per redfin & zillow, the house less than 1,150 sq feet, not the 1400 it says on the listing. The downstairs living and kitchen areas are tighter than expected but the upstairs king bedrooms are very spacious!
A former reviewer noted that they had a hard time relaxing on their stay because the listing looks a little intense with the "extra fees" area. However, when I met the ladies at Chesire Rio during check in I asked about it and they assured us that they truly meant "excessive sand, etc" and wanted us to relax and enjoy our stay. I did have to reach out for a few things: propane, hand soap, the kids high chair and pack and play (available upon request, not at the house - it would be nice if that was specified in the listing) but they were quick and easy fixes.
Unfortunately, there was a factor in my reducing a star - When I went to book with Cheshire Rio, we were told we would not be able to bring two Emotional Support Dogs (for clarity: two guests each with their own emotional support animal, not one guest with two), and if we wanted to bring one, it would be $200. Not allowing an Emotional Support Animal is discrimination and charging for an Emotional Support Animal violates ADA and airbnb Community Guidelines. As a leasing company, I would hope they would be more educated on California ADA and accommodating to guests with disabilities. Airbnb was very helpful on this front and we were able to book anyway. However, dealing with this prior to the stay leaves one decently uneasy. As I mentioned, when I met them at check in, they were all lovely. I understand that people without disabilities abuse ADA and as a leasing company they have to balance owners expectations but the Americans with Disabilities Act exists for a reason. All in all, we would stay with them again if they would have us and our Emotional Support Animals.