As someone who tends to be a little cautious about everything these days, I booked the Mermaid Beach House apprehensively even though the pictures looked great. So many places claim to have an ocean view, but it's not much more than a sliver of water seen through the corner bedroom window. I'm happy to report that this wasn't the case here. The upstairs living area has a fantastic view of the ocean from the family room and from the small deck outside. Also, despite being close to a somewhat busy ocean view boulevard, all we heard at night were the ocean waves crashing in the distance along the rocky shore. So soothing! Our small kids loved playing on the beach and climbing on the rocks just a few steps away from the home, and coming back to the view and coffee by the warm fireplace was always a joy for the grown ups. My only tip for folks would be to bring some stuff to play on the beach with, especially if you have kids. It's late November and I knew the ocean was cold in the area even in the warmer months. We left the kids' swimsuits and sand castle stuff behind because of that, but the rugrats ended up wading out into the water and getting their regular clothes wet anyway.