Vacation Rentals by Owner

Heaven On Earth

Guest: pment (New York)
Date of Stay: 02/15/12 Review Submitted: 03/21/12

I have stayed here with my wife on many occasions. The views are spectacular and the fine dining within walking distance is plentiful. There is a spa on the the rooftop deck that overlooks the Pacific Ocean, it is a welcome place to relax with a nice glass of wine in the evening and very romantic as well. This place is for everyone from every part of the World. We will continue to stay here. I must mention that the Owner is amazing as well, she always ensures that her guests have EVERYTHING they could possibly need.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, pet owners, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Heaven On Earth

Guest: pment (New York)
Date of Stay: 02/15/12 Review Submitted: 03/21/12

I have stayed here with my wife on many occasions. The views are spectacular and the fine dining within walking distance is plentiful. There is a spa on the the rooftop deck that overlooks the Pacific Ocean, it is a welcome place to relax with a nice glass of wine in the evening and very romantic as well. This place is for everyone from every part of the World. We will continue to stay here. I must mention that the Owner is amazing as well, she always ensures that her guests have EVERYTHING they could possibly need.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, pet owners, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

A Home Away From Home

Guest: bbe (Las Vegas)
Date of Stay: 02/15/12 Review Submitted: 03/21/12

I have stayed here on several occasions, and I must say it is a spectacular experience. The accommodations are 5 star for sure. You walk out the door and you are on the beach of the Pacific Ocean. The owner is so attentive. I have traveled the World, and this is as great as any 5 star Hotel I have ever stayed in. A vacation spot that should be on everyones bucket list.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, pet owners, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Intrusive "hands on" management

Guest: TR (Sacramento, CA)
Date of Stay: 09/09/11 Review Submitted: 10/16/11

Casa Karmina could be a great place to stay. I gave it one star for location. It is close to local restaurants and shops. However, since it is close to these establishments, there is constant yelling and sirens throughout the night in the alleyway behind the condo. The towels smelled sour and stale. I had to wash a load of "clean" towels before using them again. There is a definite pest problem. Ants were crawling on the stove and counter tops and were such an annoyance. We found ant traps on the floors. This tells me ants are a continuing problem that needs to be addressed before renting to tenants. When stripping the beds as requested, I found stained pillows, gross! I am glad I brought my own pillow! I question cleanliness. Lastly, I wish I would have seen the prior review about the "hands-on" landlord. I have stayed in other properties with the management on sight and never saw them during our entire stay. I can't say the same about Casa Karmina. The property management was intrusive during our stay. She watered plants while we were sunbathing up stairs. She brought tenants from her other properties over because "they were bored". She did not ask for our permission to bring strange men to our all girl weekend. I am not sure what that was about, weird! I expect a certain level of privacy when I rent a condo or a hotel for that matter. Privacy is taken away when the master bedroom shares a balcony and a DOOR to the managements apartment. The ability to listen to private (so we thought were private) conversations or the ability to come into the master bedroom at anytime is just plain CREEPY! I definitely do not recommend any large groups to stay here, heck, not even "loud" families would feel welcomed here. For noise needs to be at a "whisper". Really consider other options before staying at Casa Karmina.

Owner response:The old adage, "the cheapest deal is always the biggest headache" certainly rang true in this case. We gave our largest discount ever to this group of women who were, by far, the worst group of guests we ever had, causing us a huge amount of "damage control" with our neighbors, who lodged numerous written complaints to us. Their 3-night stay was a living hell. They were Hooters style screamers, yellers, drunks and very negative people (understandable given their either drunk or hungover status), consistently coming up with erroneous or ridiculous comments and complaints. We knew there was alcohol being consumed, from the moment they woke up until they finally collapsed well after midnight each night, but we also found evidence of illegal drug use after they left. Even on the last day, after many friendly chats with them about their behavior and the neighbors' concerns, after which they agreed to stop their screaming and drunken public behavior, they were so out of control and noisy that we even had to call the police. The only thing we heard coming from the rental master bedroom was on that quiet, early Sunday morning, when they were blasting rap music to the outside and yelling out the window that they needed some dildos right away! We finally had to ask that this woman who was especially loud and drunk at all times be taken to stay somewhere else. They refused and when we couldn't get them to settle down and stop their awful Sunday morning noise, it was the last straw and the police were called (in hindsight, we should have done it a couple days sooner). The person who submitted this review was non-stop drunk, so drunk that her friends had to frequently help her walk--walk out to the car or walk up the stairs (one night around midnight yelling to strangers "men, we need men, come on up men!). It was very sad to see and we wondered why those same friends didn't help her to stop her destructive behavior. She submitted the same review to several other rental sites, but the rest of them deleted it, seeing it was an organized attack on many sites and how obnoxious and out of line it was. VRBO did not take it down, so these ridiculous lies from this woman who was mad about being asked to leave and police being called remain here as if her lies are a meaningful review, causing a lot of wasted time for all. Lastly, the only time our guests see ants is when food is left out in the kitchen or there are crumbs elsewhere, need I say more? I hope she gets help.

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Unique, Fabulous

Guest: JCrom (SF, California)
Date of Stay: 02/04/11 Review Submitted: 02/21/11

Casa Karmina is a unique, fabulous getaway! You can walk to all the restaurants and you can hear the ocean lull you to sleep! WOW! Incredible! We really lucked out on the February weather being in the 70's, the sunsets from the deck were unreal and the quiet mornings walking up the coast were amazing! no crowds this time of year. Casa Karmina IS non-smoking (which we appreciate). The lovely landlady, Robin is attentive to our every need. On both of our visits, we had friends over for a lunch on the deck, a jam session (there are instruments all over), a game night, a dinner as well as a superbowl party. Robin even arranged a special pampering session for me and my daughter on- GET THIS- Sunday morning AT Casa Karmina with her hairdresser. WOW! You can't find service like that anymore. Well, you can...at Casa Karmina! we can't wait to get back!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, people with disabilities, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, pet owners, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Favorite place ever for our "boys trip"!

Guest: Paul M. (USA)
Date of Stay: 11/06/10 Review Submitted: 02/21/11

We’ve had 35 “boys trips” and this was our favorite place ever. We loved everything about the place and the location, but best of all was the hospitality shown by Robin and her family. Thanks for everything!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, sightseeing.

One of the best vacations ever

Guest: MLaw (USA)
Date of Stay: 09/23/10 Review Submitted: 02/21/11

Thank you for the beautiful weekend – relaxing. We had one of the best vacations ever! We love your house and the hosts! I will be back!

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BEST VACATION SPOT EVER !!!

Guest: Wanta Be California Kid (East Coast)
Date of Stay: 08/28/10 Review Submitted: 09/13/10

The Best location on Venice Beach... on the bike path with an amazing family that opens their home to for you to take in the real California... waking up on Sunday morning & drinking coffee from The Cow's End ( 1 block way ) on the desk was heaven... hanging in the hot tub later in the day as that say in Arthur " didn't suk " The prized parking spot is " priceless " the house is everything you could ask for & the conviences of the location can't be described until you experience it ...

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing.

Looking forward to next visit!

Guest: Waterson (USA)
Date of Stay: 01/15/10 Review Submitted: 02/21/11

Dear Robin and Family, Casa Karmina has been a great place for our base of operations for our son’s wedding! So many things about this place contributed to making this a great week…the rooftop BBQ with the groomsmen, the relaxing hot tub, the calming and beautiful view, your recommendations for hair, dry cleaning, restaurants, etc. Thank you, thank you. There is a good chance we will be back since our son and daughter in law will be living here in Venice.

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Wonderful place!

Guest: Seb (USA)
Date of Stay: 11/01/09 Review Submitted: 02/21/11

Dear Robin, Writing with my red “marking” pen, I would just like to express my sincere appreciation for your hospitality and your friendship. It was a rare pleasure to meet you and your wonderful daughters. Both me and Rosy truly appreciate genuine and creative people and feel privileged to count you among our friends. Thanks for letting us make your our 1st of many sushi dinners! Of course, the place is also wonderful and beautifully situated with an amazing ocean view… but for me, it’s the warmth of the inhabitants that made it all come alive. All the best to Kelly, Kamille, Petra and Peter, and, of course, to the wonderful hostess, Robin (and sidekick Leo). Cheers and keep it real.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway

Guest: GFR1 (-)
Date of Stay: 09/20/09 Review Submitted: 09/20/09

Our extended family stayed here for our reunion and it was a wonderful vacation. We thoroughly enjoyed the beach, barbecuing on the rooftop and eating on the balcony overlooking the walk, resting and having fun. One would be hard pressed to find a better place for a beach vacation.

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 08/24/09 Review Submitted: 08/24/09

his house is in such an amazing location. We are having serious beach withdrawals. The house was charming and Robin was truly helpful. We found something for everyone to love here - from the great running and biking trails (for mom and dad), to great restaurants and starbucks around the corner (mom again!), to great waves for boogeyboarding, a nice bike ride to play structures and the Santa Monica pier (the kids), the hot tub (enjoyed by everyone!), and amazingly fun and talented babysitters right upstairs. This was an awesome vacation, thanks for everything!

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Charming!

Guest: B Family (USA)
Date of Stay: 08/09/09 Review Submitted: 02/21/11

To celebrate Granny’s 70th birthday, your charming home afforded memories that will be with us always. Of all the comforts, the bikes meant the most. No, it was the hot tub. No, it was the hot shower. Oh, that sofa. Terrace dining to accommodate all..no it was definitely the sofa. Thank you for being there when we needed you, Robin.

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Wonderful place!

Guest: JF (USA)
Date of Stay: 08/06/09 Review Submitted: 02/21/11

What a wonderful place!! with a perfect location!! Our family of 6 and baby loved the 4 days here. Having the bikes, roller blades and beach bats & balls is fantastic, along with the comforts of home. Thank you Robin for all your help with our lost passport! We loved being here.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, families with teenagers, families with young children, sightseeing.

Guest: Nicole & Charlie (Washington DC)
Date of Stay: 04/13/09 Review Submitted: 04/13/09

My family returned from a wonderful trip staying at Casa Karmina. Casa K is a gorgeous house overlooking the Pacific, providing the worlds most spectacular views. Awesome location. Sand at you door step, just a few miles from the Santa Monica Pier. This is the perfect house for an active family with kids. All the amenities you could ever want are provided by the owner. hot tub, hammock, outdoor shower, bikes, paddle and tennis rackets, surf board, boogie boards, sand toys, frisbies, bats balls, I could go on and on. I can't think of one single that they do not provide. We had a fantastic time and hope to visit again! Thank you Robin and family!

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Relaxing Vacation

Guest: Nicole & Charlie (Washington DC)
Date of Stay: 04/12/09 Review Submitted: 02/21/11

Casa Karmina is a spectacular beautiful house located right on the beach on the border of Venice and Marina del Rey. Every window has beautiful spectacular views of the ocean. The location is ideal if you wish to see celebrities or if you just want to “vege” on the beach waiting for the next sunset. There is something magical here for every member of your family! We just arrived home, I will be working on my dad for our next trip. My family has had a wonderful time staying at Casa Karmina. Casa K is a gorgeous house overlooking the Pacific, providing the words most spectacular views. Awesome location. Sand at your door steps, just a few miles from the Santa Monica Pier. This is the perfect house for an active family with kids. All the amenities you could ever want are provided by the owner – hot tub, hammock, outdoor shower, bikes, paddle and tennis rackets, surf board, boogie boards, sand toys, frisbies, bats, balls, I could go on and on. I can’t think of one single thing that they do not provide. We had a fantastic time and hope to visit again! Thank you Robin and family!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, families with young children, sightseeing.

Guest: Cali Girl Meg (USA)
Date of Stay: 04/08/09 Review Submitted: 04/07/09

What an amazing place to stay--the location is walking distance (literally steps) to several restaurants, shops, the pier and the Venice Boardwalk. The View is better than the pictures provided (which are good), but you dont really get the sense of HOW good it is until you can sit on the covered 2nd or open 3rd story floors and watch your kids playing in the sand. As people pass below you--you kinda feel like a rockstar sitting on your very own piece of heaven!! (Or sitting in your own large hot tub) Really!! It is truly spectacular and we didnt want to go home!! I would recommend this place to anyone/everyone-- however I am afraid it might get booked for the times we would want to come!! Seriously--thank you to Robin and Peter for making our Spring Break so wonderful!!

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Guest: Fam van Hoogstraten (Germany)
Date of Stay: 03/28/09 Review Submitted: 03/28/09

we stayed for two weeks in march and had a wonderfull time. The location is world class and Casa Carmina offers all the amenities and goodies you want when you stay away from home. It is a place we can recommend to everybody and for sure we will return. Robin is a perfect host and takes care about everything.

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Guest: Pec (USA)
Date of Stay: 03/26/09 Review Submitted: 03/26/09

What a great vacation we had. The house is exactly as described and more. It is so comfortable and has a real homey feel to it. There is tons of storage! The location is PERFECT. Short walking distance to the right is "colorful" venice with all its' vendors and to the left are great shops and restaurants just steps away. We ate at C&O twice and LOVED it (italian food). The view is magnificent! Everything you need is provided. Robin has thought of everything. You'll love biking into Santa Monice pier and prominade. We are a family of 5 and had plenty of room. You will LOVE it here!

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Guest: Dar (USA)
Date of Stay: 03/10/09 Review Submitted: 03/10/09

The location, the amenities, the view, it surpassed my expectations. It was just a wonderful place for my family to gather.

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Guest: David Forward (Potomac, MD )
Date of Stay: 04/03/08 Review Submitted: 04/03/08

This is the first time our family has tried renting from an individual for our Spring Break vacation, instead of staying at a hotel. Wow, did we hit a home run! This CASA KARMINA is all it is advertised to be, AND the land lady is very Cool! Our past experience with hotel rooms, or suites, always left me (Dad) feeling like there wasn’t enough room, since two girls (mom and teen daughter) take up so much. Well, with CASA KARMINA that was no problem! My guess is that the place is close to 1800 sq ft; Nice big master bedroom suite with walk in closet, 2nd bedroom with plenty of space including a full bed and bunk above, and a cute 3rd BR with a bunk bed (which my 16 year old chose to sleep in because it was fun), two nice baths, good size living room with gas fireplace, flat screen TV, sound system and even a piano; a large kitchen, a deck overlooking the sand, bikers and walkers. We used the bikes, beach equipment, and the hot tub. All was good, or great, as well as new. Washington Boulevard, which is the dividing line between Venice and Marina del Rey, is a couple hundred feet away and had several nice restaurants which we tried, as well as grocery, liquor, clothing, and assorted other stores; many of we patronized and found more than satisfactory. All in all CASA KARMINA in Venice Beach is a real find. We are recommending it to all of our friends and look forward to returning ASAP.

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Guest: Mike and kids (Minnesota)
Date of Stay: 04/01/08 Review Submitted: 04/01/08

Very nice and clean. Loved the sunset over the beach each night. Entertainment at your dooestep, or a few blocks north. We planned to use this as a base to visit other tourist spots, but stayed the entire time. The owners take much pride in the place.

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