Vacation Rentals by Owner

Charming, Convenient, and Best Value

Guest: Yuan (Minnesota)
Date of Stay: 05/05/12 Review Submitted: 05/22/12

We enjoyed our stay at the Spanish Casita by the Sea. It is a really cute house. The biggest advantages are (a) Convenient, it is close to the HW10, Beach, and food store. Going to the city in the morning and coming back from city in the afternoon is against the traffic. (b) The price is good, and we have 4 people, and two bedrooms are good for us. We eat breakfast before we go out, and save some good money. Highly recommended.

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, girls getaway, sightseeing.

Family on Spring Break

Guest: Kim (Glendale, AZ)
Date of Stay: 03/21/12 Review Submitted: 03/26/12

Our family of 6 had a great time in Santa Monica and we loved the Casita! Location was convenient and the house was clean and comfortable. Thanks for making our stay pleasant!

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Enjoyable vacation

Guest: H Racine, Wisc./USA (United States)
Date of Stay: 02/27/12 Review Submitted: 03/11/12

We enjoyed our stay in the Spanish Casita. It was our second stay in Santa Monica. We will be back! Kathryn was very responsive to any questions we had. Rate was excellent, good location.

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Price is right

Guest: Ken (Rochester, NY)
Date of Stay: 02/18/12 Review Submitted: 03/02/12

This rental was just right for our family of five. We found the beds comfortable and the sofa bed satisfactory. The kitchen had all of the nessessary equipment in good working condition. The flat screen HDTV and WIFI were a real plus. The exterior of the property was not as nice as we had hoped, but was clean and we did sit outside a couple of times. The bottom line is that this property is priced correctly and we were satisfied. We will consider this rental in the future and we do recommend it.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, sightseeing.

Good value for money but basic accommodation

Guest: Captain Cuthbert (Salisbury Wilts UK)
Date of Stay: 02/12/12 Review Submitted: 03/03/12

Our family of 2 adults & 2 children (aged 12 & 15) stayed here for a week. The accommodation is ok, but pretty basic and not in the best location. Being English on holiday in Santa Monica, we perhaps under estimated that we would need to drive most places and also that the traffic was very congested. Although possible, the location of this property is not really ideal for walking to the beach etc. A new kitchen had been fitted which is good, but more cooking utensils are needed. Note also that the traffic wardens/police (not sure who does in the US) are very vigilant - we received a parking ticket on our first night for parking facing the wrong direction! This is not an offence in the UK and is not made clear anywhere is the visitors' guest book.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, sightseeing.

Excellente location

Guest: Carole (French Polynesia)
Date of Stay: 12/28/11 Review Submitted: 01/10/12

Nous sommes restés 4 nuits dans cette maison dont celle du 31 décembre. Nous étions 4 adultes. Le quartier est vraiment très tranquille ; je craignais un peu les nuits car une chambre a sa fenêtre directement sur la rue, eh bien, il n'y a eu aucun bruit la nuit, ce fut très calme. La maison était très propre à notre arrivée et nous avons beaucoup apprécié le cadeau d'accueil de Kathryn : une bouteille de vin et des chocolats, c'est très gentil. Cette maison est vraiment très bien située pour visiter Los Angeles et ses environs, et nous avons mis 15 minutes en voiture pour rejoindre l'Aéroport International. Nous avons bien profité de Santa Monica, sa plage, les boutiques (c'étaient les soldes !). Autre point positif : Kathryn, la propriétaire. C'est une personne charmante, très disponible, et la communication est très facile (malgré mon très mauvais américain) ! Nous avons passé un excellent séjour et sommes près à revenir !

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

Sunny Santa Monica!

Guest: Traci H.
Date of Stay: 11/20/11 Review Submitted: 11/30/11

Great location! Quiet neighborhood that was clean, felt safe and convenient to everything we needed. Loved the Whole Foods store in Venice! Parking was a little funny, but we figured out the street cleaning and extra parking worked out fine. Walk to the beach was nice and only took 15 min. Loved riding bikes on the beach! We explored Malibu ( recommend Grom Gelato), Hollywood (don't miss the observatory), Long Beach (Queen Mary was very interesting), Studio City (City Walk is great fun at night), Burbank (recommend Chevy's Mexican restaurant) and it was all easy to navigate from the casita. Traffic is crazy in LA and not for the faint of heart! The casita was squeaky clean, well stocked and we appreciated the chocolates and bottle of wine as a welcome gift! Nice touch! Would love to do it again some time.

Recommended for:Age 55+, girls getaway, tourists without a car, pet owners, sightseeing.

Nice small house close to beaches/shops/entertainment

Guest: Jo (Luxembourg)
Date of Stay: 09/03/11 Review Submitted: 09/21/11

The Spanish Casita is a very convenient place to stay if you want to go to the beach every day but also if you want to go shopping in the famous streets of Santa Monica. It's also very close from Brentwood, Belair, Beverley Hills, Hollywood and all the other attracting areas of Los Angeles should you have a private car. Do you have kids : then this place is very appropriate to go to Disneyland ; it's less than an hour away. The nice bottle of wine and biscuits on the welcome table were very appreciated.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, families with young children, sightseeing.

Great for getting around in LA!

Guest: Family of 5 (Finland)
Date of Stay: 07/06/11 Review Submitted: 07/13/11

Our family of 5 really enjoyed the stay in Kathryn's house - the location is perfect for getting around the beautiful Santa Monica (beaches stretching out all the way to Venice, the Santa Monica Pier is a must to see!) and further out in the Los Angeles area. We drove around Hollywood, Beverly Hills, even Malibu beach... seven eleven just around the corner from Kathryn's house for quick snacks. Highly recommended!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, families with teenagers, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Good value, but it has potential to be excellent

Guest: MK (East Coast, USA)
Date of Stay: 06/29/11 Review Submitted: 07/15/11

The bedding was a great positive surprise to all of us. Beds are very comfortable, so sleep is great and refreshing like at home. We were a bit taken aback on the entry, but were happier every night spent in the property. It is comfortable, but it does not present itself like the pictures posted on the rental pages. Overall we are glad we have stayed there. The property is an old no thrill, well-used structure, but it has a cozy antique feel, so this can be counted as plus for many. It has a wireless service our Windows and Apple devices had no problem to access. We have not used flat panel LCD TV, so I cannot tell what is available on the TV service, but there is so much to do outside that TV should not be a concern there. We were counting on updated bathroom promised in some answers to prior comments. It really needs a true cleanup and an update. The mold was painted over, so Casita got some high marks recently, but the mold eventually will go through paint if not properly treated before painting, and it already did by the time we have arrived. We have just stayed in Casita a week from June to July 2011. Every time I was in a bathroom I wished it was clean and had no mold. Even fixture over the bathtub was brown/gray with mold. It has an antiquated difficult to clean shape, but there should be no excuse for the state of it. Fortunately, with windows opened there was no smell problem in the unit. Some tiles were broken in the flooring too. The condition of the bathroom and damaged flooring tiles are noticeable and greatly contributed to our poor initial reception of the property.

Owner response:Update 2/12: We have remodeled the bathroom with a beautiful glass vessel sink, granite vanity, ceramic & glass tile surrounding tub, new tile floor, new toilet, mirrors & artwork. We also installed a new custom kitchen with granite counters, stainless steel appliances including a dishwasher, and new hardwood floors throughout. It looks & feels amazing :-)

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Had a great stay

Guest: Ben Stricker (Sacramento)
Date of Stay: 04/15/11 Review Submitted: 04/19/11

Really enjoyed our time at the Casita. Decorated nicely, great front porch for just chilling out. Good location from Santa Monica Pier & the beach. Coffee Bean & Roastery right at the corner!

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

Awesome location

Guest: christa r. (Vancouver, B.C. Canada)
Date of Stay: 03/18/11 Review Submitted: 03/26/11

We just spent 1 week at the Casita ( 2 adults travelling with 3 teenage girls). The location was fantastic for our planned day trips ie. Magic Mountain, Knott's Berry Farm, Universal Studios, Laguna Beach,local shopping. The location could not have been more central to all of our activities. Access to the freeways and to Santa Monica Promenade was a breeze. Local grocery shopping was awesome as well---we filled the fridge daily with good food from Von's--three block drive from the home. We enjoyed the tv at night and appreciated the washer/dryer option in the back yard , seeing that the heavy rains made for a lot of damp clothes. The layout allowed us all to have privacy which a hotel room could never offer. Kathryn was very responsive to all of our needs and very organized with our reservation. If I had to say anything negative, my friend and I found the pullout couch quite uncomfortable and would have needed a warmer comforter to sleep with. The heater was finicky but we quickly learned how to control it. The kitchen could use a few more utensils-- we cooked most nights and needed sharp knives and a cutting board. Other than that, we rate this home away from home an 8 and a half out of 10 and would definitely return in a heart beat. We were sad to leave. Thank you Kathryn for everything...... we have lifelong memories.....our stay at your place plays a huge part in that!

Owner response:Thank you so much for nice review. I'm so glad you had a good time. You have a great point about the utensils, there used to be plenty of knives and 2 cutting boards, but it sounds like it's time for me to check the inventory & restock. I'll also add another comforter & a memory foam topper for the sofa bed which will hopefully make it more comfortable. Please come back again :-)

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, families with teenagers, girls getaway, sightseeing.

Santa Monica Casita

Guest: Suzanne (Chestertown, MD)
Date of Stay: 12/19/10 Review Submitted: 01/12/11

We traveled from Maryland to Santa Monica to visit my oldest daughter for Christmas. The casita was very comfortable, clean, and convenient to everything! We went shopping on the prommenade and the Century City mall, visited the LACMA, enjoyed some wonderful dinners out, and took in the sights. Four women shared this cottage; we cooked and did some laundry, but the shower door needs caulking (or a replacement) so it won't leak. Thank you for providing games and beach towels (yes, it was sunny enough to hike and picnic in Malibu). I most certainly recommend this property and will stay here again when visiting my daughter next year.

Owner response:Thank you so much! I will look into getting the shower door caulked right away. We are planning to do a nice bathroom remodel in the spring or fall but I'll address the shower door right away. I'm glad you enjoyed your stay & hope you come back next Christmas :-)

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, sightseeing.

Spanish Casita in December

Guest: NA (Arlington, VA)
Date of Stay: 12/01/10 Review Submitted: 12/13/10

We traveled to California for a family wedding and this property was perfectly located. We agree with previous comments regarding the bathroom needing an update. We enjoyed a great game of Yhatzee (thank you for having the game) one evening. There were 6 adults and one baby - so if you don't mind sharing a bathroom with so many it's doable! :)

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, families with young children, sightseeing.

Casita by the sea

Guest: Cindy (Germany)
Date of Stay: 10/20/10 Review Submitted: 11/03/10

Everything was within walking distance. It was also close to the beach. The casita was clean, but the bathroom needs an update.

Recommended for:Tourists without a car, sightseeing.

Monika and Cindy from Germany

Guest: Cindy (Germany)
Date of Stay: 10/20/10 Review Submitted: 10/29/10

We had a wonderful time in the casita. Everything was within walking distance and all the attractions were easy to find. The Casita was clean, but the bathroom needs a renovation.

Recommended for:Tourists without a car, sightseeing.

Never again!

Guest: Mrs. Guide (Holland)
Date of Stay: 08/15/10 Review Submitted: 07/05/11

When we arrived it looked as if the house hadn't been cleaned for months - dirty windows - bathroom covered in mould, bathmats and chair cushions full of stains - dishes dirty. Overdated food in the cupboards. We confronted our host Kathryn who did a brave attempt to clean everything saying she sacked the maid (which made me feel bad!) asking us to please give het a chance to put things right, which we did. But it didn't really change the fact that most things were just worn down, and dirty. What should have been highlight of our 2500 mile road trip turned out to be a big disappointment.

Owner response:I was so surprised to get this review a year after this guest stayed. If I recall, I think there was a mixup and perhaps the place didn't get cleaned. At any rate, it did get cleaned once she contacted me & I, of course refunded her cleaning fee. Some of the furniture has been replaced since last year including the sofa bed, coffee table, rugs & linens, as well as the entire place having been painted, the tub reglazed etc. Hopefully future guests will find things in order. I am always striving to make improvements & want guests to have a good experience.

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Santa Monica

Guest: cos (Norway)
Date of Stay: 07/17/10 Review Submitted: 07/27/10

We had a great time in Santa Monica. The location was good and quiet. We could walk to the beach in 10 min. Although we were a little bit disapionted about the standard of the propoerty. When we looked at the pictures and made the reservation, we actually thought it was higher standard. We did not get the stove to function, so we could not make pizza for the kids. Other than that if was well equipet with nice beach chairs. A cooler that we could bring to the beach would be nice, but we managed. Easy to park the car outside.

Owner response:I never did understand why they were not able to get the stove to work. They did not mention any trouble and when I saw the review I immediately checked the stove & the oven and both were working fine. It does take 1-3 minutes for the flame to ignite and another 7-10 minutes to warm up enough in the oven to bake, but it's working fine.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, sightseeing.

perfect casita

Guest: Martha (Northampton, MA)
Date of Stay: 06/10/10 Review Submitted: 06/18/10

4 of us stayed at this casita when visiting my son who is in school at UCLA. It was perfect. We walked to the beach, to the pier, to the promenade, to Main St shops. We were able to eat several meals in our own kitchen. We watched the basketball playoffs and World Cup soccer games on the TV in the living room. It was an easy drive to UCLA. We hope to come back again. Thank you.

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

GREAT PLACE

Guest: zeeke67 (methuen mass)
Date of Stay: 06/03/10 Review Submitted: 07/29/11

I stayed there last year with 3 of my friends. The place was beautiful and clean. It was very homey. It was everything I hoped for and more. It was fully equiped we needed nothing. We were all very impressed on the place and the location. It was close within walking distance to everything(beach, 3rd st. prominade super market ect). I plan on booking it again in October for 5 days and I can not wait.Three of us going in October have already stayed there . We are all looking foward to it. Kathyrn was very nice and returned my deposit within a day or two. I just wanted to share my experience with you's. Give it a shot you will love the place. thanks Mike L (Boston) .

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

All the comforts of home

Guest: rb57 (Boston, MA)
Date of Stay: 05/21/10 Review Submitted: 05/25/10

Our family thoroughly enjoyed our stay in the Casita by the Sea. It was clean, well maintained, and convenient to restaurants, shops, the freeway, and the beach. Five adults were able to spread out without feeling cramped for space. The entire rental process was smooth and stress-free, with great communication from the owner. We highly recommend this vacation rental and we look forward to doing business with this property owner again.

Recommended for:Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, sightseeing.

Guest: Lauren Gill
Date of Stay: 04/28/10 Review Submitted: 04/29/10

The casita is very well-located, convenient to so many activities and access points. We found everything we'd need--extra blankets for coolish nights, plenty of pillows, hangers in the closet, etc. A comfortable, thoughtfully organized home away from home. We'll definitely visit again.

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Guest: Lauren Gill (Watertown, MA)
Date of Stay: 04/28/10 Review Submitted: 04/28/10

The casita is very well-located, convenient to so many activities and access points. We found everything we'd need--extra blankets for coolish nights, plenty of pillows, hangers in the closet, etc. A comfortable, thoughtfully organized home away from home. We'll definitely visit again.

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 03/01/10 Review Submitted: 03/01/10

We very much enjoyed the homeyness of this pleasant Casita. The back bedroom was especially quiet for my wife's recuperation after surgery. Kathryn was more than accommodating to our needs and made us feel so welcome. The location was very convenient for a walk to the pier or the Promenade.

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 12/18/09 Review Submitted: 12/18/09

wonderful med size ground floor tri plex, all comforts of home, has all you need for a very comfortable stay, convient to everything,safe, clean, bright plenty of room,large kitchen.I will use as much as I can on my trips to L.A. found on craigs list. e-mail me for any info on my weeks stay. J Bartke

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Guest: Vasseur (-)
Date of Stay: 11/13/09 Review Submitted: 11/12/09

I was in Santa Monica for my job, and this address was a good one, not far of a lot of good places : restaurants, third avenue, beach,... Very cool to be there.

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Guest: Mike A.3 (west covina, ca)
Date of Stay: 10/13/09 Review Submitted: 10/13/09

I stayed over there this past weekend and would highly recommend this place to anyone. Kathryn was very polite and receptive to all my questions and was very informative to the check in/out process. The place was neat, clean, well maintained, and in a safe area.

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Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 10/08/09 Review Submitted: 10/08/09

I just want to let you know that we found your "Spanish Casita by the Sea" an excellent base for our week in Los Angeles. Its location was perfect for our needs, and we found it comfortable and convenient. And Taqueria Chihuahua is our new favorite restaurant. Too bad it's three thousand miles away!

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Guest: Sheri8 (Ontario)
Date of Stay: 09/09/09 Review Submitted: 09/09/09

Our family of four just returned from our week in Santa Monica. We had a terrific time. The 'casita' is in a great location, close to all of the amenities in Santa Monica (Main St, 3rd Street Promenade, the beach), with easy highway access to go to Hollywood and other areas. The unit was well stocked with all the necessities. There was plenty of room for the four us (four full size adults). Parking was easy. Safe neighborhood close drive to groceries, restaurants etc. Owner easy to deal with. Only negative is that the bathtub needs updating.

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Guest: Philippe4 (France)
Date of Stay: 08/22/09 Review Submitted: 08/22/09

We are a French family of 6 and it was the first time for us in Los Angeles.We have appreciated the Spanih Casita because it was close the sea and easy to go from this point to Hollywood Blvd.Nice house located in a quiet street.

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Guest: Cindy129 (Sacramento, CA)
Date of Stay: 08/19/09 Review Submitted: 08/18/09

What a wonderful spot to call home while on vacation! We needed a place that would be close to activities in LA, close to the beaches, and have easy access to freeways to travel throughout the area -- and this place has it all. It's cute, quiet and very comfortable and we really enjoyed our stay.

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Guest: Joanne40 (Edinburgh)
Date of Stay: 07/08/09 Review Submitted: 07/08/09

House was fantastic, as discribed. Clean and tidy. The welcome basket was a wonderful suprise, such a lovely touch. Area lovely and everything we needed was in walking distance. I would highly recommced this property. Thanks Kathryn for a wonderful stay. Joanne

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Guest: Attila1 (Hungary)
Date of Stay: 06/15/09 Review Submitted: 06/15/09

We were very happy that we can return to Kathryn. We've tried the other two apartments in the fourplex - those are nice as well - and now we stayed in the Casita which has a real charm but also very well equipped to all of our need. The location is great, the backpack beach chairs are real treats so do not forget to bring them to the beach. The pillow was so good that I bought one for myself. Thank you Karthryn, I think we will return soon!

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Guest: Dan 6 (New York)
Date of Stay: 05/25/09 Review Submitted: 05/25/09

The apartment was great, just as advertised. Clean, spacious and had everything we need for our one week stay in Santa Monica. The owner was very responsive and a pleasure to deal with.

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Guest: Daniela4 (Munich, Germany)
Date of Stay: 05/08/09 Review Submitted: 05/07/09

Thank you Kathryn for the great organization! We had a beautiful stay in the apartment! We contact you gladly again, if we plan the next Trip according to L.A.! Best wishes from Dani & the crew

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 04/01/09 Review Submitted: 04/12/09

Great location,close to all Santa Monica attractions, and very responsive owners.

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Guestbook Comment

Guest: Anonymous
Date of Stay: 08/01/08 Review Submitted: 08/02/08

Spanish Casita is located conveniently close from Santa Monica Beach, restaurants and shopping malls. It is also easy to get to Malibu, Long Beach and Los Angeles tourist attractions from the Casita, so lots to do and to see (close to beach, golf course, Hollywood, Universal Studios, Disneyland) without sitting in traffic. We are a family of 5 and found the Casita very comfortable to stay in. Well furnished and had everything we needed. Service provided by owner was very good and was very helpful and quick to respond to ensure our comfort. I can certainly recommend the Spanish Casita and will certainly stay there again should we spend our vacation in the LA region. Thank you for a memorable vacation!!!!

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