Vacation Rentals by Owner

May retreat

Guest: Ted (Illinois)
Date of Stay: 05/14/12 Review Submitted: 05/21/12

Property is fantastic! We stayed 4 nights, and the location is great. Beach is a short walk, PCH is right behind house for easy access to other beaches. Kitchen was well equipped, and we took advantage of outdoor grill. There was plenty of room, and the bedrooms and baths were all clean and spacious. Remember to bring your own shampoo! We would definitely stay at this property again.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, people with disabilities, age 55+, families with teenagers, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Wonderful vacation spot

Guest: Diane L. (Colorado Springs)
Date of Stay: 05/10/12 Review Submitted: 05/14/12

This place was such a gem. We enjoyed being a few minutes walk from a gorgeous beach, the marvelous gathering spots in both the front and back yard, and the beautiful gardens! The house was spacious and very nicely decorated. Thank you for a wonderful stay!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, people with disabilities, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Perfect house for girls weekend!

Guest: Lisa T. (Santa Monica, CA)
Date of Stay: 04/20/12 Review Submitted: 04/29/12

What an amazing house this is and perfect for 7 girls to getaway for a long weekend. It was spacious, clean, extremely well-kept and manicured. If the weather had been better the views from the front of the house to the ocean would have been spectacular. Only one small frustration - there is no ipod hook-up for music and the CD player doesn't really work. Plan for your own tunes! House is beautiful. Amazing time had by all! Thanks so much - I would rent again in a heartbeat!

Recommended for:Girls getaway

Great house for families

Guest: Alicia S.
Date of Stay: 04/11/12 Review Submitted: 04/17/12

We couldn't have picked a better home for our family. We had seven people covering three generations in the house, and between the guest room above the garage and the large walk-in closet in the master bedroom, we had spaces for everyone (you can guess which generation slept in the closet). The house was clean and very well maintained. Lawrence, the owner, was very responsive to our needs. He met us there when we arrived and helped us get settled and to make sure we had everything we needed. He even dropped off an extra highchair and fan, and had a repair man over to fix the dishwasher within an hour of my text. The kitchen was fully stocked and the garage had lots of extra beach stuff (boogie boards, umbrellas, chairs and beach toys). The house is a very short walk to the beach. The kitchen and dining area have ocean views, as does the guest cottage above the garage. The gardens were beautiful and well kept. The house was exactly as I imagined it from the description and the pictures. You won't be disappointed. The *only* thing I would have changed is the comfort of the mattresses and pillows in the guest bedroom and guest cottage. We stayed in the master bedroom, and I found that bed comfortable, but my family in the other two rooms weren't as comfortable. I assume that is an issue with any guest house, but if you are picky about your pillows (or have a down allergy), you might consider bringing your special one with you. If we have a reason to go back to Malibu, I wouldn't hesitate to rent this house again.

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A gem of a place in a perfect Malibu location

Guest: Larry C. (San Francisco, California)
Date of Stay: 02/10/12 Review Submitted: 03/04/12

We recently stayed at this property for a much-overdue spring break vacation in Malibu - in a nutshell, the house is perfect. Flooded with light, superbly decorated and appointed with great appliances and amenities. The layout is great for relaxing - our entire family (three kids, plus in-laws - who enjoyed the guest house) stayed there and enjoyed both barbequing in the backyard and louging in the front yard. It's a hop, skip and jump to the beach as well. And the owners arranged to introduce us to a great private chef to come cook for us a few days. Couldn't have asked for a better vacation. Wonderful property! We'll be back.

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Wedding Weekend

Guest: Dallas, TX (Dallas, TX )
Date of Stay: 01/11/12 Review Submitted: 01/22/12

We rented this house for our friends to stay in during our wedding weekend. This property was great and I would highly recommend renting it! Thanks for all your help Lawrence.

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Family Reunion in Malibu

Guest: rebecca d.
Date of Stay: 12/26/11 Review Submitted: 01/04/12

We had a perfect family reunion in the Malibu home... The layout, decor and location were ideal and everyone from 18mths to 70 had a great time. We took full advantage of the beaches, hiking and cooking at home. It was very difficult for us to leave such a lovely environment and hope to return in the future. We can highly recommend this home for a family holiday.

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HAPPIEST HOLIDAY at MAGNIFICENT MALIBU!!!

Guest: Mittamom & Snook (Florida)
Date of Stay: 11/26/11 Review Submitted: 01/22/12

Oh, my.....our stay could not have been more wonderful!!! From beginning to end, our entire family of children & grandchildren enjoyed every precious moment of time we all had together over the holidays. The warm, cozy, inviting home was spacious & ideal, clean & well maintained just as the pictures had depicted. The views, the gardens, the community were perfect.....in fact, it was all absolutely a perfect fit for us & we would recommend it to family & friends in a heartbeat. The rental family could not have been more gracious or delightful & helpful. They provided us with a fabulous listing of restaurants, available activities, local stores etc. that was extremely handy.....we thoroughly enjoyed exploring the area & became very comfortable taking day trips, going on hiking adventures, walking the beaches & always looking forward to coming back to our "home". The weather could not have been better during our stay, allowing us to enjoy the patios, the BBQ grill & opening the house to let the outdoors in. SPECTACULAR!!!! The house "flows" with an openness from room to room that we love, especially in the kitchen, dining & living room areas. We are most appreciative that the owners were willing to share their home with us for making some of the BEST memories ever with our family!!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, pet owners, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Great location and a nice home, but had to go through Visa to finally get our deposit back!

Guest: T (Chicago, IL)
Date of Stay: 10/15/11 Review Submitted: 02/14/12

Our family had a very nice week around Malibu in mid October, with this home being our base. The house was mostly clean, well maintained and comfortable to live in. It was a short walk to some stairs that went down to the ocean, but the view from the home is limited. The owner stopped by to pick up some things, was gracious and gave some local knowledge. Overall we were satisfied with everything, until it came time to get our deposit back. We followed the contract and didn't receive the deposit back in the time stated. I emailed the owner and he replied that a credit was forthcoming, so I waited. After three more weeks and another email saying sorry it was in the works, we contacted Visa. I had to fax all documentation to the Visa Dispute Department. They reviewed the case, gave us the credit owed and recently closed the file. Strange there was never an explanation from the owner and this rental continues to operate business as usual.

Owner response:Monetary disputes are never fun for anyone involved and unfortunately, a 5 star experience becomes something less after the fact. Rather than rehash the details here (which are not as stated above), we would encourage all of our guests to give us a call if they have any questions. We provide our cell phone number to all of our guests in the rental agreement, prior to check in and upon arrival and we encourage people to use it at any time and for any reason. If you look at the other 12 glowing reviews printed here, you will notice that people not only appreciate our beautiful property and the unbeatable location, but the personal service we provide. Had these guests made a simple phone call, we have no doubt that their 4 star review would have been 5.

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You won't be disappointed!

Guest: Debbie (Cupertino, CA)
Date of Stay: 09/14/11 Review Submitted: 09/20/11

Everything was perfect! This house is spectacular and we really didn't want to leave. The photos really don't do it justice. We loved how bright and open the house was. We especially loved the kitchen/great room. As everyone normally congregates in that area, there was plenty of room for all seven of us. And we never felt cramped. The walk to the beach was a very easy one. We already have recommended this house to our friends. Lawrence and his wife were very accommodating and helpful, answering all our questions promptly. Thank you and we hope to be back next year! Brad and Debbie

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

Living the Dream

Guest: Brickson D. (Los Angeles, California)
Date of Stay: 06/25/11 Review Submitted: 07/05/11

Spent a week in this home just before the Fourth of July weekend. It indeed felt like home. As the week progressed I couldn't imagine that anyone else could stay there. I will avoid reading future reviews as not to burst my dream bubble. The house is the perfect size and is well equipped for adults, kids and teens. The owners were super helpful and offered to answer any questions, but the set up was so straightforward that we couldn't come up with any. The access to the beach is easy and nearby. There are all sorts of goodies in the garage for whatever water adventure you can think up (within reason). The long way out along Broad Beach Road is dreamy with lots of outrageous houses at which to gawk. So easy, breazy and charming.

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

Location, Location, Location

Guest: VRBO Vet (Encinitas, CA)
Date of Stay: 01/27/11 Review Submitted: 02/09/11

We spent three days at this house in late January 2011. We rented the house for an annual company retreat. It was comfortable for 6 non-couple adults. The house and grounds were very clean and obviously well cared for. The house has many windows and felt breezy and open. The kitchen had all the tools for us to make some very nice dinners. The best part of the house was its proximity to a very nice beach. Its took us about a minute to walk from the house to the beach. The beach feels private and is just north of Zuma. The owner was professional to deal and the transaction went smoothly. It would be nice to go back to this house again in these summer with my family!

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

Madeline from Albany

Guest: Madeline (Albany, NY)
Date of Stay: 09/24/10 Review Submitted: 10/08/10

This was the perfect home for our family vacation. It is beautifully furnished, generously equipped and extremely comfortable. There are wonderful spaces for the family to gather, as well as places to go for some quiet time. The beach is fantastic. Even on the hottest day of the summer, we had it pretty much to ourselves. My husband tried his hand at surf fishing and caught 2 small sharks. The steps to the beach were a bit difficult for our grandchildren. However,an alternate access was perfect. The owner of this property is very professional and accommodating. He seemed to be really interested in ensuring thar we enjoyed ourselves. We all would love to return to the white house on Cottontail!

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, people with disabilities, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Guest: Claude B. from Quebec City
Date of Stay: 07/23/10 Review Submitted: 10/03/10

Very relaxing vacation We loved the area, we went visiting around and always come back "at home" with pleasure. We had a lot of fun cooking in the kitchen all together with the kids. If you can put 2 more chairs in the dining area it will be perfect. Thanks.

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Summer

Guest: SummerVACA (California)
Date of Stay: 07/03/10 Review Submitted: 07/19/10

This house was very nice. We were really able to relax. The furniture was very comfortable and the kitchen was really fun to cook in. Very impressed by the Master Suite, yet simple, it was very comfortable and a great size. The owners of the home were really friendly and easy to work with, they were very easy to get in touch with just in case we needed to. We thought there was more of an ocean view from the yard, but it was still very nice and very beautiful. The neighborhood was really friendly and we would definitely recommend this home to a family who has a few kids or some kids who want to bring a friend. The home is very accommodating to a family with young children as well, the layout is very open and just great for any size family, our 14 month daughter had a great time in the home, as well as the teenagers!!! We would recommend Paradise Cove Restaurant for a more sit down place and also Neptune's net if you want more of a casual good time with great food and awesome Ocean View. We would definitely recommend this home to a friend.

Owner response:Thank you so much for your kind review. It was an absolute pleasure having you as our guests! We are always happy to hear it when families enjoy our home as much as we do. Paradise Cove and Neptune's Net are wonderful spots to really enjoy what Malibu has to offer and we hope future guests will follow your lead. The Eucalyptus trees that were in front of the house can get overgrown in summer and partially obstruct the view and for that we are sorry. Fortunately, the trees were recently removed, permanently restoring the lovely ocean view which will now be the same for all guests, no matter what time of year they come to Malibu. We hope to see you again in the future. All the best, Lisa and Lawrence

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

Guest: Jesper G. from Denmark
Date of Stay: 07/01/10 Review Submitted: 10/03/10

Wonderful house to have a relaxing vacation We lived in this beautiful house for a week of our Us-trip. This house has everything you need for a good and relaxing vacation. The house was a wonderful setting for our unforgettable vacation. It is beautiful decorated and still usable and not in any way delicate. We lived two families with kids in the house and we had plenty of space. The beach is in walking distance from the house and the neighbourhood is friendly. The owners are incredible nice and everything worked out perfectly.

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Beautiful, so beautiful!!!

Guest: Silke Wich
Date of Stay: 07/01/10 Review Submitted: 08/27/10

A beach house as a picture book! Bright, friendly, clean and cozy, perfect kitchen and grill, every detail is present. Enough space for two families because there is a very cude bedroom with a bathroom over the garage. The area is quite magical. You can jog in the morning or do yoga in the garden. You can run fast times down to the beach (the entry into the sea is partly rocky) or you drive five minutes to a large public beach. We were two families from Berlin, each with a 15 year old teenager. All have felt very well and found that 8 days is far too little to enjoy the beautiful house!

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Guest: Stacey from Pasadena
Date of Stay: 06/24/10 Review Submitted: 10/03/10

fantastic! loved the house! loved the beach! loved the experience!

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