The Strands Beach and Garden Retreat is exactly as the pictures show, even nicer! Given the choice of a 5 star hotel, or this condo with all of its ammenities, I would pick this condo again! Corinne was prompt in answering my many questions and after looking at hundreds of options for our family vacation, my gut told me this was the one. Booking this condo with her was fast and easy. She was even so thoughtful to invest in some beach toys for my two boys and we were also pleasantly suprised to find a wonderful gift basket upon our arrival. The condo is very private and is surrounded by lush, tropical foliage. We did not experience any excessive noise from surrounding neighbors, or have any maintenance issues during our stay, but if we had I'm sure they would have been promplty dealt with. There are several grocery stores just up the PCH and it was wonderful to have a fully stocked kitchen for breakfasts and lunches. We had dinner out every night at the many great restaurants in the area, several within walking distance. My boys (8 and 9) had a blast swimming in the pool, despite the 65 degree weather, as it's heated and sheltered from the ocean breezes. We especially enjoyed just walking along the long stretch of beach and exploring the many walking paths and tide pool/rocky areas. I would highly recommend taking the ferry to Catalina Island for a fabulous day trip, as one leaves right from the Dana Point Harbor. San Diego was an easy drive (about an hour) and has so much to do. The drive to and from LAX wasn't bad, as long as you prepare yourself for the traffic and allow for extra time. Univeral Studios was a lot of fun and was very doable for a day trip (I would recommend the front of the line passes - they are worth the extra money). All in all, it was a great week. To sum it up, my youngest son said upon leaving, "I'm really going to miss this place".