Testimonials
Let me be the first to congratulate you on Estrella del Mar. As the first family to stay in the main residence and guesthouse since you've acquired and renovated the property, we thoroughly enjoyed our two week stay. As you know, I saw this property before you bought it and thought it was charming. But now. WOW! The expanded patio and gardens, new fence and gate, new hardwood floors and exceptional interior decorating with all new furnishings give it a sophisticated style without sacrificing its classic 1920's beach house charm.
Our daughter's family and three of our grandchildren were with us much of the time so the guesthouse with its own media room, kitchen, bed and bath really came in handy. The kids slept on the inflatable Aerobeds and were perfectly comfortable.
My husband particularly appreciated the media room in the main residence with the 42" high definition plasma TV and surround sound and we all enjoyed sitting around on that huge sofa watching movies - usually after a day at the beach and the evenings barbequing on the patio. The two beach cruisers that came with the residence were in constant use and we rented additional bikes for family members at one of the nearby rental facilities.
But the piece de resistance is the steam shower and indoor spa. What a delightful experience. Our daughter thought of it as a "serenity pool" but with the waterfall and candles, it seemed more like a hidden grotto in a faraway and exotic place. Seriously romantic.
I was initially concerned that Estrella del Mar is too far from the beach (clocking it at just under a mile) but we all agree that we were better off staying some distance from the congestion and noise. Crestmoore Place is a lovely, safe street with friendly, helpful neighbors whom we met because almost everyone takes a morning and evening stroll. All were happy to answer our questions about the area, provide directions, and offer their recommendations for the best restaurants and places of interest. And we thoroughly enjoyed the trendy shops and restaurants a few blocks away on Abbot Kenney Blvd. No Starbucks. No McDonalds. I hope Venice keeps its unique character. My husband and I particularly liked Joe's for dinner and that little French café for lunch. The gourmet market a few blocks away provided us with some of the most delightful taste experiences.
We have friends that stayed at a more expensive place near the beach and they said the neighbors were not friendly and that they were afraid to go for a walk at night. We had a completely different (and happier) experience. Besides, it only took us about 10 minutes to bicycle down to the beach and when we took the car, parking was not a problem. One of the advantages of bicycling was that we were able to wander through those delightful neighborhoods known as the canal and walk streets.
A special thanks for seeing that the main residence and guesthouse were spotless and the linens and towels were all fresh and clean when we arrived. The gift basket awaiting us was much appreciated, as was the basic guide to all the systems, the collection of menus, and the many books about the areas glamorous history. I had no idea so many movie stars had homes in this area and that so many movies were filmed nearby.
We had a wonderful family vacation and we thank you,
Karen Ratte
Tucson, AZ
We enjoyed our stay at your Venice vacation rental. The main house is just lovely and worked out very well for all six of us. Thanks for everything, The Johnson Family.
Thanks for letting us stay in your Venice Beach guesthouse. We had a
great vacation and the home was very comfortable.
The Butlers