Pasadena - Birds, Butterflies and Books
Bed and Breakfast in San Marino, CA
3 guests · 1 bedroom · 1 bath
Reasons to book
Guests love it hereGuests give this property a top rating
Free cancellationFull refund if you change your mind
Includes essentialsGarden, Kitchen or Kitchenette, Air conditioner and more
About this bed and breakfast
Five minutes' stroll from the many shops and restaurants on Lake Ave, yet nestled in a safe, quiet, and leafy residential neighborhood, you are ideally placed for Cal Tech (7 minutes' walk), the annual Rose Parade (20 mins), or NASA's JPL (20 min drive). This tastefully furnished garden property is filled with everything you need to enjoy a relaxing vacation, fun-filled birding day, or a productive business trip to beautiful Pasadena.
Our guest house is a welcoming, spacious self-contained flat with private access and off-road parking set to the side and rear of the main house. It comprises a living room leading into bedroom (no dividing door), kitchen, and 3/4 bathroom. Your hosts personally deep-clean all areas, inside and out, between stays so you can rest assured that everything will be sparkling.
The cozy living room is a lovely place to relax. It has a bed-settee (usually set up as a settee, but please say if you wish to use as a bed *NOTE: suitable for a small adult only*), two comfy armchairs, a window-mounted air conditioning unit, central heating, TV (Netflix and Amazon Prime included), and a piano (should you be feeling musical!) Hundreds of books line the walls, please feel free to browse and dip in to a volume or two during your stay.
The bedroom also has a piano (yes, really), a walk-in closet and plenty of useful drawer space. Here the bed-settee is permanently made up as a double bed for you, with a memory foam-topped mattress and freshly ironed bedding.
The large kitchen overlooks the back garden, and is fully equipped with a gas oven, four burner gas range, microwave, full-size fridge/freezer, kettle, Keurig coffee maker, table, chairs, and full kitchenware.
A small, private patio area to the rear of the property makes an ideal spot to unwind in the evenings whilst enjoying the birds and butterflies in our native plant garden.
WiFi is included, and guests are welcome to use the washing machine and dryer outside the main house by arrangement.
NB: We have two friendly medium-sized dogs who like to sit in the garden during the day, but they never enter the guest house or back patio.
Our guest house is a welcoming, spacious self-contained flat with private access and off-road parking set to the side and rear of the main house. It comprises a living room leading into bedroom (no dividing door), kitchen, and 3/4 bathroom. Your hosts personally deep-clean all areas, inside and out, between stays so you can rest assured that everything will be sparkling.
The cozy living room is a lovely place to relax. It has a bed-settee (usually set up as a settee, but please say if you wish to use as a bed *NOTE: suitable for a small adult only*), two comfy armchairs, a window-mounted air conditioning unit, central heating, TV (Netflix and Amazon Prime included), and a piano (should you be feeling musical!) Hundreds of books line the walls, please feel free to browse and dip in to a volume or two during your stay.
The bedroom also has a piano (yes, really), a walk-in closet and plenty of useful drawer space. Here the bed-settee is permanently made up as a double bed for you, with a memory foam-topped mattress and freshly ironed bedding.
The large kitchen overlooks the back garden, and is fully equipped with a gas oven, four burner gas range, microwave, full-size fridge/freezer, kettle, Keurig coffee maker, table, chairs, and full kitchenware.
A small, private patio area to the rear of the property makes an ideal spot to unwind in the evenings whilst enjoying the birds and butterflies in our native plant garden.
WiFi is included, and guests are welcome to use the washing machine and dryer outside the main house by arrangement.
NB: We have two friendly medium-sized dogs who like to sit in the garden during the day, but they never enter the guest house or back patio.
Amenities
Air conditioner
Kitchen or Kitchenette
Internet / Wifi
Parking
Laundry
Balcony or Patio
TV
Garden
Map of San Marino, CA
$$$$
Ratings and reviews
5.0 / 5.0
Great communication. Convenient.
5.0 / 5.0
We stayed for 2 back-to-back stays (and I already gave the first 5 stars)—the first part we had our teen with us, but the 2nd part was just as lovely!
5.0 / 5.0
We stayed for almost 2 weeks (my husband & me—our teen son stayed for one week with us) and the cottage was perfect for us while we were visiting colleagues at Caltech. Close to everything, quiet, well-equipped kitchen, allll the books(!)—just a fantastic experience. Next time we visit we’d love to stay here again!
5.0 / 5.0
We had a wonderful stay. Everything you could possibly need is there. We will definitely stay there again.
5.0 / 5.0
Booked the property again after the new year. Hosts were again a pleasure and the property great.
5.0 / 5.0
The property and hosts are wonderful.
We extended our stay and enjoyed being here. Very relaxing.
5.0 / 5.0
Communication great from inquiry throughout the process.
The property is in a quiet area of Pasadena with anything you need within walking distance.
The property provides all the amenities one needs, clean, quiet. A great place to recharge.
We very much enjoyed our stay.
5.0 / 5.0
The place was a cozy guest house that made it feel like you could stay longer. The kitchen was a nice space and the bathroom was a good size with a shower stall. The owners were extremely accommodating and even offered additional amenities that was unexpected. The neighborhood was great to walk around through and there are a couple breakfast places about a 5 minute walk away. I would be glad to return here again.
5.0 / 5.0
Very nice accommodations. The library and piano were a special treat! Accurate description, and probably the best equipped property we've stayed at. Great hosts; Looking forward to returning!
5.0 / 5.0
Welcoming and cozy on a soggy day.
5.0 / 5.0
It was the perfect spot for our family meet-up. The location is quiet but centrally located. Enjoyed walking the neighborhood. The kitchen is fully equipped, clean, and convenient to cook in. Loved watching the birds morning bird bath antics. Thanks a bunch!
5.0 / 5.0
This place is perfect for a weekend get away to Pasadena. It is a separate house behind a main house. Nice kitchen and cozy little home.
5.0 / 5.0
If planning to stay in Pasadena, CA, be sure to look into this place. Wonderful!
5.0 / 5.0
This rental was everything it was advertised to be and much more. Very clean and quiet and the neighborhood was just lovely. Thank you so much, Laura and Gavin!
5.0 / 5.0
My husband and I (grandparents, visiting our son's family) spent a week here and this place was perfect for us. Our adult daughter was with us a few of those days and slept on a comfortable foam mat on the livingroom floor. The livingroom is pretty small--not a problem for us since we were out all day.
Everything was very clean and welcoming, including the extra touch of a bouquet of fresh flowers in the living room and milk in the refrigerator. The kitchen is very well supplied with everything you could possibly need. Gavin and Laura were friendly, helpful and even graciously offered to refund for one night when the hot water didn't work--a problem that was quickly resolved. We enjoyed getting to meet them.
The neighborhood is very quiet. We enjoyed walking in the early morning through streets with lovely homes and gardens and tall trees over-arching the streets. We would definitely recommend this home, and would stay here again if the opportunity arises.
5.0 / 5.0
Restful Retreat
The guest house was a restful retreat after a long drive. I was welcomed with a bottle of wine and fresh cream for my morning coffee! The furniture was comfortable & the air conditioner / fan combination kept the house cool. The library drew me in and was a pleasure to explore. The garden of native fauna attracted a variety of birds and butterflies. It was the perfect backdrop to enjoying an outdoor snack. The guest house is in a great location & is very private. Laura and Gavin were easily reached by phone for anything one might need. I would definately stay again.
5.0 / 5.0
Enjoyable accommodations
Quiet, private and comfortable guest house. Plenty of room. Owners provided nice little extra touches.
Would stay here again.
5.0 / 5.0
quiet and comfortable
I stayed here while doing research at the Huntington Library, and it was a perfectly quiet, comfortable place to stay. Gavin was very quick to communicate!
4.0 / 5.0
Cute, quiet and convenient
Nice location in a quiet neighborhood, enjoyed listening to the birds. Plenty of room and private, liked having the little patio outside. Only nitpick would be the difficulty in backing up narrow driveway to get out onto the road when leaving property. Would stay again.
5.0 / 5.0
Clean, cozy and quaint
A great place to stay. It was a nice, quiet neighborhood. It was 5 minutes from the convention center. It was a peaceful place to come home to after a long day of meetings. We took advantage of reading one of the books and my wife played the grand piano.
5.0 / 5.0
Super, cozy, quiet
Lovely quiet location, in a cozy cute house. One of those places with character - not just an empty shell for lodging, a fully furnished cottage with personality and an astonishing library - and bonus, even some toys for our 3-year old! The patio was a great place for morning coffee, and the A/C provided shelter from the 98F summer heat. The location had easy access (by car) to all of Pasadena. It was a great stop on our SoCal road trip.
5.0 / 5.0
Nice peaceful stay
Enjoyed the visit thank you for your hospitality
5.0 / 5.0
Perfect retreat close to downtown
We had a wonderful stay in Pasadena! We loved being surrounded by books and waking up every morning to birdsong. The property was spotless, spacious, and comfortable, and the neighborhood was quiet and perfect for morning walks. It was an easy walk to shopping and to our son's apartment, and easy to get to the freeway to get around LA. Laura and Gavin made everything easy!
5.0 / 5.0
Perfect for My Purpose
I wanted a cozy, fuss-free retreat for an arduous visit, and this bungalow more than met my needs. It was spotless, well-equipped and furnished for comfort. The feeders in the yard draw a lovely chorus of songbirds for a morning seranade.
5.0 / 5.0
Beautiful and peaceful
Perfect location, quiet and flower-filled garden. We plan to come back when we visit Pasadena again.
5.0 / 5.0
Sad
Sad I can’t book this property longer and every time I come Pasadena it’s spectacular in every way Laura and Gavin present an awesome property the detail has to be experienced
5.0 / 5.0
Neighborhood Delight
I have stayed in a lot of places in 75 years but this guest house was the best ever, charming inside and out. Laura and Gavin were dream host.
5.0 / 5.0
Peaceful and restoring little haven!
I came to stay at this property after a quite intense traveling time, and this was just what I needed. This guesthouse is so charming and cozy, and hosts Gavin and Laura prepared everything for a warm welcome. The whole place looks like out of a story book, and it was spotless clean. From furniture to linens and bathroom, all was fresh and absolutely comfortable. As a pianist myself, it was an amazing gift to have a piano to play on while I was there. Other charming items were the amazing library, the unique magnet collection on the fridge, the beautiful lamps, and the flowers on the piano. The kitchen is perfectly well equipped to prepare meals on your own. Outside, a lovely pond and a fountain created an atmosphere of peace, with the sounds of trickling water and the birds that came to visit the beautiful garden surrounding the house. I even got to meet their beautiful and friendly Husky, Nala. It was a truly, truly lovely stay - the kind of place that indeed felt like home, even if it was just for a little while. Being so close to everything in the south Lake Avenue area was a treat - even though I was essentially keeping it to myself, inside the house. This is indeed a gem in the area. And I would certainly consider staying here again, even for a “stay-cation”. Thank you, Laura and Gavin, for sharing your beautiful haven.
5.0 / 5.0
Quiet and private bungalow
The property was just as they advertised with excellent communication. Even though the owners were on property we felt we had total privacy. We would definitely stay here again.
2.0 / 5.0
90 degrees in-house meant a 15 minute vacation
On a hot day in Pasadena, the air conditioning (one small wall unit) could not cool the house at all. The back areas of the house was 90 degrees.
I stayed 15 minutes before I had to leave the property for good. The owners explained that due to Covid regulations they couldn’t run the AC.
But even after running the tiny wall unit in the living room, the bedroom was still 90 degrees.
I literally stayed 15 minutes (Of a three day stay ) before finding a Residence Inn. Advised the owners that I couldn’t stay.
The indoor temperature was intolerable, unless of course, you’re a parrot.
If the air conditioning had worked I might have stayed but must also point out that front and back yards are kind of cluttered and unsightly. There is a giant composting pot in near the front entrance.
Very disappointed.
5.0 / 5.0
Welcoming!
Very welcoming all through our stay. Many thanks!
5.0 / 5.0
Wonderful, whimsical, warm and welcoming
Our stay was exactly as we had pictured. Communication was great, and the hosts even ensured we had our choice of dairy beverages in the refrigerator. There are wonderful books to peruse, and even a piano to play. The hosts ensured we had everything we needed! Thank you Gavin and Laura! Happy New Year!
5.0 / 5.0
A terrific place to stay, with both character and amenities
A delightful roomy place in a very pleasant bungalow-ish neighborhood. Someone's large personal library of books and a baby grand piano (in tune!) Modern kitchen with everything you'd need (Keurig AND filter coffeemakers), modernized bath with lots of hot water, comfortable bed. New carpeting. Well heated in chilly weather, pleasant for listening to the rain as well as enjoying the sun on the garden plantings. Owners made us feel welcome. A real winner.
FAQs
How much does this bed and breakfast cost compared to others in San Marino?
The average price for a rental in San Marino is $411 per night. This rental is $161 less expensive than the average.
Is parking included with this bed and breakfast?
Yes, parking is listed as an amenity at Pasadena - Birds, Butterflies and Books. For more information, we encourage you to contact the property about where to park.
Is there a pool at this bed and breakfast?
We didn’t find pool listed as an amenity for this bed and breakfast. It may be worth double checking if a pool is important for your stay.
Is Pasadena - Birds, Butterflies and Books pet friendly?
Unfortunately, this bed and breakfast is not pet-friendly. Try searching again and filter for "Pets Allowed"
What amenities are available at Pasadena - Birds, Butterflies and Books?
We found 8 amenities for this rental. This includes air conditioner, kitchen or kitchenette, internet / wifi, parking, and laundry.
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