This is a nice house with modern amenities and a great layout. We picked it because of its relative proximity to Universal Studios and because of the pool. (We were a group of two families traveling with kids during a school vacation.) Unfortunately the pool is not heated and the water was very cold. Although it was unseasonably cool during our stay, that would not have been a barrier to using the pool (especially for the kids) had the water been warmer. We may have realized ahead of time that it wasn't heated if we had parsed the listing more closely, but this resulted in our not getting much use or enjoyment out of the pool, which was a significant disappointment for the kids. In addition to not being heated, the pool lacks any kind of cover, which would have been able to trap some heat. Despite the cool temps, it was sunny while we were there, so a solar cover would definitely have helped. According to the manager, rental houses in the area with heated pools cost $125 more per day. If having warm water is important to you, I recommend you put that to the test. On the one day that we did use the pool, we found several pieces of broken glass along the edge of the pool deck. The glass was presumably from prior guests and was not cleaned up by the guests or by the cleaning service. (The nonrefundable cleaning fee for this house is steep and should include, at a minimum, cleaning up broken glass.) Fortunately no one stepped in it. The grill pictured in the the listing (photo 13 of 24) was not there when we arrived. Instead, there was a charcoal barbecue contraption that did not have a cooking grate. I texted the manager, and to her credit, she responded immediately and arranged to have a gas grill delivered to the house later that night. The grill that was delivered was smaller than the one pictured in the posting, but it did the job. That said, I don't recall ever before renting a vacation house where the listing misrepresents one of the primary amenities. The house has clearly been renovated very recently and has many cool high-tech features (like motion sensors for certain lights and smart TVs in every room). The owner clearly missed a few things, however. For example, there is no fan in the master bathroom. Although the bathroom was perfectly clean while we were there, this will likely be a mold/mildew hazard as time goes on.

We needed a house where we could have quality time with loved ones, sharing home cooked meals and playing games, and that is exactly what we got! The only reason I didn’t give a perfect score is that the house is so newly refurbished, it was missing some kitchen essentials which I purchased and left for the next guests, and the guest book did not provide some basic information on how to operate the thermostat, fireplace (which is lovely) and lighting and some quirks with the cable tv (although there are 4 TVs, only 2 have cable), and despite the excellent responsiveness of the property manager, it took me a day to figure out that the remote only worked if pointed in the lower right corner of the screen or directly at the cable box sitting behind the tv. Although the guest book does reference that the garbage needs to be put out on Tuesdays and brought back in on Wednesdays, it would have been nice for that to be in the published house rules on the HomeAway site. As it was, we arrived on Wednesday and the trash had not been taken out and was full. Location was great, near a Supermarket and Balboa Park. The house itself is quite welcoming and comfortable!