Los Angeles holiday house

We're a well-traveled family who has stayed in vacation rentals throughout Europe and US. So far, this is the BEST vacation rental in the US we've stayed at for the price--A real find. Couldn't emphasize that enough. Great location, well appointed, CLEAN!! And updated.

I appreciated greatly that it was a no-smoking, no-pets property. We do have dogs at home but I don't really want to pay money to relax on the same sofa that has housed lots of dogs.

LAYOUT: Recommend this to any professional or family traveler. The place is large --1000 square feet (Second bedroom actually has 4 twin beds in it.) Very comfortable and spacious for our family. Made the trip feel more like a vacation than a hotel stressor with cramped quarters. We're a family of six but didn't feel like we were trampling on each other. Having the second half-bathroom made mornings easy. Large back yard/private patio. Nice to have coffee in morning and BBQ in the evening.

LOCATION: Very mellow, quiet, residential street, but close to all the hot spots so we didn't have to hassle with the LA traffic congestion to see everything we wanted to see. The map on the site is wrong. The townhouse is actually a mile north of Universal Studios. The metro and the NoHo city center is walking distance---BUT---LA is a CAR town so you should rent a car especially if you're visiting in the summer. Parking always effortless.

OWNER: Really appreciated that I could check-in as soon as I arrived. Didn't have to wait around until it was convenient for the owner to meet me. Which is impossible with kids after a long flight. Owner and her husband were very sweet, pleasant people.

Thanksgiving Week, Nov. 25-30 ,'08
This was my family's first time ever, booking a vacation rental instead of a hotel. We were correct in trusting the previous reviews which detail specific provisions and cleanliness- they are all spot on. This rental will be our first choice for accomodations when we return to LA. The customer service and attention given by Laurie, the owner was responsive, warm and authentic. She was patient and approachable with all our "first timer" questions. Payment is safe, easy and unlike hotel bookings, NO additional fees like parking, laundry sevice,hotel taxes, internet fees that end up costing you 5 star prices for a 2 star hotel. You really gets a lot for your money here.The amenities and layout of this rental felt tailor-made for my husband, 2 college age sons, and me. The 2 bedroom,2 bathroom, 2 story duplex is condusive to perfect harmony within a family with varied sleep and activity schedules.The boys could stay up late, sleep in. My husband could go work-out at the nearby gym,stop at the bakery, grocer,and cobbler and I could have my morning coffee on the patio in solitude. ( I picked an orange for breakfast-how cool is that?) ALL without disturbing each other- THAT is a great vacation experience.You just can't do all that in a hotel. The location makes you feel immediately immersed in the hip,happening NoHo community; comfortable getting onto the nearby 134, 101 and 5 freeways, working out a the Y,enjoying the fun dining,shopping. A quality neighborhood cobbler will resole a shoe within a day. A one of a kind hardware store there will fix the tiny broken key
ring on a zip drive for your laptop.
We have visited LA many times but have never spent less time in the car- all because of the central location of this rental. Thus we could do so much more in day. Getting to the Hollywood, Culver City restaurants and attractions, The Getty Museum, USC, Glendale Galleria and Americana Shopping Center ,
Burbank airport, all quick and easy!

We had a great stay at this property.
Laurie, the owner, was very nice and helpfull.

Everything was like it said in the description. A nice and clean duplex in a quiet and friendly neighbourhood in Noho, very close to Burbank and Universal City and not too far from the touristic attractions in Hollywood.
All the big studios are close by. We recommend the NBC studio tour in Burbank, very cheap ($ 8.50), interesting and fun (much better than the one in New York). Also try to get tickets for a taping of The Tonight Show and make sure you're there on time, it's worth it !

We went to some of the restaurants and coffee shops Laurie recommended, all very good. Laurie also provided a list of supermarkets, pharmacies etc in the neighbourhood, which was very helpfull.
Being close to Burbank airport was not a problem, the only "noise pollution" was caused by the barking dogs next door. (luckily not at night). The dogs were not really a big problem, but it made us miss our own dog even more.
The description says up to 8 people can sleep in this house, that 's true, but I wouldn't recommend it (only 1 small bathroom). It 's perfect for 2 to 4 people though.
If you're in LA for a week or longer, don't hesitate to lease this house. It really is a home away from home.