Perfect in Every Way

Michelle W. ()
Review submitted: April 10, 2013   Date of arrival: April 1, 2013

We had a group of 13 (two families plus a couple of extras) in this ovely home the first week of April, 2013. It was great for all ages (our group ranged from age 5-68). One family stayed in the House & another in the Cottage. A teenaged boy stayed by himself in the Casita. He thought it was quite the pad! The place was clean, the beds were comfy, the common space was large, with a nice open floor plan, the kitchen and baths were stocked with basic necessities, and the location couldn't be beat. Really perfect for our group. We visited Disneyland (40 minutes in the HOV lanes), the San Diego Zoo (1 hour), San Juan Capistrano mission, the tide pools behind the Dana Point Ocean Institute, went on Captain Dave's Dolphin Safari in Dana Point, and spent lots of time at the beautiful beaches playing in the water (some of us in rented wetsuits). We only wish we could've stayed longer. There were so many things to do nearby. We hope to return soon. And, when we do, we will make lemonade from the fresh lemons in the backyard -- something we didn't get to do! Thank you for the wonderful hospitality!

Recommended for: adventure seekers, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers, girls getaway, sight seeing, tourists without a car

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Helpful votes: 2 / 2

Teal Seal

nolalady (New Orleans)
Review submitted: November 28, 2012   Date of arrival: November 17, 2012

We maxed out the bed space at the Teal Seal. Our group consisted of adults and children from 11-18. We enjoyed the many amenities at the house. The location is convenient to the interstate, which does make it a tiny bit noisy, especially in the cottage and casita. But, overall our group could not have asked for a better place for our needs. Everything was clean, the furniture is sturdy but comfortable, and the kitchen is big enough to accommodate a couple of cooks at a time. We ate most of our meals at the house, and every appliance was in good working order. We walked to the beach daily and were happy to have use of the many "toys" left for the guests, like bicycles, volleyball and bocce balls. We found everything to be well maintained and in good condition. My only suggestion would be that we could have used a few more towels for such a large group, or would have brought some of our own if we knew there would be so few. Also, a bath mat in the main house would have made it easier to keep the bathroom floor clean. There were two mats in the cottage bathroom, so we just brought one over which made a huge difference. There is no bathroom in the casita, so it's a bit of a hassle if you have to get up in the middle of the night to go. But, for a week, it's entirely okay. We truly enjoyed our stay and the Teal Seal was a great place for our group.

Recommended for: families with young children, families with teenagers, girls getaway, pet-friendly, sight seeing

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Helpful votes: 4 / 4

Vacation home in San Clemente

M (Vancouver)
Review submitted: September 4, 2012   Date of arrival: August 26, 2012

The fact that there was a main house and a fully-equipped cabin in the back was very useful as we had two famlies with 2 kids each staying there. The house was clean and some things had been renovated such as the kitchen and the bathroom sink, which were very nice, but some things like the bath tub itself had not been renovated (although the showerhead was new). The large cabin and the kids bedroom in the main house had window air conditioning units, but the master bedroom in the main cabin did not, so it was a little stuffy at night, until we realized it was a pretty decent neighbourhood and kept the windows open all night. Also the master bedroom was very bright with transparent curtains, so there was no sleeping in. The house is close to the I-5, but we couldn't really hear the traffic from the bedrooms and weren't really bothered by it. All-in-all, our stay was pleasant, and we enjoyed the fact that we could make breakfast and lunch as well as do laundry easily. The owners were really responsive to our questions. Also, it was great that there were boogie boards and umbrellas for taking to the beach. We really enjoyed our stay in San Clemente.

Recommended for: families with young children, families with teenagers

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Helpful votes: 3 / 3

Amazing!!

april (Napa, CA)
Review submitted: August 15, 2012   Date of arrival: July 23, 2012

This property was exactly as described....AMAZING. The property has the cutest beach decor, is casual and comfortable plus loaded with beach accessories. The backyard was a favorite hangout spot plus perfect for unloading each evening from the beach without worry of surfboards getting stolen. The property was clean and so much fun for our family of 6 plus visiting guests that came to play. The back house was perfect for our older children to hang out, watch TV and enjoy 'sleepovers' when guests weren't visiting.

The only thing we could recommend adding to this home would be an outdoor shower...but the hose worked perfectly too! Thanks for a wonderful vacation.

Recommended for: families with young children, families with teenagers, girls getaway, tourists without a car

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Helpful votes: 2 / 2

Teal Seal, cuter than the pictures!

Grammy Jill (Prescott,AZ)
Review submitted: July 16, 2012   Date of arrival: July 1, 2012

The Teal Seal compound was perfect for our large family gathering, including small children. Having the separate sleeping units was fabulous for privacy and putting kids down for naps. The accomodations were very thoughtful and more than what was expected: Toiletries in the bathrooms, highchair, very nice beds, plenty of pillows and blankets,boogie boards, beach chairs and bikes.We even picked lemons and made lemonade. Juicer was also provided. We could easily watch fire works from the front yard and walk or ride bikes to the beach and shops. Teal Seal was definitly 1st class.

Recommended for: age 55+, families with young children, people with disabilities, families with teenagers, girls getaway, pet-friendly, sight seeing

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Helpful votes: 2 / 2

Great Place for a Large Group!

Sophie (Orinda, California)
Review submitted: July 2, 2012   Date of arrival: June 23, 2012

My fellow graduates and I spent a week at this house as a final "senior trip", and we absolutely loved it. It was about a two minute drive from the beach and a ten minute walk, and was only a short walk to the shops on El Camino Real. The house was very, very nice, and perfect for a large group. The owners were very nice and provided boogie boards, beach chairs, and great restaurant recommendations. We would definitely go back!

Recommended for: families with young children, families with teenagers, girls getaway, sight seeing

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Helpful votes: 2 / 2

Very cool San Clemente beach cottage

JM (Hawaii)
Review submitted: June 26, 2012   Date of arrival: June 15, 2012

Nice beach cottage in nice beach town. Very comfortable and nice. Cool owner who cares and who surfs.
Came here from Hawaii for my kid's surf contest at lowers. Good set up. We will return.
Big Mahalo and Aloha to Abe and his family.

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Helpful votes: 0 / 0