BEWARE HORRIBLE INTERNET SERVICE IN OTHERWISE FINE BUILDING.
Unit 1806. Rented for one week through Shoreline Properties, which provided great rental services.
Generally okay, with one MAJOR caveat: If you need the building-supplied WiFi service to be of use for anything beyond 1996 AOL dial-up level needs, DO NOT stay here.
Richard H. is right about the internet. The building-supplied WiFi is. The. Worst. Ever. Upload/download speed is sub-one megabit. Useless for anything except very basic browsing and email checking. Signal doesn't even make it to the couch or master bedroom; I had to buy a WiFi extender to make the service reach past the dining area. Once you actually do establish a connection, you are stuck with a login screen out of the last century, and randomly have to login again from time to time.
Thankfully, the cable TV service supplied is okay, because forget about trying to using a streaming service or even casting from your laptop to the TVs via Roku (you still need decent internet to set this up through Roku; IDK about other sticks.)
$39/night motels do WiFi internet better than this. Jeez, MCDONALDS does it better. IDK if the cause is just general cluelessness on the part of the Board, or penny-pinching, but they have got to get into this century with the internet service if they want to compete. I noticed that some other units in the building supply their own WiFi service; presumably the owners contract out through xfinity for this. I am so jealous of those units right now.
This was one of the first high-rise condos built in OC, and although it is an older building, the units have a much roomier layout than in most of the later developments. It's big enough to live in, unlike a lot of the other vacation condos in the area. Every unit has both a beachfront balcony AND a bayview balcony, for great sunrise and sunset views. Building amenities are very basic, but has indoor pool open until 10pm. Huge outdoor deck at ground level, if you don't feel like trekking to the beach. Very convenient location to shopping and services
$35 fee on check-in at the building payable via cash or credit card to register your car for the week. Registration fees are pretty standard at the OC high-rises, and I thought the fee was quite reasonable. The fee buys you one parking spot. I didn't need any additional spots this year, but last year you could purchase them for $5 per vehicle per night.
As for the individual unit: Furnishings are not super-fancy, but for the price they are more than okay, with some personal touches that help you feel like you are sharing somebody's home.
STUNNING view of the beach from a HUGE patio shared by the living area and master bedroom. Patio goes all the way across the whole unit, unlike most of the other condos in OC where MBR at best has partial access through a side door. The unit has an additional private patio across the hall with great views of the bay. Plenty of seating outside. Simple but modern appliances in kitchen, and they all work. Full-sized washer/dryer in unit. Basic flat-screen displays in living area and both bedrooms, all with basic cable service.
Lots of great pictures on the Shoreline Properties rental site, so I won't post them here..
The rental agent service is great. Killer odor issue in the MBR on check-in -- pet smell? (Renter pets are not allowed in the building, but who knows.) The rest of the unit was fine, and a call to Shoreline Properties got a prompt response and somebody over to deal with the problem in about an hour, on a busy holiday weekend. Initial deodorizing didn't work, so they're sending over somebody to do a full carpet and mattress cleaning, without even blinking. The maintenance department could not be more pleasant or easier to deal with.
If it wasn't for the internet issues, I would gladly consider coming back. The unit is nice and big for the price, with unrivaled outdoor access. But that internet? These days, having service barely better than dial-up is a deal-killer. It's too bad, because otherwise I could see coming back year after year. read more