Gorgeous Catalina Villa in Hamilton Cove

My two-bedroom, two-bathroom villa in Catalina sleeps 6 with a full kitchen and an incredible ocean view. I’ve nicknamed my place “Sense of Porpoise.” Dolphins, whales and other sea life are often spotted from my oceanfront patio. The villa is in a gated community called Hamilton Cove, which includes a swimming pool, hot tub, rec room, tennis courts and a nine-hole put course. A six-person golf cart is included. Welcome to my favorite place in the world. This villa, located in the gated Hamilton Cove community, is the perfect home base for all your Catalina adventures. The unit sleeps six in two bedrooms, the master bedroom with a new King sized "medium cloud" Temper-pedic mattress. The secondary bedroom with a queen Temper-pedic mattress. The living room also serves as a sleeping area with a a top-of-the-line sofa bed. I have a full kitchen for you to prepare your own meals (or mix your own drinks) when you’re not in town sampling the amazing cuisine Catalina’s restaurants have to offer. A six-person golf cart is included in the rental that will satisfy all your transportation needs. I’ve nicknamed my place “Sense of Porpoise,” but it is otherwise known as Hamilton Cove Unit 2-34. My patio features eight deck chairs, and table for your party to gather while you watch for dolphins and look at the ships coming to and from the island. There are four villas on this level that share the patio, so you will likely see other vacationers from time to time enjoying the same view from their section of the deck. The living room features a 70-inch smart TV for to stream your favorite Netflix, Amazon and HBOMAX shows (with your own accounts). Both bedrooms also have smart TVs with streaming available. Traditional cable channels are available on the TVs in the living room and master bedroom for anyone in your party who needs to catch the big game. So I purchased a $4,000 pullout couch that’s a legitimate queen bed, even for adults. It has no mechanisms or springs that will poke you in the back. When converted to a bed, it is on the firm side, but it’s more comfortable than a traditional pullout. The queen Tempur-pedic mattresses in the second bedroom and the King in the main bedroom are on the softer side. The master bedroom faces the ocean with an attached bathroom, a 40-inch TV with cable and streaming services, and a ceiling fan. It has doors that open directly onto the patio. If you crack open the blackout curtains, you can watch the sun rise over the horizon while you’re laying in bed. The bathroom includes a tub-shower combo. The guest bedroom has a queen bed, a Roku TV, and a closet full of goodies. It is adjacent to the main bathroom off the living room and kitchen. It features a walk-in shower. In the closet of the guest bedroom I’ve left you putters, golf balls, a football, basketball, tennis rackets, tennis balls and a croquet set. There’s a couple beach chairs to take down to the shore. Hamilton Catalina. You get the best of both worlds. You’re just a short five-minute golf cart ride into the town of Avalon, but you have a whole private resort community with amazing amenities other visitors to the island can’t access. There’s a heated swimming pool, hot tub, 18-hole putting course, tennis courts, beach volleyball, a basketball court, picnic tables and a playground. There’s a gym with weights and cardio machines. You have a private beach area that’s less crowded than the shoreline in town. Ninety percent of the villas in Hamilton Cove require the use of stairs, and my unit is no exception. It’s in Building 2, halfway down from the top, and halfway up from the bottom. My parking spot is at the base of the building, so you must climb 82 steps to get to the front door. If you don’t like stairs, or someone in your party has mobility issues, this villa is DEFINITELY NOT FOR YOU. Stairs comes with the territory at Hamilton Cove. The community was built in the early 1980s and elevators were not included, nor are they feasible the way the buildings are engineered. Here’s a tip, though. When you’re coming back from town, have the driver of the golf cart let everyone else in your party out at the top of the building so they can walk DOWN the stairs to the villa (it is 76 steps from the top). The driver will have to take one for the team and walk UP from the bottom. I require you to sign a rental agreement after you book, promising not to ruin the place. 1. Guest acknowledges access to Hamilton Cove Unit 2-34 requires the use of stairs. It is 82 steps from the bottom of Building 2 to the front door of Unit 2-34 "Sense of Porpoise." It is approximately 76 steps down from the top of Building 2 to the front door of the Unit. Guest acknowledges Building 2 has no elevators. 2. The check-in time is 4 p.m. and the check-out time is 11 a.m. year-round. Early check-ins and late check-outs are not permitted. 3. No animals or pets of any kind will be brought onto the premises. Violations are subject to $250 fines, to be charged to guest's credit card. 4. On the eve of Guest's departure date, Guest shall refill the gas tank of the golf cart provided with the Unit. The Santa Catalina Island Gas Station is located on Pebbly Beach Road just south of the Buffalo Nickel restaurant. 5. There shall be no smoking inside the premises. Smoking is not permitted within 20 feet of any door or hallway, or on the oceanfront patio. 6. No more than 6 persons are allowed to stay in the unit. The names of all guests must be disclosed at the time of booking. Access to Hamilton Cove is contingent on the guests' names being provided to Management in a timely manner. Individuals not on the official guest list will be denied entry to Hamilton Cove at the gated entry. 7. High speed wireless Internet is provided as a convenience only and is not integral to this agreement. No refund of rents shall be given for outages, content, lack of content, speed, access problems, lack of knowledge of use, or personal preferences with regard to Internet service. 8. No facility services prohibited by government order or required to be closed by the Hamilton Cove Homeowners Association shall be available during your stay. This can include, but is not limited to, the pool, hot tub, gym, tennis courts or other facilities and amenities. There shall be no refunds of rents due to ruined expectations related to any closures of the Hamilton Cove facilities and amenities. 9. Guest shall behave in a civilized manner and shall be good neighbors respecting the rights of the surrounding property owners. Guest shall not create noise or disturbances likely to disturb or annoy the surrounding property owners. Creating a disturbance of the above nature shall be grounds for immediate termination of this agreement and Guest shall then immediately vacate the premises. Quiet hours start at 10 p.m. and outdoor and indoor noise should be kept to a minimum until 9 a.m. 10. Per Hamilton Cove rules and regulations, Guest shall not create any noise from the patio after 10 p.m. Guest is encouraged to come inside when quiet hours are in effect. 11. Management shall provide towels, linens, dishes, cups, knives, forks, spoons and "starter supplies" of soap, toilet paper, shampoo and other items. Additional toiletries and other consumables are to be purchased by Guest. No reimbursement will be made for unused consumables left at the premises. 12. Guest shall maintain the premises in a good, clean condition, and use the premises only in a careful and lawful manner. Guest's credit card shall be charged for any maintenance or repairs should the premises be left in a lesser condition. 13. Guests shall hereby indemnify and hold harmless Management and Unit Owner against any and all claims of personal injury or property damage or loss arising from Guest acts or omissions during use of the premises regardless of the nature of the accident, injury or loss. This includes, but is not limited to, the pool and access to the public beach. Guest expressly recognizes that any insurance for property damage or loss which Management may maintain on the property does not cover the personal property of Guest, and that Guest should purchase their own insurance if such coverage is desired. 14. Guest agrees to pay all reasonable costs, attorney's fees and expenses that shall be made or incurred by Management enforcing this agreement. 15. There shall be no refunds of rents due to shortened stays or ruined expectations because of weather conditions, work and family emergencies or other commitments. 16. Management has the right to inspect the premises without prior notice at any time to enforce the terms of this agreement. Should Guest violate any of the terms of this agreement, the rental period shall be terminated immediately. Guest waives all rights to process if they fail to vacate the premises upon termination of the rental period. Guest shall vacate the premises at the expiration time and date of this agreement. 17. Management is not responsible for lost items. Should Management locate an item left behind by Guest, a minimum $25 fee to package and ship the item shall be charged to Guest credit card should Guest desire to have the lost item returned.