Notes from the host
La Colina
Featured in Best Homes in LA by Staycation on CBS (search for "villa of 100 games" on YouTube) w/the best homes in LA & winner of the Traveller Review Awards 2023 (10/10).
La Colina, Villa of 100 Games: Tech entrepreneur's contemporary villa w/views all the way to Catalina Island, nestled in the mountains, 3BR, 3 bath, pool, spa, grounds, palapa, gourmet pro kitchen, terrace, fireplace, garden, on a private street, mountain hiking trails, 3-car park, Flat screen, Netflix, Amazon, Disney Plus, music room, bongo, guitar.
Silent idyllic mountain setting just minutes from Pasadena. Wake up to roosters, ducks, birds. You can spot many species of birds, deer, coyotes, foxes, bobcats, peacocks and, if you are really lucky, a bear. Watch the sunset turning the mountains red. Take one of many incredible hikes from the trailhead just 100 yards from the property.
Enjoy our game room with billiards, ping pong, cornhole, foosball, dozens of board games, roulette, blackjack, craps, poker, backgammon, Monopoly, Scrabble, Boggle, chess, darts. Make a BBQ by the pool or enjoy our lighted spa at night while looking at the Moon come over the mountains. If you can’t find a game you want, ask for it and we will do our best to get it during your stay (for long enough stays).
Enjoy a new Mason & Hamlin grand piano, upright bass and drum set if you know how to play.
The house has been the location of a number of music video shoots, and will be featured in an upcoming episode of Staycation in CBS and Amazon Prime featuring the best homes in Altadena and Pasadena.
Immerse yourself in nature surrounded by songbirds, woodpeckers, deer and squirrels.
Located at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac in an idyllic peaceful calm mountain setting 15 minutes from beautiful Old Town Pasadena and the Rose Bowl, and less than half an hour from downtown LA.
Use the villa as a base to explore Disneyland, Hollywood, Disney Hall, SoCal beaches or even Joshua Tree or Idyllwild. Ask us for help designing your ideal California vacation --we've seen it all!
The house was owned by an architect, who expanded it significantly to enjoy California indoor/outdoor living, and has since been acquired by a California inventor, author, songwriter and tech entrepreneur. The Einstein Room boasts a collection of musical instruments, books by and portraits of the owner's great-granduncle, Albert Einstein.
If you want to play a game and we don't have it, ask for it and we will order it --offer valid for stays of 2+ nights for games up to $100.
Reviews by past guests include:
"The house is straight out of a movie. Everything was amazing. Thank you Alex" -Kristeen Lanigan
“Thank you for sharing your beautiful home. The views are stunning! This has been a wonderful vacation celebrating my two sons’ graduations”. -The Veritys
“Thank you so much for your generosity in sharing your home. It has been a fantastic home base for our family during this transition time and has made settling back into California living a delight.”
“Thanks Alex for providing a fantastic place to stay for our Rose Bowl adventure. We thoroughly enjoyed your home.” - Mark & Jeanette
“Dear Alex, thank you for providing a safe space for my 8 month old baby, 12 and 15 year old siblings. We created memories, bonded by the pool and cooked meals. The sounds of the morning bird calls were serene and peaceful. xoxo” Crystal and company
“An excellent site for a family gathering for my birthday.” Robert Kushner
“Thank you for this amazing house we had a lot of fun” -Matheo and friends from Montreal
“I am very happy with the home. It is very complete. Thank you”
“You have a beautiful house and we had an amazing time. I would recommend 10/10! Thank you for the stay. -Samar
“Thank you! We have left cool rocks we found on our hikes. Thanks for everything. “
“Thank you for an amazing stay! The house was awesome and we had a great time. As a gift we left a pool Floative. We hope future guests enjoy!” 7-25-2021
Nespresso machine available. Luxury towel warmer, too (out for repair). Professional kitchen with two ovens, two grills, three dishwashers, microwave, fully equipped.
Sleeping arrangements:
Three rooms, each on its own separate floor, each with its own bathroom. The top two are accessed from the main entrance; the third (California King), in suite with its bathroom, has its own separate entrance (accessible via stairs).
Beds: 1 queen bed, 1 California King, 1 full, 1 twin.
Plus an Inflatable queen bed available upon request; please ask for it before check in. Two bedrooms come standard. The third bedroom, accessible only through its separate outside entrance, can be rented with the main house for an additional $350/day, or separately.
There are 4 working fridges for guests: 1 large one in the kitchen and 3 small ones: 2 in the palapa, 1 at the bottom of the stairs. There is a fifth fridge in the kitchen for the owner’s use. If you need more space, contact the contact number provided.
****Parties are strictly forbidden unless by written permission of the owner. The presence of more people than booked without written authorization of the owner or loud music will terminate your rental immediately without a refund and will forfeit 100% of your security deposit. Neighbors will alert the local sheriff if you have more guests than authorized and the rental will be terminated immediately without any refund. The cameras around the entrance to the property will also alert the owner if this happens.****
Three areas are out of bounds: the locked door on the second floor, the garage and the elevator.
Note that one room is on the ground floor, one room requires inside stairs to access, and one room has two accesses through outside steps and its own separate outside entrance with no inside access to the rest of the villa. The lights to the outside steps are on the inside wall behind the sofa in the music room. The outside steps were just redone but if you have mobility issues, you probably want to stay in one of the other two rooms. This villa is not well suited for groups that need three rooms for mobility-challenged people.
*** No pouring anything into the pool or spa or you will be assessed the cost of draining it, cleaning the equipment and refilling it, which is at least $1,000. ***