What is a good family resort in the San Diego area?

Question

We're looking for a nice resort with family activities.

Answer 1

Legoland! It's just north of town. We went there with our three kids, who were 7, 12 and 15 at the time, and there was something for EVERYONE to do.

Everything is Lego themed, no surprises there, but there are many rides and they're adapted to all different ages. If you were to think of the park as a clock face, the gate is at 6:00. Moving clockwise, the rides at 7 and 8 o'clock are all for very young kids -- there's a cute little storybook-land boat ride where all the fairy tale figures are depicted in life-size Lego sculptures. But they all have a twist, some little humorous detail that will have the adults chuckling even as the littlest ones are enjoying Red Riding Hood or the Three Little Pigs as full-size Lego figures.

The rides closer to 12 o'clock on our imaginary clock face were faster and had more action; we all liked one where you spin around on water and get splashed (very popular in August). And by the time you get to 3 or 4 PM, there were some very fast roller-coasters that the oldest kids though were super.

In the middle of the park there's a fantastic Lego display -- scenes from famous cities throughout North America reconstructed out of Lego, so you can walk past miniature San Francisco cable cars (scaled for the Lego minifigs), a New Orleans jazz funeral, a piece of the Manhattan skyline, the Capitol dome in Washington, D.C., and more. And even better, you can ride a boat around an international version of the same thing -- the Sydney Opera House, the Taj Mahal, the Eifel Tower, and some US scenes like Mt. Rushmore (with two little Lego guys on a scaffold cleaning George Washington's ear... with a giant Lego Q-tip.)

It's cute, it's charming, and it's clean and well-organized. Everything's done with good humor and creativity (no surprise if your kids have any Lego toys), and the food is even good. We loved it, all of us.

And of course, you can't miss the San Diego Zoo -- huge, diverse, and beautiful. Plus there's Balboa Park, with art museums and historical exhibits. There's the Old Globe Theater, a reproduction of Shakespeare's original theater with a variety of plays. And there's Sea World, with shows, exhibits and beautiful landscaping.

And... I just realized you might have meant a resort where you can stay, be treated to spa-type activities and more. There's the La Costa Spa and Resort just north of San Diego, which is famous and fairly exclusive; I have friends who live in the residential area adjacent to the spa, and I've attended some functions with them in La Costa. I'm not much of a resort-goer myself, but it's first-rate. There's also a resort in Del Mar, the community about ten minutes north of San Diego; I stayed at the main resort in Del Mar (Rancho Del Mar? It's been a while...) some ten years ago for a conference/convention and it was really quite stunning -- great catering, tremendous location (right down at the water's edge near the racetrack), and wonderful accommodations.

If you're looking to spend your money selectively on the trip, consider staying at any of the usual hotel/motel accommodations and visiting the attractions and parks. That worked great for us. We just ended up staying at a clean but modest spot in "Motel Circle," which is a centrally located stretch of access road adjacent to one of the main highways that reach into San Diego, and then visited the tourist attractions as we had time. Virtually all the motels have pools, and there are a LOT of attractions in San Diego with family activities.

And... depending on what your kids like, you should know that from anywhere in Motel Circle, you're only about a two-hour drive from Disneyland. Wear comfortable shoes, and be prepared to hear yourself ask, "Now, how much is that in American money?" every time you're asked to pay for something. Whether you choose to conceal this or to offer it for their edification is up to you. :-)

Answer 2

I just toured about 21 hotels on a trip to San Diego to look for meeting space. The places that I think would be best for a family are the Hilton San Diego Resort (it's very close to Sea World on MIssion Bay), Paradise Point (on another part of Mission Bay). There is another place that I didn't see. It's called Catamaran. It's right in Pacific Beach and it was close to a lot of fun activities. Have a fun trip.

Answer 3

Hilton San Diego Resort and Paradie Point. Both are on Mission Bay. Hotel del Coronado and Loews Coronado Bay in Coronado Island. Catamaran Resort in Pacific Beach

Answer 4

Adding a correction to Scott's answer, the area where he stayed at is Hotel Circle, which runs right along the 8 freeway. In that area there are two malls (Fashion Valley Mall and Mission Valley Mall), and just 5 to 10 minutes away is Sea World (by going west on the 8, going on I-5 North, and exiting on Sea World Drive). Also nearby Hotel Circle is the San Diego (which you can get to by taking the 8 freeway to the 163 or I-5 south).

Answer 5

Check out Paradise Point. Used to be Vacation Village in the old days. My family has enjoyed this place a few times when our kids were younger. We live in San Diego and this was a real get away.

Answer 6

I used to work at La Costa Resort and they always had the kids doing odd things, but fun. For example, my friend who worked in the Spa w/ me was asked to dress in a Seal outfit and play with the kids. It was so wierd, just funny really. A client of mine actually said her kids were loving the Seal character. Anyway check there website.

Answer 7

Mission Bay might be a good choice for a hotel because there are lots of water sports equipment and bicycle rentals in the area that you might be interested in. It's lots of fun to have a bonfire on the beach....there are fire pits provided for this on most beaches.

Coronado can also be a fun place for families....there are rental companies, gondola rides, and more.

Answer 8

The best one is Hotel del Coronado, check it out at hoteldel.com. Not cheap, but beautiful and right on the beach w/ 2 pools and lots for kids to do.