i_am_kane

I am totally unfamiliar with southern California, so planning our upcoming trip at the end of October/beginning of November 2007, has me scratching my head.

We are a couple in our early-mid sixties and are in excellent health. We love children, but don't want to be surrounded by them when we want to relax (for instance) at poolside. Kids will be kids, as they should be.

I've spent a lot of time researching the San Diego area for hotels and am trying to put two things together: Room rate of approximately $150 per night, good location, nice pool area, good guest reviews. Not one hotel from La Jolla down to San Diego quite fit my requirements for this trip.

I took a long shot and reserved at the Hyatt Islandia, Mission Bay, which will be totally renovated ($53 million) by mid-2007. I was satisfied with my decision, until someone told me that "She would never stay in the Mission Bay area." She went on to say there is a boardwalk that is crowded, and not a place she would choose a hotel.

Can anyone shed some light on my hotel decision, whether good or bad?

Oh, and other thing...should I reconsider La Jolla and Del Mar?

sunbum1944

I am in your age group and I love staying in that area although I prefer to stay on the ocean side rather than the bay side-
That area does seem to get a bad rap but I love all the activity, walking on the board walk, eating at beachside restaurants etc. My favorite is the Green Flash. There are some kind of scruffy people around but I see more that look pretty normal who are enjoying the beach and having a good time.
My really favorite place to stay is Carlsbad- which is north of DelMar but I would stay in Mission Beach area in a heartbeat.
Enjoy!

TahitiTams

Hi..
Hyatt Islandia was in dire need of a renovation and it is blocks away from the boardwalk of Mission Beach/Pacific Beach and on the bayside over the bridge so I don't think in Oct/Nov will be a problem with the craziness of how it is in the summer..
$150 a night seems about right.
I don't think alot of kids will be there during that time.
Just keep your wits about you if you are walking at night along the boardwalk.
The boardwalk is usually filled with lots of 20 somethings with their bikes/skateboards, weaving in and out so heads up.
La Jolla is a wonderful place to stay and usually you can get rates close to the $150+ for the Grande Colonial or the Hotel La Jolla or La Jolla Shores Hotel which is oceanfront..
Just depends on the dates and time.
Have a great time and will be happy to answer any questions you might have.

i_am_kane

sunbun, oh, yes 1944 - I'm 1943, a very good year!

I chose an ocean view hotel room at the Hyatt. This hotel "should" be beautiful when completely renovated.

Your description of the boardwalk scene is much like what my friend described. She was concerned about personal safety also, and she and her husband did not get out of the car.

I don't want to fly across the country (from Connecticut) and have an unpleasant experience. If it's a risky area, I may just cancel the Hyatt.

TahitiTams, I keep looking at the Grande Colonial's web site, and have signed up for notification of their special offers. However, if it's a desireable hotel, those offers may never appear in my "in" box.

I also need to factor in the parking charge these hotels have tacked on, plus all the taxes you pay at check-out.

I will monitor the rates at the Grande Colonial, Hotel La Jolla & La Jolla Shores Hotel, and make a change if the cost is favorable.

If I told you where I enjoy vacationing, maybe it would be a guide as to lodging in SoCal: Numero Uno: Italy. I love Italy hands down. I also enjoy other European cities. I enjoyed Carmel, Santa Barbara and San Francisco.

I did not enjoy San Juan, PR, Los Angeles, and don't especially care for parts of Florida.

Is there a particular area of San Diego that might be a good match for us on our 6-day vacation?

Thank you both for replying.

TahitiTams

HI..
From what you are describing to me, I think you would be better suited in a either Coronado/La Jolla/Del Mar or Carlsbad.
All of the above towns have a quaint Euro feel..upscale with great restaurants, shops and gorgeous beaches.
Did you try Expedia?
What are your dates, so I can check too..
My bestfriend is from Litchfield so I want to help you out any way I can!

vivi

Personally I would much prefer beautiful La Jolla to Mission Bay, parts of which do border on seedy. My daughter lives in Mission beach and I am very familiar with the area, it's funky and action packed. La Jolla is much more scenic and upscale in my opinion. I would much prefer to stroll along Coast Blvd in La Jolla to the Mission Beach boardwalk.

vivi

Also--La Jolla has much more of a village feel to it than Mission beach which seems to have a lot of tattoo parlors and bong shops!

Barbara

I agree that Coronado, La Jolla or Del Mar might be better choices for you. I think Carlsbad is a long drive to get to anything in San Diego.

i_am_kane

I woke up this morning to a wintery storm and replies from Fodorites (guess which one is better)! LOL

TahitiTams, Litchfield, CT - a beautiful area. I live in lower Fairfield County.

Our arrival date is October 26 (John Wayne County Airport), and the departure date is October 31. It looks like we should take Route 5 south. After that we are headed to Palm Springs, CA for another four days.

Yes, the euro/village ambiance is exactly what we enjoy. As to the travel web sites I have tried so far: All the major airlines, AAA, AARP, Expedia, Travelocity, Hotwire, Priceline, Kayak, hotels.com, hoteldiscount, Orbitz, travelweb, 800usahotels, quikbook etc., etc. Too many to list here. I've spent weeks reading reviews on tripadvisor.

I've researched Shelter Island, and it appears to be secluded - not something we are looking for on this trip.

I've never had such a difficult time nailing down a hotel..it seems like the San Diego area is spread out into individual areas that are different from one another.

One more thing - we will not be visiting the zoo, or Seaworld. This trip is mostly about relaxing and taking our time exploring the area.

I really appreciate all the help everyone is giving me.

vivi

I think La Jolla is what you are looking for, not Mission Bay.

There are several parts to La Jolla....you could stay down in La Jolla Shores (great beach, beautiful park) which is on the sand. There is a small shopping street there which is cute. Or you could stay in downtown La Jolla which has lots of shopping and dining in a Euro-village type setting. There isn't an expansive sandy beach in this part of La Jolla--there are dramatic bluffs, a few patches of sand in coves, another beautiful park; it is a lovely area.

Beware of hotels that tout themselves as located in La Jolla ( for example the Radisson, Embassy Suites, the Hyatt.) These are located in the University Town Center area which is high denisty business and apartments, not a vacation-like spot and a good 10-15 minute drive to La Jolla proper.

Barbara

You're right, San Diego is very spread out. There's no densely-populated center, although our downtown is much more populated than it used to be. This is part of the charm for those of us who live here, although it's not very convenient for visitors. LOL! It's also why you really need a rental car here. There isn't one area which will serve all your needs; you will have to drive to most of the sites like the Zoo, Sea World, etc. Don't miss going to the Cabrillo National Monument on Point Loma. I think you will like it a lot.

TahitiTams

Hi..
La Jolla hands down is where you want to be and in the heart of the village.
You might want to look into
La Jolla Inn, this small Euro style Hotel right next to La Valencia Hotel in LJ...great location and fits in your budget with an ocean view room..across the street from the Pacific and a perfect location..
smack in the middle of town.
Empress Hotel is in a great location as well but needs renovation the last I checked..LJ Best Western by the Sea is ok but its still a BW.
There is a small motel on the coast, Scripps Inn..a couple of blocks from the village but it is more of a motel.
Did you try to go direct with the
Grande Colonial Hotel? I love this classic hotel..the owners are really nice and have interest in the LJ Beach and Tennis Resort.
Keep us posted!

www.lajollainn.com

tennislvr1

We've traveled alot to San Diego in the past 15 months as our son is going to college there.
Great area, but you are right..San Diego is spread out. We stayed in Mission Bay late last August and it was fine. We stayed at the Dana and the rooms were a bit disappointing. Very dark, smelled of antiseptic, pool was jammed with people at 4:00 p.m. but close proximity to the bay. We rented a boat on the bay and it was a big mistake, it was so crowded it was like bumper cars on the water. So nerve racking!
October/November should be quieter on the bay and a great time to visit weather wise. I heard the Islandia is undergoing a major renovation, so you should be fine. We're going to try La Jolla ourselves this spring. Coronado Island is nice, but a bit removed from the downtown San Diego area. We tried the Loews Coronado Resort and it is WAY too far from the downtown area...took us almost 15 minutes to get to downtown Coronado. Most of San Diego is "al fresco" - the two shopping malls I frequent - Mission Valley area and Horton Plaza are both outside malls - and of course, Sea World is on the bay and can be chilly at night. I know this doesn't answer your questions, but I do want to pass along a couple of hints...

Also, here's a hint of a great restaurant if you like something different..its called "Hash House A Go GO. (don't let the name sway you). Great food, always a line, is in the Gas Lamp District and the portions are HUGE. Well worth the wait and if you have breakfast you won't need to eat again until dinner. I think its on 5th street or somewhere close by.
Order the applewood bacon egg dish...delish!
If you need more hints, let me know. We've tried several places in and around San Diego, so I'd be glad to share our experiences. San Diego is so much fun..we are thrilled that our son chose a college with such a great place to visit!

Barbara

Hash House is at the Hillcrest end of 5th Avenue, not in the Gaslamp.

TT, how many of those La Jolla hotels have pools? It sounded like the OP would like one.

TahitiTams

Hey Barbara,
The Grande Colonial has a small pool and the BW too but working with $150 in LJ is hard enough to find at that rate with pool too..
The pools at both of these places IMO wouldn't be something I would want to hang out..
Hopefully, the weather will be gorgeous and they can hang at LJ Shores or LJ Cove.
La Valencia pool is wonderful but its hard to weasel into..

Lori

Don't worry too much about kids they should be in school when you go, but pools may not be where I'd spend time in early Nov. I lived in So. CA for a long time (we also had a pool) and it's quite cool (sometimes cold) by then, not exactly pool or beach weather alot of the time. It's always cooler along the coast then inland as well.

i_am_kane

I am learning so much about this area that I didn't know (or thought I knew). I was assuming temperatures would hover about 75 degrees during the day and we were hoping for lots of sunshine. (I know, no guarantee with the weather.)

I've looked at the La Jolla Inn a couple of times, but something isn't hitting me right. First of all, the web photograph makes it look like a triangle and it's right on the sidewalk on two sides. Odd looking, but the price is right.

Dear old hubby wants to lay out in the sun a couple of hours each day. That's his idea of a good vacation. I don't really mind, because I'll catch up on my reading. However, after a couple of hours of that scene, we will be out and about.

Are LJ Shores and LJ Cove beach areas? If they are, can you rent lounge chairs? Are there restaurants closeby?

tennis - thanks for popping in here and giving me the low-down on your San Diego "experience."

The only price I can find (and the best price) for the Grande Colonial Hotel is $205 per night without breakfast, plus parking is an additional $16 per night. Then you have to add on all those taxes.

If I could find a lower room rate at the Grande Colonial, it would be my first choice.

Barbara

It's really difficult to guess what the weather will be. At the time of year you will be here, we could have temperatures as high as the 80s, or it could be cooler. I think it's usually in the 70s during the day and chiily at night. There's no way to tell so far in advance.

vivi

La Jolla Shores is a very large beach area, approx one mile long and pretty wide when the tide is low. Fulltime lifeguard station. Lounge chairs are available for guests in front of the 2 hotels located there but there are no lounge chair rentals at the main beach where the public parking lot is located. It could be a bit chilly to lounge in the sand in late October but the beautiful lawn area is a good place to sit in the sun and be out of the wind. There are a few restaurants in this area, but it is mostly residential.

La Jolla Cove itself is a very tiny, scenic beach, sometimes at high tide it is non-existent. Scripps Park is located above it, also part of the La Jolla Cove area, and is a wonderful place to sit in the sun and enjoy a stunning view. There are no lounge chair rentals there. There are many places to eat up in the village which is about a block uphill behind the Cove.

You might just want to dash in Target or Walmart and pick up some chairs when you arrive. Or your hotel may provide collapsable chairs for guests to take out for the day.

tennislvr1

you might just luck out and get a nice warm spell around the end of October. So. Calif. is very unpredictable - I sat out by my pool 2 weeks ago and enjoyed the sunshine for about 2 hours, and that was Feb., so go figure.
Don't bank on finding beach chairs in Oct. at a discount store I tried to buy a styrofoam ice chest in a Von's market in SD and the manager said "thats a seasonal item." It was October! I laughed and said "storing drinks on ice is a "seasonal item?"

Yes, you take the 5 south after arriving at John Wayne. If you arrive during peak travel hours, expect alot of traffic. Orange County is jammed with cars, especially at the evening travel hours. You might want to hang in Orange County until the traffic dies down. It should take you about 1 1/2 hours to travel to SD. Dpending on where you stay, you might have to change freeways when you hit downtown San Diego - check a map before you get to the point. One holiday weekend it took us 3 1/2 hours to do the same trip. UGH! The price we pay for living in S. Calif!
You also might want to check out what plays are playing at the some of the playhouses. Rumor has it that Jersey Boys started at the La Jolla Playhouse! You might have to wait until closer to your arrival date to find out what's playing.
Barbara - thanks for clarifying where Hash House is - we just always head down 5th and look for the crowd of people waiting outside!