We are planning a trip to the San Diego area in May. Was thinking about staying at the Welk Resort. We would be renting a 2 bedroom unit. Can anyone who has stayed there recently give me some info as to the resort, rooms, service, etc. Is there a difference staying at the Welk Resort or the Villas on the Green? We are a family of 4. Kids are 9 and 5. We are used to staying in pretty upscale resorts. How would the Welk compare.

Thanks for your help.

The Welk Resort is a glorifed Trailer Park right off the
I-15 and an hour north of SD..
I don't know about the villas but personally, I would not qualify this resort as upscale..
How long do you plan on renting?
Some great resorts in Carlsbad from the Four Seasons Aviara and La Costa Resort which LC caters really well to the kids with tons of stuff for them to do and the Spa and Deepak Chopra Center for the adults..

lacosta.com

My friend just stayed at the Four Seasons Aviara, and loved it. His pictures looked fantastic.He visted his brother who was staying at the Welk resort villas. The pictures looked better than I expected, but nothing like the Aviara. Carlsbad is a better location than Escondido. And keep in mind, Escondido could be hot especially if your trip is in late May.

I'm not sure I would call it a "glorified trailer park", but it is a retirement area and so I don't think it would be a great place for your young kids to stay. Also, it's not really close to anything. And I mean "anything".

If you plan on visiting the usual things that tourists do in San Diego, e.g. the Zoo, Balboa Park, Sea World, the Embarcadero- with the Maritime Museum, and the Midway Aircraft Carrier Museum,-Cabrillo National Monument, Mission San Diego de Alcala, etc. then you would be better staying in San Diego rather than in North County. If you stay in Carlsbad, you will spend a lot of time, and money on gas, driving back and forth.

Our friend who was the GM of the Welk Resort years ago labeled the resort as a 'glorified trailer park'..
I went on their site and I did not see the mobile homes you see off the freeway..
It looked like they have really put some money into the resort which is great but I don't think it would be the most ideal for you and your kids..
Carlsbad has great upscale resorts and with the kids, there is Legoland and the beaches to have fun and with a 2 bedroom unit, it sounds like you will be hanging around for a week or two and I know those kids want to play in the water.
Hotel Del in Coronado is another option and is always voted top ten beaches in the US..

Yes, we were planning on a week to 10 days. I was trying to pick a location that was centrally located. We planned on going to Sea World, Legoland, and Disneyland. I wanted a resort that would be fun for the kids with nice pools and activities for the days we just hang out. I thougt that the Welk looked family friendly and might be a fairly good location. I did see the Four Seasons and that looks beautiful. I was trying to keep this trip a little less expensive but I guess you get what you pay for right! Any other suggestions would be appreciated or other reviews on the Wesk.

Thanks again. I always get such good info from all of you.

Forget about the Welk Resort. It is in nowhere land.
Check out the Grand Pacific Palisades Resort in Carlsbad. It was nice when we stayed there five years ago, and it right next door to Legoland. It is also expanding like mad.
Other pluses for the resort are that it is just off 5, making getting around a little easier, there is a pretty good independent restaurant, Karl Strauss, adjacent to it, it is near a popular outlet mall, and there is a brand new golf course next door.
From Carlsbad, you will be about 30 minutes away from Sea World and 90-100 minutes (?) from Disney World.
There is a Best Western in Carlsbad by the beach that just renovated, but I don't know anything about the quality of the rooms. It is within walking distance of several restaurants, some stores, and a Starbucks.
You might also consider Newport Beach or Laguna Beach. You could get rooms right on the beach and you would be closer to Disney World but further from Sea World and Legoland.

Did you try Expedia?
Are you going over Memorial Day weekend..if so, prices jack up.
I have had really good luck with them but do always check direct too..if the hotel website is higher, I will call and ask them to match ..
I think Carlsbad is perfect fit for you and do check out La Costa..I get e-mails from them on special rates and we just stayed for a week when were displaced by the SD fires and it was lovely..they had all these great things for the kids and the adults didn't suffer with all the wonderful amenties..

I agree with Tahiti Tams. With what you plan on doing/ going to, and I think Carlsbad is a very good choice. FYI, your kids are a great age for Legoland.

Thank you so much for the great advice. We were planning on going the second or third week in May. That way we would avoid the holiday crowds. What is the weather like during that time? Is it warm enough to swim in the pools? At La Costa are the pools family friendly? Any slides for the kids? I am going to try and check out their website now.

Thanks again.

Just checked Expedia for mid May and La Costa was $349..too much unless you get upgraded to the suite in the newer part..
I like the hotel that mscarls suggested..Grand Pacific next to Legoland and that was $180 and looks really nice..great location to everything..maybe it will be cheaper if you go direct.
Four Seasons was $405 which for the FS is a good deal..
Weather can be so gorgeous in May and of course weather is unpredictable but should be great for pool swimming!

We just stayed at the Hilton San Diego resort last week and loved it. It's only 2 miles from Sea World and everything else is very close by car. We got it for $100/night from Priceline.

Agree with most of the above. Welk Resort is far from any attractions and a I think a retirement community. I used to take my MIL there for dinner because she loved Lawrence Welk. The gift shop in the lobby sells those polyester pants suits with sparkles.

In coastal southern California in May, we often get "May gray." The mornings are quite cloudy, and then it clears up in the afternoons. The temperatures are moderate.

According to the Weather Channel, the average high in May for Carlsbad is 73 degrees.

I would split your stay and stay up in Anaheim for the disneyland portion. I find when I take my kids there, the experience is better if we have a hotel to hang out in for a few hours in the mid afternoon. Plus you don't really want to drive back after a day at disneyland. It just makes for a very long day. Plus on the drive back to San Diego you could stop in Laguna Beach or Newport and see some additional sites. If you don't want to do the disney hotels, then I recommend the embassy suites or residence inn in Anaheim.

As far as San Diego, I would rethink where you want to stay, if Legoland is your only North County site, then I would think about staying some place closer to the main areas of San Diego. I just had to drive to Orange County twice in 4 days and kids in traffic do not mix.

There is a a new Sheraton Resort in Carlsbad that is opening up in March that is near Legoland. Another new hotel, the Grand Delmar just opened up and is also in North County. It looks like it will be a fabulous resort.

I don't really know of any resorts in San diego that have water slides. The resort Paradise Point has a fun kiddie pool with sand as well as two other pools plus a mini golf course which my kids enjoy. The Loews in coronado caters to kids and does things like "dive-in" movies. The Del in Coronado also caters to kids plus you can rent bikes and ride around town.

I would definitely not stay at the Welk. Its in the middle of nowhere, the area may have been affected by the fires and you will spend all your time on the freeway.

If you do want a water slide hotel. in Rancho Mirage near Palm Springs, a the Las Palmas Resort was renovated and the hotel put in a great water park as park of the hotel.

Hope this helps., itsv