Coronado or Del Mar?
 

Hello. We are planning our first trip to San Diego. I am torn between the Hotel Del Coronado and the L'Auberge del Mar. We want something really nice (we've had a really difficult year and are due for a big celebration) that's close to the beach.

Coronado sounds great, but there are such mixed reviews about the Hotel Del. Is Del Mar an equally nice/fun area? The L'Auberge there gets consistently excellent reviews, but I'm afraid the area wouldn't be as interesting as Coronado.

I've never been to southern California, so I welcome any advice! Thanks in advance!

I love the Del, but in your case, I think I'd go for the luxury of L'Auberge. Del Mar is a lovely town, with a nice beach and lots of fun shopping and food.

You can drive to La Jolla and Mission Beach areas in about 10 minutes and to Coronado in 25 or 30 minutes. Other San Diego attractions such as the Zoo and Balboa Park are about 20-25 minutes from Del Mar or 5-10 minutes from Coronado.

Thanks for the quick response! Why do you suggest L'Auberge if you love the Del? Is it that L'Auberge is a more luxurious hotel?

The Del is historic (if you're in the old building), beautiful and right on a long, white sand beach. Big old-fashioned pool, tennis courts, and some the common areas are just gorgeous. Decent food, but better elsewhere in coronado. I spent my wedding night here and have had many friends and relatives stay here and love it.

That said, the rooms are from the Victorian era..small, with wood floors and wood walls, so noise can be an issue if you aren't lucky with your neighbors. Ocean view rooms are very pricey, and many of the other rooms have no view at all.

L'Auberge is new and totally elagant; built for the luxury market, which has not really been tapped in San Diego till now . I've only eaten there, but some relatives who stayed overnight said they felt very pampered.

The Del can be hit or miss on the rooms, food and service and it sounds like you want a sure thing for this particular trip!

Thank you again, so much! This is very helpful. You're right, we do need a "sure thing" after a year filled with loss -- we need to get 2006 off with a bang! That's why I was nervous about Hotel Del. Reviews seems to be so mixed.

Thanks for your feedback on Del Mar.

Oh, I forgot to mention one thing -- we will have our two small children with us!! They are well-behaved so I'm not worried about that, but wonder if Hotel del Coronado might be more fun for them than L'Auberge del Mar. If anyone has any thoughts on that, that would be great. Thank you again!

hmmm, that makes a difference, as Del Mar is much more fun for adults and Coronado is better for families. You could still stay in Del Mar, but it will involve more driving.

Coronado has these great little bicycle surreys (with a fringe on top!) that you can rent by the hour to cruise around town. YOu can also rent regular bicycles - and kid seats too, I think from Holland's. Coronado is the BEST town for biking..safe wide streets, lots of quaint houses and lovely gardens to look at, and a fun park across from the public library at 6th and Orange. You can take a pedestrian ferry from the bottom of orange ave that is a lot of fun. $2 I think? and it will drop you over by the old sailing ship, The Star of India. Lots cheaper than a 'harbor cruise' and just the right length of time for kids. Coronado has a great little dinner theatre. Not sure if it would be appropriate for really tiny kids.

There used to be little paddle boats down on Glorietta bay that you can rent, but haven't done it for a few years so not sure.

The Del is right on the beach and there are opportunities for shell collecting, tide pools, and big boulders along Alameda Blvd that are GREAT fun to climb on. Frisbies are fun if it isn't too crowded.

BTW, when are you going? Water is cold in San Diego till late June/July, so the beach will obviously have different appeal depending on when you go.

With kids, Balboa park will be loads of fun...the Zoo,the train and merry go round out front of the Zoo (not open all year, so check)and the museums are great.Also the Reuben H. Fllet space center with Imax is good.

Also, if the Del still doesn't appeal to you for it's price, the Glorietta Bay Inn gets high praise fom many Coronado people. Check out the pictures as some of the rooms are not as interesting as others. It is right across the street from the Del, and faces Glorietta Bay, so you wouldn't be in a bad location.

L'Auberge is a wonderful hotel, and more modern chic than the Del, but definitely more of an adult place. The beach is a good downhill walk away, and not nearly as nice as the Del's beach. I think the kids would find the Del a lot more interesting. And as long as you don't mind the tourist traffic (and the potential for an older, smaller room -- although they aren't all small) the Del is really a special place. I think that's really the safer bet.

Del Mar beach, a really lovely beach by the way, is one of the most popular beaches for kids of all ages. The beach is across the road from the hotel. Coronado is very nice, too, but please don't think that Del Mar is an adult-only place, it's not.

I agree with Barbara. I love Del Mar, but in your case I might be tempted to lean towards the Del.
Everything that was said here seems correct - but the Del is a classic. As a historic property it may have its glitches, but it is still the Del. If you do not care for one of the smaller historic rooms, you might opt for the Ocean Towers, a modern annex to the old hotel.
I just heard that they are building a new infinity pool and spectacular spa as well as adding some rooms. So you might inquire at the hotel first whether this will affect your stay in any way (on the positive side you might even be able to book a brand new room).

However, if you prefer a quieter atmosphere, the Auberge Del Mar should rank higher on your list. While not at all spectacular from the outside, it is classy. The walk to the beach as outlined before BTW is just a short hop across the street and rails.

The beaches are almost a toss-up IMHO. While Coronado is wider, the one in Del Mar has these nice cliffs in the background that make them scenic. Neither of the two is completely quiet. While on Coronado you might be entertained by the slurping sounds of military aircraft approaching the Air Base, Del Mar has the trains that sometimes blow their horns in order to warn joggers following the rails to be aware of the train coming.

Overall your choice is among the two nicest beach communities I know. Not much where you could go wrong!

Just forgot to outline why I think the Auberge is quieter: One drawback of the Del IMHO is that it attracts crowds of visitors that just want to tour the hotel but do not stay there. Thus, the atmosphere tends to be busy whereas the Auberge is much smaller and appears to be more personal.

Thank you thank you thank you. You've all been so helpful -- although I still haven't made a final decision!! Two more questions since you all seem like great experts on these areas:

1) My son is in a wheelchair. It sounds like the beach access from L'Auberge Del Mar might be tricky in a wheelchair. Is that right?

2) We are leaning towards the Hotel Del based on everyone's feedback, but do you know if the rooms are considered noisy? That would be a real drawback for my noise-sensitive, sleep-deprived husband!! We've booked a suite in the Victorian building.

Thank you again!!!

Oh, and one more thing -- someone asked about the time of year and the ages of our children. We are going in April. My daughter will be 5 and my son will be 2.

You wouldn't be able to cut across the park to get to the beach at Del Mar with a wheelchair, and so it would be a slightly longer walk.

I hope the weather will be good for you, but in April it can still be cool here. The ocean water will be very cold, so your kids will be swimming in the hotel pool.

As hsv said, you really can't go wrong in either place.

The weather in april should be pretty nice - not a lot of fog, relatively warm temperatures. With kids that little, ocean swimming isn't a good idea anyway, so it wont matter that the water is cold. The weather should be perfect for playing on the beach though.

At the Del, there are concrete ramps right down to the sand, which will make it convinient for your son in the wheelchair.

Wow, thanks for the excellent tip on the concrete ramps down to the beach in Del Mar. This will be our first beach trip with a wheelchair, so it's hard for me to think of what will be necessary. Great tip.

Thanks again to all who've responded. Please feel free to provide more feedback if you think of anything else!

There is also a concrete walkway at Pacific Beach/Mission Beach that goes for miles - it would be great for a wheelchair bound person - goes along the beach, lots of restaurants, shops etc and even an amusement park. There are bikers, walkers, skateboarders etc

Also Carlsbad has a concrete walkway to the beach and along the beach ( but not as long as the one at PB)
but both would provide great wheelchair access and I think Carlsbad is one of the nicest beach communities there is

efojdma,

the hint from J_Correa regarding the concrete ramps to the beach referred to "the Del". This is the common abbreviation for "Hotel Del Coronado". Not to be mistaken for "Del Mar"!

A bit confusing terminology in this case!

On the other hand I seem to recall that there is a concrete ramp to the beach in Del Mar, too, just to the left of Jake's restaurant. And from the parking lot to the left of the Motel Del Mar, there is no ramp at all (right by the lifeguards). The only downside is, just as Barbara said, that you would not be able to use a short cut, but rather go around the Auberge. Not such a big deal, though.

Ah, thanks for pointing out my misunderstanding! I'm leaning towards Del Mar, but still really torn!! I still think Coronado might be better for my kids in terms of activities, particularly at the hotel. Can anyone comment on the noise level in the Victorian rooms? I believe one of the first posts above said that noise can indeed be a concern in some of the rooms. Is that in the Victorian section?

Thank you again.

yes the main building rooms are the ones that are less soundproof. The towers are typical concrete highrise, so are quieter.

Oh - thanks for catching that. I can see how my post could be confusing.

There is not much soundproofing at all in the old building.We could hear people talking in their rooms a few doors down even.

Wow we've done both during our last trip there! They are very different. I've been to 5 star Ritz's and Four Season's but there is something about the Auberge that I love. I think it's mainly the town. It is right in the middle of town. The ocean is to the back of the hotel--(not really and oceanside resort) it is very small but very cozy. It has a great restaurant. My husband and I went (without the kids) for couples, I love it. If you're bringing kids stay the the Del. If you have enough time try doing both. We'd wake up at the Auberge go outside to a little terrace have coffee and walk along the town. It has a nice location and you can visit San Diego from there or some of the other coastal towns (Laguna, etc). The people are soooooo friendly in Del Mar and I didn't have a bad dining experience once. There is a cool Mexican restaurant on the 2nd floor right across from Auberge if you stay there that is worth a try.

The Del is a very big resort with an enourmous beach. It is right next to the air force base so it is kinda cook to see the fighter pilots flying in.( It isn't too noisy) The Del is a throwback in time. Staff is dressed in old fashioned dress and the hotel is very Victorian looking. It is very charming but definately a resort where the Auberge is more of a boutique style hotel.

If you choose the Del be careful or payup for a large better positioned room. We had a large room (but rumor is some are very very small) but we looked out onto the parking lot. You'll love either hotel. My personal best vacation experience is at the Auberge (it's not the most luxurious but it definately was magical)

p.s. When I refer to The Dell (I mean the Del Coronado no Del Mar) Also, I don't think the L'auberge was that fancy like some of the other posts. It is very very nice but needs a little something that I can't quite put my finger on.
I think it is an easy decision--
1. If you have kids with you stay in Coronado and visit Del Mar
2. If you are couples only- stay at L'Auberge and visit Del Coronado

To Sher11: Thanks for your tips. Can you please let me know why you think Del Coronado is better with kids? We will indeed have our two small children with us, but we were leaning heavily towards L'Auberge Del Mar because we heard rooms at the Del Coronado could be noisy and possibly not so nice.

But given that you visited both places recently, I respect your input!! Please just let me know why you advised as you did. FYI, dividing our time between the two is not a good option for us.

Thank you again!

There are more things to do at the resort itself at the Del Coronado. Large spacious beaches, Watching the airplanes, definately a resort type place (the Grand Floridian at Disney Fl.was modeled after the Del). It is more spacious and spread out with lots of space to explore. It is, however, not really walking distance from stores, restaurants.

The L'Auberge on the other hand is more romantic and intimate (yes, intimate is a good word to describe it). It is a quieter place with not much to do within the resort (there is a pool though). You need to go outside of the resort into the quaint town. The town is quaint and the beach is nice (but not as nice as the Coronado). Depends on what you are looking for. If you will be out and exploring the area most of the time the L'Auberge will be fine, but if you like to lounge around the hotel you'd be happier at the Del Coronado.

I love Del Mar and L'Auberge is lovely.
Hotel Del is no slouch either but the rooms can be old and somewhat dated unless you go for the tower..
Del Mar is gorgeous with cute shops and restaurants and beautiful beaches.. I don't think you will be going in the ocean but I know you will be hanging out and the park at the end of 15th street is wonderful to watch the ocean.. J Taylor's, the restaurant in L'Auberge is fantastic..Jake's is always good and a block away on the ocean along with the Poseidon..very laid back town..used to live there for many years.
Hotel Del would be more wheelchair friendly to some degree since everything is all flat.. hotel, city and it would be easy to navigate..
Coronado beach was voted one of the top 10 beaches in the US..
Hotel Del is more kid friendly..
I think you should go to Coronado your first time around with the kids and all will be pampered!
Best to you.

We have stayed at the Del quite a bit, including with our children (and even when I was a child with my parents). I cannot comment on the Del Mar, since I have not been there though.

We have always stayed in the original section at the Del. The rooms do vary in size, but just call and ask for a larger room. We have always had nice rooms (no wear and tear showing) and never had a problem with noise. I hope some of this helps in your decision.

Have to correct one thing in the above post....The entire main street (Orange Avenue)of Coronado is twelve blocks long, and the Del is at the end-12th block- of Orange. Most of the shops are on Orange between 9th and the Del.

Many good places to eat within one block of the Del- two good Mexican places, an Asian fusion place, an old fashioned steak & seafood place, an Irish place, even a Marie Calendars!

ooops..I left my computer for a while and see it is no longer the above post that talks about walking distances.

Sorry :-[

I mispoke a bit regarding walking to area's around the Del. We really didn't walk around while we were at the Del Coronado. It is very different than the L'Auberge. The L'Auberge is a town as soon as you walk out the door. The Coronado you have to look for it a bit. What I really meant was that it is not the same as the town of Del Mar.

Can't help with the hotel (although the del Coronado is one of those destination places I'd love to stay at).

We went down to Carlsbad a year ago for Legoland and really enjoyed it. We found many different kinds of activities including things a 2 year old would enjoy. Disneyland and Southern California with Kids has a chapter on Legoland worth reading.

It was so much more relaxing than Disneyland -- many people attending were actually locals who have year-passes.