I am planning my first visit to San Diego and am thinking about staying at the Loews Coronad Bay Resort. Is the Loews Coronado inconvenient as far as driving to La Jolla, Downtown, etc..

Thanks.

Coronado isn't far from anywhere in SD but you've got to jump across the bridge. Maybe a 15 minute to La Jolla or downtown SD.
Larry

8 minutes to downtown, 24 to La Jolla in non peak traffic. Its a very pretty place, and worth the drive!

For a fist visit to SD the Loews is not that convenient. Five minutes to Downtown Coronado 15 minutes to Downtown San Diego and 35 minutes to Downtown La Jolla. I live in La Jolla and go down to this area quite a bit so these times are more realistic than previous posts. Add 10-20 minutes for La Jolla if you travel during peak times (7-9AM or 4-6 PM). If you do stay at the Loews take a right on Glorietta Bay Rd (right before Hotel Del) to get to the Bridge instead of traveling through dowtown Coronado- this will save you 5-10 minutes on the busy weekends.

sd:
Where would you suggest a family stay for a first visit to San Diego?
Downtown?
Any further advice would be appreciated!

We visited San Diego three years ago and split our stay between LaJolla and Coronado. We stayed three nights in LaJolla (Embassy Suites) and three nights at Loews Coronado Bay Resort. We thought this was the best and most convenient way to see everything. By the way, the Loews resort is lovely.

Hope this helps!

first time vist with a family - i'd look into the catamaran by pacific beach.

Depends on the time of year. If summer (June-September) pick a beach location like Hotel Del or a good PB Hotel - Pacific Terrace or maybe the Catamaran. Many people here hype the hotel but I had friends (with 2 kids) that checked out of the Catamaran last year and went to the Hyatt Islandia because they thought the rooms were run down and the property was a little on the noisy side. The catamaran is in the hear ot Pacific Beach and Mission Beach and has a good singles bar. Outside of summer choose downtown - Embassy Suites is best for families. The Embassy Suites in La Jolla is also a good place for families but it really is not "in" La Jolla but University Town Center area (UTC) about 5 miles from the the La Jolla Shores beach (which is great for kids). But if you don't mind the drive it's convenient and located across the street from one of the major shopping malls in SD (UTC Shopping Center). If you have small kids and want to stay at the beach then the Loews is not too bad a choice but it wouldn't be my first choice.

I love Loews Coronado bay! voted no. 1 sunday buffet in San Diego. It's a couple of miles down the silver strand from the Del. Remember, avoid going to San Diego during rush hour. 6-9 am.