Loews Coronado Bay Resort or Hotel Del Coronado
 

I'm planning a family trip in July to San Diego with two small boys, age 3 and 5. Looking for a great place to relax and play with the kids, and sneak in a few day trips to the Zoo and Disney. Prices look better at Loews Coronado. I'm not that concerned about the remote location, but do wonder about the beach? Our boys love to run around on the beach and I just can't tell if the beach at Silver Strand is a great one, as compared to the Hotel Del?

Thanks!

Nicole

Topping for the Mission and Pacific Beach folks

The reviews for Loews on Yelp are very good, but they mention specifically that they have a golf cart to take you to the beach. They also seem to imply that it's a great spot for honeymooners from what I can tell.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/loews-corona...ort-coronado-2
The map seems to show it as on the beach. You might try contacting the resort directly to ask them.

If you google "Silver Strand State Beach" and then click on "images", you can see pictures of the beach, and a picture (the 4th picture) that shows the hotel in relation to the beach.

The beach is a bit of a trek through a tunnel under the road. I walked it, the golf cart is probably better option with the kids. The beach is very pleasant.

My view is that Loews is for the younger crowd and the Hotel Del is for adults on a five star stay. That said, the Del is a superb operation and deserving of their historic reputation.

Doing Disney from Coronado is a long commute. If in fact you intend to do a day trip to the park, be prepared for a long day. Without traffic, it's two hours at best. Although you will be traveling against traffic in both directions, you'll still have some slow down during peak hours.

The hotel is on the bay. You have to cross the Silver Strand Highway to get to the ocean beach.

If you'll have a car, you can easily get to the much nicer beach in Coronado, It's only a five minute drive, but in July you'll have to park a ways from it.

If you plan to sneak in a day trip to Disney, I'd recommend that you actually spend the night up there. You can get a nice clean Best Western across the street fro the DL entrance for much, much less than Lowes. Drive up early the day before, maybe stopping at Legoland, which is perfect for little kids-- and get a fresh start at DL early the next morning. Or even stay two nights, leaving after the second night early enough to get back to Coronado in the morning.

I've done DL as a day trip from Coronado many times, but it is really a long day for the little ones and for the person who has to drive the two hours each way.

Hotel Del Coronado is practically on the beach.

Hotel Del Coronado is ON the beach, no "practically" about it!

sorry sf7307

I just wanted the OP to know that, since the Loew's is NOT on the beach, and the Del is.

Thanks everyone! Really appreciate your comments. Am a bit concerned about the trek to Disney. Is there similar property that caters to families, has great pools and is on the beach that is in between Disney and the Zoo?

Thank you!

The zoo is only 10 minutes or so from Lowes. If you want something halfway between Coronado and Disneyland, You might consider Del Mar. It's on the beach and about 40 minutes north of Coronado.

Again, unless you're getting a super package, I'd check out of the San Diego hotel and stay in a hotel near Disneyland for a night. You could leave your main suitcases at the lowes, and just take enough stuff for one night in Anaheim.
Or save half of the round trip and split your time 1/2 in San Diego and 1/2 in LA.
How are you getting to Coronado? Air? or driving?

We plan to fly in to San Diego, I didn't realize Coronado was so far south! Will check out Del Mar, thanks!

Coronado is only 8 minutes from the airport, and about 6 minutes from Downtown San Diego. It's Disneyland that is 2 hours north! (and add on about 7 to 10 minutes to Loews).

If you stay in Del Mar, I would recommend the L'Auberge. The beach is a short walk away. It is the finest property in the city of Del Mar near the beach although I don't know that it caters to kids.

Please listen to the suggestion to stay 1 or 2 nights in Anaheim. I don't know how long the whole trip is, but no place in San Diego is a good base for DL and no place near DL is a good base for San Diego.

I'd split time between the Del (because it is ON the beach) and the Grand Californian at DL. The Grand Californian is a very nice property w/ an entrance directly into California Adventure. It is a pricey hotel-- but no more so than the Del/Loews and there are some specials being advertised.

You guys are awesome, thank you. We actually are rethinking this now. May just stay in San Diego and hit up the Zoo and Legoland. Still thinking about Loews Coronado, though I've heard it's getting run down? Also checking out Marriott Coronado and Carlsbad Spa and Resort.

We want fun for the kids and a trip that feels like a vacation. Great property, pools for playing, kids activities and the ability to walk out onto an amazing beach! Hopefully by taking Disney out of the equation we have removed a bit of hassle. Boys are more excited about Legoland :-)

<<<the ability to walk out onto an amazing beach!>>>

Doesn't that take Loew's out of the equation? I'd still go for the Del.

We stayed at the Marriott in Coronado and loved it. They have a huge enclosed gazebo filled with birds that you can enter if you choose to. My son visited them everyday. The property was nicely landscaped. It was easy access to the bridge to head to the zoo, animal park and downtown San Diego. However, it is on the bay and not on the beach so on opposite sides of Coronado but an easy drive over to the Hotel Del to go to the beach. I think they did charge for parking though. There was a little path from the Marriott along the bay that lead to an area with restaurants too.

Check out the Birch Aquarium in La Jolla. It is great.

I agree San Diego is too far for a visit to Disneyland and best to stay in Anaheim.

The Hotel Del is becoming more and more attractive! Just have to see what i can do to find a good package. Thanks so much everyone, again, your advise is much appreciated!