This September, my parents, sisters, Mitch and I took a long awaited family vacation! We spent 5 full days exploring San Diego! Spoiler Alert – we LOVED San Diego and everything there was to do there! And while hard to choose just one – I have to say one of my favorite things we did on the trip was spend a day in La Jolla.
La Jolla is a posh suburb with gorgeous Pacific Ocean coastline, located just 20 minutes from downtown San Diego. If you’re looking for a fabulous day, look no further than La Jolla! And I highly recommend a pool day at the La Valencia Hotel.
La Valencia Hotel
During our trip to San Diego we stayed at an amazing Airbnb – the only thing missing was a pool. All of us girls, but especially my mom, wanted some pool time! Luckily Resort Pass has tons of options for day passes at hotel pools in the San Diego area!
We booked our day passes to the La Valencia Hotel in advance through Resort Pass, which allowed us all-day access to the incredible Pacific Ocean facing pool!
This iconic pink hotel, built in 1926, is truly a landmark with it’s unique Spanish-style architecture and rich history. Making it a wonderful spot to have a luxurious, memorable day in the sun!
While the passes were a bit spendier than other hotel pool options in the San Diego area, we were glad we splurged a little for this experience. We spent all day at the pool and then explored the nearby area on the coast before eating dinner just a couple blocks away.
Things to Know Before You Go
- No outside food is allowed – we ordered lunch by the pool and all loved our food! The food and drinks are a bit more expensive (this is a theme in the San Diego area ;)) but were well worth it in my opinion
- Get there early to get a comfy lounge chair! While not guaranteed, if you get to the pool early you should have a better chance of getting a spot by the pool. We got to the hotel around 10 am and had no problem finding lounge chairs.
- In La Jolla it is common to experience clouds and fog in the morning. While it can remain overcast all day, it usually clears up by noon or mid-day depending on the time of year. We had clouds and fog until about noon and then it was pretty sunny the rest of the day!
- Book in advance if you can – I noticed some days were full and resort passes were not available every day. Of course, make sure to review cancellation policies to ensure you understand the cancellation policy and when you would have to cancel to receive a refund.
I hope someday to come back to this gorgeous hotel. It was such a fun experience with my family and I’ll never forget it! I think it would be an awesome place for not only a family vacation, but also a couple’s getaway or a fun girls’ trip too!
After a day at the Pool
After a day at the pool, you won’t want to miss walking down to La Jolla Cove and the Children’s Pool Beach – a popular spot to watch seals!
And if you’re looking for a dinner spot nearby check out Duke’s La Jolla! We had a dinner reservation at Duke’s and it was the perfect way to end our day in La Jolla. They have a fun Hawaiian menu and a beautiful ocean view patio.
Check back soon for my full blog post on San Diego!
