The Best “Staycation” Ever!
“Staycations” seem to have been popular this summer, and my family was no exception. I wanted to share what a WONDERFUL time we had right here in our own neck of the woods. It was like being in Hawaii, without the plane flight and dinners that cost as much as a week’s worth of groceries.
Where did we go? The Hotel Del Coronado. 
I have lived in San Diego for 15 years and have been to the Del, but have not stayed there since I was a kid. I forgot what a fantastic resort it is! There were some great deals on rooms this summer, for starters. The Del has recently remodeled (again), and it is even better now.
We woke up in the morning and had breakfast on the terrace at Sheerwater. Sipping fresh juice with the ocean backdrop and a magnificent lawn full of flowers felt like being in Hawaii. A few mornings we decided to venture out for breakfast. There is a bagel place right across the street from the hotel, and there are many great breakfast places just a short walk up Orange Avenue. There are also some world-class restaurants to choose from for dinner.
The pool was fantastic. You can order lunch poolside, walk to a restaurant, or simply ascend the stairs and have lunch outside on the roof deck overlooking the beach.
The kids swam all day and there were other fun choices for them: a Kids Club (in lieu of setting your kids in there all day‚which is available‚there are various crafts offered each day for one hour intervals, like tye-dyeing t-shirts, scavenger hunts and frame making). There is also a henna tattoo station by the pool (my daughter loved this!)
There is a GREAT teen club where your teens can play video games, pool, dance dance revolution and other fun things. They can pop in and out of there anytime once you have authorized it‚a great place for the teens to escape when they need their alone time.
For the adults there is a world-class spa and fun classes offered. The morning yoga class is refreshing and a great way to wake up before lounging around all day. One morning we rented bicycles and rode around the island‚it was a great time together as a family and we all had fun and were ready to jump in the pool when we returned.
The Del has a new eatery called the Eno Wine Bar. It is a wine, cheese and chocolate bar. You can sit outside at a personal fire pit and watch the sunset while you dine on one of 50 delectable cheeses from around the world and a world-class wine collection. The chocolate pairings are also scrumptious.
There are so many other fun things to do if you are adventurous‚you can rent a Seadoo or a boat, play golf on the local course, take a ferry over to the downtown area and enjoy the sites and restaurants there, or enjoy the beautiful beach. The hotel offers s’mores on the beach a few nights a week, which you can enjoy around a campfire. There is a fantastic ice cream parlor on site that offers mix-ins and many choices. The shops are fun and there is something for everyone.
The Del is one of San Diego’s greatest treasures and a perfect place to get away. There is something for everyone, or you can elect to do nothing but relax. If you have not been, or have not visited in a long time, there couldn’t be a better time to visit.
