Our favorite easy getaway from Los Angeles: Hotel del Coronado - yes, with a kid! Family-friendly travel hotel, that feels like a true getaway.
If your idea of a perfect getaway is feeling like a slightly unhinged Victorian ghost while playing Taylor Swift in your headphones, sitting in a rocking chair overlooking the ocean, with your kid running wild on a grassy lawn below you, then let me introduce you to the Hotel del Coronado. It’s an easy two to three hour drive from Los Angeles, with a pool, a beach right out front, an ice cream shop, coffee spots, a little town you can walk to, and just enough chaos and charm to make it feel alive. Kids are doing cartwheels on the lawn, people are sipping drinks under striped umbrellas, and every once in a while a Top Gun style jet roars overhead. It’s not quiet, it’s not minimal, it’s not trying to be understated. It’s a full experience. And somehow, every time, it resets me.
Every time we leave this hotel, I feel the exact same way.
It’s always the last day. We’ve stretched it to the very final minute, closing the door one minute before checkout and rolling our luggage out onto the front porch of the hotel, valet ticket in hand.
And somehow there are always two or three rocking chairs open. I don’t know if it’s luck or timing or just part of the rhythm of this place, but it always works out.
We park our suitcases off to the side and sit down, and we just rock.
The sun is out, bright but soft. The valet guys are greeting guests, helping people up the big white staircase under that elegant awning. Cars loop through the roundabout driveway, one after another. There are white roses blooming along the path, green grass everywhere, birds, and the sound of the fountain in the center.
It feels alive, but calm.
I remember one year we actually DoorDashed lunch to our chairs ... yes really ... and just sat there eating on the porch, rocking in those chairs like we had nowhere else to be, because we didn’t.
Obnoxious? Maybe. Essential for that moment? Yes.
That’s the other thing. You drove there. So you are not rushing to catch a flight. You don’t have to scramble. And you literally get to decide when you are ready to leave.
And every single time, I have the same moment.
When I arrive at this hotel, I’m usually a little stressed, a little tired, slightly unsure if I’m actually going to settle in this trip. You know that feeling where you wonder if you are going to get to that version of yourself who is relaxed and happy and present.
And then on the last day, I walk down those stairs, always in a long, flowy skirt outfit I decided to wear just to walk around the hotel, sunglasses on, hair doing its fluffy sun-kissed thing, scooping up my daughter, and I take a photo.
Just as proof.
Because , I got there. That calm, happy version of me showed up. And honestly, that’s the magic of the Hotel del Coronado.
Why we keep choosing Coronado
There are so many trips you can take from Los Angeles. You can go north to the Bay Area, head to Mammoth or Big Bear, spend a weekend in Palm Springs, Santa Barbara, or Ojai, even go to Vegas. But for us, one of our favorite getaways is driving south to San Diego, specifically Coronado.
And to be totally honest, we have only ever stayed in one place.
Because once you stay here, it’s hard to do anything else.
Yes, it's a splurge hotel. But you get a lot of cinematic drama for just a few nights. This hotel packs an emotional punch that feels worth it.
The feeling when you arrive
It’s grand, historic, and a little dramatic in the best way. Walking into the lobby feels dim and romantic, with velvet seating, plush carpets, and a slightly moody energy that reminds me of the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland, but in a cozy, elevated way.
The hotel dates back to 1888 and has this deep, layered history. It has hosted presidents and celebrities and was the filming location for Some Like It Hot starring Marilyn Monroe. There is even a well known ghost story. We did the tour once before having a kid and it was surprisingly fun and just the right amount of spooky.
The rocking chairs
I know I already said this, but it deserves its own moment. The rocking chairs are part of the ritual. It is not just sitting. It is how we close the trip.
What it’s actually like staying here
This is a big, busy hotel. Like, very busy.
Once I accepted that, everything got better.
Check in can feel chaotic. Rooms are rarely ready early. Things are not always perfectly smooth. Now we just plan for that. We do not even try to arrive early unless we are completely fine checking our bags, changing into swimsuits, and going straight to the pool.
That is the rhythm of this place.
Choosing your room
There are a lot of room options, and they really do feel different depending on where you stay.
The Victorian rooms in the main building are my favorite. This is the classic experience. You are in the historic part of the hotel, everything connects back to the main lobby, and the rooms wrap around that grassy courtyard where kids are constantly running around at sunset. These rooms were recently renovated and feel even better now.
If you can, book an oceanfront room. You get a balcony, views of the lawn and beach, sunsets, and the full energy of the resort. This is the one I always come back to.
The Cabana rooms are right by the pool. When my daughter was two and three, this was honestly the best setup. There were no long walks, everything was easy, and we could go back and forth without thinking. If your day revolves around the pool, this is a great choice.
The Views Tower is more modern and sits off to the side a bit. Sometimes it is more affordable and you can still get beautiful ocean views. It is nice, just not my favorite.
Beach Village is more private and elevated, with a quieter feel, a private pool, and breakfast access. We have done club access in the main building, which was nice, but we have not stayed in Beach Village. It is definitely more of a quiet, private, VIP-needs experience. And we kinda like the anonymity and space the main hotel offers.
Food, snacks, and the in-between moments
This is one of my favorite parts of the hotel. You do not need to plan every meal. You can just exist and figure it out as you go. There is a casual pizza place, and we have taken pizzas to go and eaten on the grass, which is perfect if your kid does not want to sit still. And there is an ice cream shop with sorbets and popsicles, and a small market where you can grab coffee, pastries, or snacks.
There are also full restaurants if you want to sit down and have a proper meal with a view. And there is a surprisingly lively bar area with TVs and sports, so you can tap into a completely different energy if you want to.
The rhythm of the days
This is why I do not recommend staying too long.
It is not a packed itinerary kind of place. It is slower than that.
A typical day looks like a slow morning, then the pool, then the beach, then a snack, then time on the grass, then sunset, and somehow that fills the entire day.
Or maybe one big outing for midday and then back to the resort for dinner snacks sunset.
For us, two nights is actually perfect.
The little things that make it work for families
This is where the hotel really shines. Kids run freely on the lawn. It is easy to move between the pool and the beach. There are casual food options when your kid refuses to sit down. There is space to just be without over scheduling everything.
It feels structured enough to be a resort, but relaxed enough that it does not feel exhausting.
The restaurants are all high caliber, but somehow also kid-friendly if you want them to be. And the downtown area just a short walk away is clustered with toy stores and cute cafes perfect for kiddos.
And of course San Diego is famous for having loads to do with kids. The San Diego Zoo, La Jolla Cove, LegoLand and Zoo's Safari Park too.
Animal Lover Families
Side Note About Zoos + animal lover families... Yes I know a lot of vegans, like myself, shun zoos. But I promise I mostly take my kid to animal rescue organizations like Gentle Barn, Wildlife Learning Center, ECO Station Culver City, Farm Sanctuary and even Forever Wild Cat Sanctuary.
For the record, we won't be visiting Sea World, ever...
Ok, back to this hotel.
What it feels like to stay here
It is not about the size of the room. It is about opening your balcony and feeling the entire place. Kids running across the grass, people having dinner below you, the pool off to the side, the beach right there.
At sunset, everything turns gold.
It is easy, it is full, and it somehow always feels like enough.
What to do with kids
You can easily stay on property the entire time and feel like you did everything.
But if you want to explore, the San Diego Zoo is always worth a full day. La Jolla Cove is beautiful and easy. You can walk into Coronado and explore the shops and restaurants.
We always go to Parakeet Cafe for brunch. It has great options, including vegan ones, and it is just a really good, easy stop.
Stops on the drive
If you want to stretch the trip, there are a few easy stops along the way.
The Flower Fields in Carlsbad are beautiful, but go at sunset and wear real shoes because the gravel paths can be rough. Legoland is a great option depending on your kid’s age. The San Diego Zoo Safari Park is also an option if you want something more spread out.
Real talk
Check in can be chaotic. The hotel is busy. It is definitely a splurge.
But for a two to three night trip, it consistently feels worth it.
The vibes
You can do full kid mode, relaxed adult mode, or something in between.
Or you can wander around the hotel feeling like a slightly unhinged Victorian ghost listening to Taylor Swift, which honestly feels right.
Like really, has Taylor been here? I know she would love it.
Final thoughts
We have stayed here before kids, after kids, and multiple times in between. And every single time, we leave the same way. Sitting in those rocking chairs, deciding we are ready to go. Not rushed, not depleted. Just chill.
A few more pics from our trip..
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