Over the Christmas vacation, we all left relatives in Arizona and made our way back into California via San Diego, Carlsbad to be exact, and we stayed at La Costa Resort. Upon approaching the acres of palm trees, gardens, and beautiful greens of the golf course, I suddenly felt like I was driving into paradise.
Originally my husband and I were going to come visit back in November alone, but I came down with the stomach flu. This first visit was going to be a family event, but boy does it exude “couples retreat” at first glance! The crisp, bright white villas, suites, and guest rooms were a striking contrast against the grey, stormy skies last Thursday, and I couldn’t wait to get to our room and make some coffee and snuggle under the bedcovers!
Checking into the hotel, you walk into the main building and the Christmas tree was set up with the golf course back drop that was beautiful. To the right I walked past a grand gingerbread house display with an apparent competition that had occurred, the smell of the sweets made me salivate. I was welcomed and given a map of the resort and spa, filled in about all the goings on for the following days, told about the hours and menus of the resort dining and was directed to our rooms. A bowl of fruit was awaiting us, which was a perfect snack after a long drive.
For the five of us, we stayed in a family suite which is made up of two rooms with an adjoining door. The larger room had a king bed, large marble tub, separate shower, louvered doors to the living room with hideaway sofa and desk, and more! The kids had the second room with 2 queen beds and similar marble bathroom, it was perfect for all of us.
There were 3 large televisions total, so we were all very pleased to watch what we wanted. The room had mini-bar access (we opted out) and a table of water and snacks in each room for a fee. Our laptop had internet access and the wi-fi was strong in the living quarters and the kids room, but lost signal in our bedroom. The amenities were luxurious with bathrobes and slippers in the closets for room use, comfortable, clean bedding, and lovely scented toiletries (I loved the loofah!), turn down service is available nightly as well. In both of the rooms, there were a total of 3 doors to the outside overlooking the gardens. A patio chair, lounger, and table were set outside and were very private yet open and gave us so many options to move about!
The second day we were there, the sun was out and the skies were blue, so we took a look around the gorgeous grounds complete with calming waterfalls. Having similar pools and waterslides (with a toddler slide!)as their sister resort Rancho Las Palmas in Palm Springs, my kids were slightly disappointed that it was winter and cold. The waterslides will run upon request during the off-season and the pool and spas are heated, though we did not bring swimwear this trip.
Luckily their is another option for the kids, Vibz Game Lounge. This area is fabulous for the 10 and over group (my older kids are 12 and 9) looking for some play time, their style! There’s a large TV and couches to hang out as well as full sized pool, ping pong, foosball, and air hockey tables, an X-Box 360 game room, arcade-style video games, a basketball free-throw shooting station, and my 4-year old’s favorite SkeeBall!!
This area made them forget all about the pools, and I have to say that my husband and I got in a good game of pool, and I loved the pinball game! Most games take tokens that can be purchased from a machine right in the room. Older kids can hang out in here while parents dine or have a spa treatment, though there is no staff or supervision. We were with our kids the whole time they played there, but I’d leave my older two for an hour if I needed to, I feel it was very safe!
Just downstairs from registration and across the building from Vibz is Legends Bistro. Serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Legends has a wide range of delicious cuisine for adults and perfect choices and portions for children. We enjoyed two breakfasts both mornings of our stay. On the first morning we opted for the all you can eat buffet. Eggs, bacon, crepes, salmon, oatmeal, and boxed cereal for the kids made for a perfect morning. The price ($20/adults, $10/children) includes juice, coffee, or soft drinks.
You have your choice of dining inside or out (a burning fire is lit day and night) and the restaurant overlooks the golf course. The second morning we ordered off the menu, the pancakes and french toast were light and fluffy yet so filling. The night before checkout we enjoyed a family dinner. My husband and I started with wedge salads with sliced tomatoes, carrots, and crisp iceberg lettuce. I enjoyed a pepperoni pizza, which was cheesy and delicious. My husband had the pot roast and it was cooked perfectly and melted in his mouth. The kids had spaghetti and meatballs and a hamburger. I snuck in a taste of the meatballs and they were very tasty.
Our stay at La Costa was royal. We experienced incredible service from the staff that goes above and beyond to make your stay comfortable. With a coffee shop/store/gift shop, 2 restaurants, 3 pools, waterslides, spa, this resort has everything you need. Shopping and anything else you need can also be found within a mile with the California coast as well as Legoland just 5 minutes away!!This location is perfect for families, couples, men’s golf weekend, or girls looking for a luxurious spa getaway. I could see a couple spending their honeymoon here. I’d love to return for that couples-only trip we almost had!
We were treated to our rooms, 3 meals, and game lounge tokens. The review is our honest, tried and true experience.
WOW, beautiful! And that slide looks awesome.