Girl's Getaway

I am thinking about a late spring trip with two of my closet girl friends. We are young moms who want to relax and be near a nice beach. We like pools, shopping, good places to walk around. A nice spa would be good as well. We aren%26#39;t interested in crazy night spots or loud family resorts. Any ideas for us? Thanks.

Girl's Getaway

As a starting point, check out the Coronado, La Jolla, or Del Mar areas...all three have beautiful beaches, good walking areas, shopping, and of course spas....

Do you want the spa in the hotel?

And most importantly what is your price range?

Girl's Getaway

The spa doesn%26#39;t have to be in the hotel, but it would be a plus. We are looking at a place that%26#39;s around $200-300 per night. And it has to allow three adults in one room.

I don%26#39;t kn ow your exact dates but one of my first thoughts was L%26#39;Auberge in Del Mar which is a lovely seaside suburb just north of the city of SanDiego. L%26#39;Auberge is just steps from the ocean ,has a spa and is also walking distance to other good restaurants and some shops.

The downtown SanDiego hotels are certainly near shopping and restaurants as well but not on a beach. There is a nice spa there called Spa Tiki.

The Hyatt Aventine has a La Jolla address but is not at the beach. It has a wonderful spa and is near restaurants and shopping but the beach at La Jollacove or La Jolla shores will be about 13 min away.

I am sure you will get other ideas. it is great to take a trip with your friends.

I also just looked at the La Jolla Shores Hotel which used to be called The SeaLodge. It is an older hotel but right on the sand at a lovely beach. You can have an ocean front room there with a balcony for a reasonable price BUT you will have to drive a short distance 12-15 min depending where you go to a spa and to shopping.

The Hotel Del Coronado has all of the amenities you are looking for. The beach is gorgeous there and I loved the swimming pool/jacuzzi area at the Del where I spent a couple of mornings swimming and sun bathing. There is a spa there, my husband had a massage. I believe they are in the process of building a new spa, it may be finished now. There is also a very good restaurant there, 1500 Ocean where we enjoyed dinner one night.

You may also want to consider La Valencia in La Jolla, it is right on Prospect St., walking distance to the nice shops there and also walking distance to the ocean/cove area in La Jolla, not directly on the beach as the Del is tho. La Jolla is very nice, upscale area on San Diego. Let me know if you any further questions regarding the Del, we had a perfect stay there! I hope you have a great time on your getaway! :)

Thanks for all the great ideas! Very helpful.

If you are on a budget, Pacific Shores hotel is super close to the beach(that is the place to stay and what separates shorefront destinations from inland areas). The surrounding community of Pacific Beach is all within your reach by foot or bicycle(you don%26#39;t need car rental money). There are many more pricey hotels right next to that area(Diamond st. and Mission Blvd. 92109), but you won%26#39;t believe the rates. If you need to get to the tourists spots, you might be able to hop on a shuttle from a surrounding hotel, or just learn the bus system(you could go all the way to Tiujauna, by bus and trolley. If you need any more independant advice you can contact me in Pacific Beach , jodisfather at peoplepc dot com .

You may want to consider La Costa Resort and Spa (www.lacosta.com). After millions in renovation the spa is spectacular and you will never want to leave.

As previously mentioned, L%26#39;Auberge is also a beautiful resort and located within walking distance of boutique shops and wonderful restaurants (Pacifica Del Mar - great seafood with a view). Solana Beach%26#39;s Cedros boutique shopping district is a short drive away.

fish