Family Friendly Resorts in San Diego : Omni La Costa Golf Resort & Spa

If you are heading to Southern California and looking for beautiful, family friendly resorts in San Diego, look no further.  The Omni La Costa Golf Resort and Spa offers something for everyone in the family.  Golf, a beautiful spa, Kid’s Club, water slides…the list goes on.  Both John and I grew up in San Diego, and really enjoy spending time there, so on a recent long weekend we decided to do a Southern California staycation and headed down the coast to Carlsbad for a few days of fun in the sun in America’s Finest City.

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Location: La Costa (Carlsbad, just minutes from LEGOLAND California and the beach) this is one of the most beautiful and best areas to stay in San Diego in my opinion.  You are close to the beach and within 30 minutes of everything to do in both San Diego and Orange County.  It’s the perfect spot for a staycation in Southern California.

What makes the Omni La Costa one of the great Family Friendly Resorts in San Diego? Great amenities for kids:

• Kidtopia kid’s club with a full schedule of activities and fun for kids ages 3-12
• One of the great hotels in San Diego with Waterslides and multiple pools
• Splash Pad
• Beach Entry Family Pool with real sand entryway
• Game Lounge/Arcade with pay-per-play games like air hockey and popular video games for kids age 10+  (At the time of our visit, all of the games in the Vibz game lounge were complimentary)
• Amazing resort activity schedule (included a fantastic hands-on reptile show the weekend we were visiting)
• Fitness classes for kids

Amenities for Adults:

• Kidtopia offers a nighttime program on the weekends so adults can enjoy date night (reservations required)
• Adults-only Pool
• Great boutiques like Lily Pulitzer on site for retail therapy
• Diversions sports lounge
• Beautiful Farm to Table Dining
• Two Stunning Omni La Costa Golf Courses
• Tennis Courts
• Home of the The Chopra Center-  the perfect setting for renewal and meditation
• Beautifully Landscaped Grounds
• Spa at La Costa: Gorgeous facilities and a wide range of treatments
• Villas with one and two bedrooms that make vacation with a family feel more like home.   Family suites are also available that include two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a living room
• Fitness Classes throughout the day

Our Experience at the Omni La Costa San Diego: I had read mixed reviews about the Omni La Costa San Diego but looking for family friendly resorts in San Diego, and knowing that Omni had acquired it and had made some minor renovations, we were willing to give it a try.   This resort has been built over a period of time, and some buildings looked much older than others.  I cannot speak for all of the rooms, but the building we stayed in was close to the family pool and the room we stayed in was beautiful.  We upgraded to a one bedroom suite when we arrived to give us a little extra room to spread out and it was the perfect place for our family of four.  Upon arrival we were greeted by the Director of Operations who was very kind and friendly, and clearly there to make sure all of his guests were being treated well and enjoying their time at this pretty, family friendly resort in San Diego. The kids always love a good pool, and so along with searching for fun hotels in San Diego, I also searched for San Diego hotels with waterslides.  The Omni La Costa San Diego has an awesome waterslide and we put it to good use! 🙂 We enjoyed many of the other activities the hotel offered too, including a reptile show, the splash pad, wandering the grounds exploring, tennis, basketball on the sport court, games in the Vibz game lounge, and a beautiful brunch at Bistro 65, where food is made with sustainable ingredients and seasoned from the restaurants’ own herb garden wall. The outdoor dining offered stunning views of the Omni La Costa golf course and rolling hills.

One thing I always struggle with at these resorts is the high resort fee.  As a guest, I don’t want to feel like I am being nickel and dimed to death.  I would prefer if “resort fees” were done away with and rather rolled into the price of the room.  We were disappointed that at this resort the fee, unlike at most other hotels, did not include self parking.  Self parking was quite far away from the rooms, on an unmarked dirt lot, and cost an additional $18 a night.  That was our one frustration with our stay, and would definitely be a consideration if we were deciding where to stay in San Diego again.

The grounds of the Omni La Costa San Diego are expansive and so beautifully landscaped.  We spent several hours walking and enjoying the gorgeous surroundings.  I could have photographed all the pretty places I found for days! 

There is a great shopping area on the property located not far from the lobby at the Omni La Costa San Diego.  Pricey, yes, but there are several fun shops lining an almost mall-like little shopping area at the resort. 

Recent Accolades:

• Condé Nast Traveler – Readers’ Choice Awards: Top Resorts in Southern California 2013, 2014 & 2016
• U.S. News & World Report – Top Wellness Retreat Around the Globe, 2016
• Golf Advisor – Best Family-Friendly Golf Resorts, 2016
• Discover SD – Top Luxury Resort Spa in San Diego, 2016

Outdoor walkways and hallways leading to the rooms definitely make the Omni La Costa San Diego feel like a tropical oasis.  It reminded me a lot of the feeling of resorts in Hawaii.

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the Omni La Costa Golf Resort and Spa.  The kids keep asking to go back, and recently, when Ashley was asked to write a paper at school about a vacation that she loved, she chose to write her paper about our time at the Omni La Costa San Diego, rather than about one of her adventures on our recent 3 month trip to Europe, so those water slides were a definite hit.  If you are looking for beautiful, luxury family friendly resorts in San Diego, definitely take a look at the Omni La Costa Golf Resort and Spa.

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Happy Travels!

Tammy