Now that my son is at college, family time we have together is more precious than ever. When we are all together, we try to make the most of every moment. Fortunately, our son attends college in one of our favorite vacation cities, San Diego, so a visit with him is also a mini family vacation. When we visit, I look for accommodations that will give the three of us plenty of space and comfort, with amenities that allow us to maximize our time together. A luxe family getaway at Pantai Inn La Jolla was the perfect weekend!
{Our visit was hosted by Pantai Inn, my opinions are my own.}
Luxe Family Getaway at Pantai Inn La Jolla
Located in the posh seaside village of La Jolla, the Pantai Inn is a luxury boutique hotel offering gorgeous views of the Pacific Ocean. Elegant Balinese-style decor sets the tone, with an emphasis on relaxation. Exotic gardens feature outdoor ocean view seating and fire pits and grand Hindu-Javanese-style art is scattered throughout the grounds and in the rooms.
The Rooms
Pantai Inn La Jolla offers several types of accommodations including rooms, suites, and cottages. We stayed in a one-bedroom suite with living room, kitchen, dining room, bedroom, and bath. A cozy window seat, with windows that opened to the scents and sounds of the ocean, was the perfect spot for afternoon reading. A gas fireplace stood ready for chilly nights. The spacious living room featured carved wooden Bali-style furniture and accents and a murphy-style fold away bed.
The fully-equipped kitchen was stocked with a full-size stove and oven, full-sized refrigerator with ice maker, Keurig coffee maker, dishware, and cleaning supplies. The dining room, though tiny, had a large round table with seating for four.
The master bedroom included a king-size canopy bed, with a closet to stash clothing and suitcases. The bathroom was gorgeous, with elegant tiled walls, copper sink, and oversized walk-in shower.
Some rooms at Pantai Inn are ocean-front, others have a partial ocean view, and some have balconies. The rooms were immaculate and the grounds well-maintained.
Amenities
- Twice-daily maid service, including evening turn-down service.
- Complimentary Wi-Fi.
- Complimentary snacks, water, and soft drinks are available in-suite for guests.
- A full breakfast is included, with unique menu items such as prosciutto and ricotta frittata, breakfast burritos, and fruit-topped granola bites, made by Pantai Inn breakfast chef, Scott Ingenito.
- Coffee, tea, and cookies are available in the lobby area.
- On-site concierge to assist with dinner and entertainment reservations.
- Complimentary shuttle service is available to transport guests to local restaurants and events.
- Plush robe, slippers, and in-room safe in the closet.
- Luxury toiletries in the bathroom.
- Bedside plugs for electronics.
Service
Service was absolutely five-star. The staff went out of their way to make every moment at the Pantai Inn relaxing and luxurious. We were met by one of front desk attendants when we checked in, who personally showed us the grounds, then took us to our room.
Later, we used the hotel concierge to book dinner reservations. She offered several recommendations and was able to get us a reservation at one of the trendiest Italian restaurants in La Jolla that we were unable to get reservations at on our own. She also recommended a local dine-in theater in La Jolla so we could go to lunch and the movies, and arranged the complimentary hotel shuttle service to take us to the theater.
Location
Located across the street from La Jolla cliffs, on Coast Boulevard, half way between the Children’s Pool and Point La Jolla, the hotel is tucked away in tranquil gardens off the busy street. Downtown La Jolla village is an easy ten-minute walk, with a wide selection of restaurants, art galleries, and shops. Centrally located, San Diego International airport and downtown San Diego are 30 minutes to the south; Legoland in Carlsbad is 30 minutes north.
Thoughts
This place is gorgeous! The Pantai Inn is sophisticated without being ostentatious, and very comfortable. The grounds were beautiful and well-maintained, and the attention to detail in the Balinese-style furniture, art, gardens, water features, amenities, and food accentuated the understated elegance of Pantai Inn. We loved our stay and cannot wait to come back to the visit in the future.
- Pantai Inn La Jolla is the #1 rated hotel in La Jolla on Tripadvisor
- Staff made our stay incredibly stress-free. We did not have to fight traffic to go to the movies, nor worry about getting dinner reservations on a busy Saturday night.
- The partial ocean view from our room was incredible (especially at sunset) but it took only 50 steps (I counted) to cross the street for even better views of the ocean and La Jolla cove.
- Our suite was spacious, with plenty of room for our family of three to move around without being on top of each other.
- The property is non-smoking and smoking by the cliffs is also prohibited.
- The little touches, such as the hand-written breakfast menu that made us feel pampered.
- The bathroom has a decadent rain shower-style shower head. I think my son took the longest shower of his life at Pantai Inn.
- Parking is at a premium in La Jolla. While parking is free at Pantai Inn, we had difficulty finding a parking spot our first night, so opted to park our car and use the complimentary shuttle service to get around the rest of the weekend.
- The area around the hotel is very busy, especially during the day, yet we could not hear street noise in our room.
- Rates average $350-585 per night, depending on the season.
- For more information about Pantai Inn please visit their website.
