La Valencia Hotel in the heart of La Jolla Village is San Diego’s equivalent of the Royal Hawaiian. The iconic, pretty-in-pink hotel in this case skews a bit peachier in hue and is known as “The Pink Lady of La Jolla.”
I checked in for a one-night stay recently and was thoroughly charmed by the historic property and welcoming, attentive service. The 1926 hotel has maintained its Spanish-inflected character and takes full advantage of its perch overlooking the Pacific with palm-lined park views on one side and red-tiled village views on the other. The La Sala Lounge off the lobby is the perfect spot to curl up with a book and coffee or sip a glass of wine while watching the sunset from one of the coveted tables in front of the floor to ceiling window.
My very reasonably priced corner room on the 10th floor of the main tower had both village and ocean views, with a small balcony overlooking the pool, which I never made it into but looked very inviting. The room itself wasn’t huge but it was perfectly comfortable and truly was all about the view. If I wasn’t careful about leaving the balcony door open, the resident seagulls would likely have made themselves right at home inside, too! (For a more luxurious upgrade, villas and suites are also available.)
La Valencia’s location is ideal and part of the magic—there’s no need for a car as you can walk to shops and restaurants and the coastal park and pathways are also easily accessible on foot. Upon arrival, I walked down to the park and took the requisite photos of La Jolla Cove and the seals. Then I devoured a phenomenal niçoise salad sandwich at Whisknladle for lunch and wandered around the village checking out the shops. In the evening, after a spell in the La Sala Lounge, I feasted on elegantly prepared fresh catch (and more dreamy ocean views) in the California Modern dining room at George’s at the Cove, just a few doors down from the hotel. In the morning, I picked up a coffee to go and set out on the coastal footpath to catch the sunrise through the moody cloud cover. After taking in the views and a quick change back at the hotel, I walked over to Buddhi Yoga for a Slow Flow class alongside the blissed out locals.
With a noon check-out, I still had time to squeeze in one more meal before giving up my room and catching the train back to LA. The Uber driver who originally dropped me off at La Valencia recommended The Taco Stand for an epic burrito and I’m so glad I heeded his advice. The massive burrito wrapped in a hand-made tortilla and stuffed with all sorts of vegetarian goodness (including French fries!!!) was well worth the wait in line. It was an appropriately decadent finish to my 24-hour chill out in La Jolla. I’m already looking forward to returning, and La Valencia will definitely be my go-to home base for future visits to this low-key, seaside gem.
