Home for the Holidays

Something about me that many may find surprising is that considering how much I love to travel and explore far off countries and distant lands, I’ve spent much of my lifetime staying put in my hometown. I grew up in a family where traveling was not a priority nor a concern, and my parents often joked “Why would we go somewhere else when we live in a place where people vacation?” The older I get and the more time I spend at home in between travels, the truer this statement rings for me. I am beyond lucky to have grown up in sunny San Diego, a metropolitan beach town that somehow feels like summer year-round.

This Thanksgiving while I was home for the holidays, I had the opportunity to stay at Hotel La Jolla, one of Hilton’s Curio Collection properties. From the outside the hotel gives a beachy vibe, but once you enter the driveway and enter the lobby, the design and fixtures show a modern, clean, and luxurious property. The hallways on each floor still retain their beach-town charm, but as soon as you enter your room you are reminded of Curio Collection’s attention to detail in providing the utmost comfort to their guests. The Ocean View King we stayed in on the seventh floor was stunning and made the perfect little abode overlooking La Jolla Shores and the water.

La Jolla Shores

As a guest of Hotel La Jolla, you have access to the hotel’s blue beach cruisers to take out around town. One important thing to note- the hotel is situated at the bottom of a valley, so unless you are in the mood for an extreme workout, you are “limited” to bike around La Jolla Shores residential neighborhoods, the park, and of course the beach. I use the term limited jokingly because La Jolla is known as the jewel of San Diego, one of California’s most beautiful beaches. Of course if you aren’t in the mood for a bike ride, the beach is within walking distance (about 10 minutes) from the hotel and along the way you will pass plenty of shops, restaurants, and stands.

La Jolla Shores is perfect regardless if you’re in the mood for relaxing or for an adventure. The beach extends for miles north anyone who’s ever admitted they like long walks. For the adventurous, La Jolla Cove is San Diego’s kayaking capital, and for those who like close encounters with wildlife, you can snorkel with the harmless leopard sharks or scuba dive in an underwater canyon. Paddleboards are also fun if you prefer to stay above the water!

Endless Views

As the only high rise building in La Jolla Shores apart from a single apartment complex, guests of Hotel La Jolla get to take in the same gorgeous views as the homes dotting the hills in one of San Diego’s most coveted neighborhoods. Every room at the hotel faces west, but because the hotel is not right on the water the rooms on the higher floors have better ocean views. The absolute best views are from CUSP restaurant on the hotel’s eleventh (top) floor.

I dined at CUSP restaurant for breakfast during both mornings of my stay, and can’t wait to go back. Everything on the breakfast menu sounded great so it was hard to choose just one dish. My boyfriend and I shared the Granola with yogurt, berries, and honey, the Chilaquiles with scrambled eggs, and the Frittata with smoke salmon. Each dish was phenomenal but the servings were HUGE and we almost had trouble finishing our plates. The next morning we opted to share the Granola (again) and try the Barbacoa hash with scrambled eggs which was absolutely delicious. CUSP restaurant is open to the public so even if you aren’t a guest of the hotel, I recommend at least eating at the restaurant next time you are in La Jolla.

To book your trip to Hotel La Jolla or to learn more information, click here.

I was invited as a guest of Hotel La Jolla, a Curio Collection by Hilton, and all opinions presented in this post are my own.