A great family hotel in San Diego often overlooked for the better known beach properties to the south is the La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club. With many perks and amenities for families with kids, you’ll be hard-pressed to beat the beach activities, plus on site resort activities that will keep you having fun all day and night.  There are suites with kitchenettes, but with so much dining on site and nearby in La Jolla village, you probably won’t do that much cooking, except maybe the beach BBQ at sunset on the hotel’s beach.

Some call the hotel “old school” because of the club atmosphere with the active tennis club. If you’re priming your kids for tennis careers or just want them to have the experience of playing this is a great spot. The tennis courts are one of the most immaculate portions of the property, in fact.

What’s neat about La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club is the way the suites easily access the beach. With lawn chairs lined up facing the ocean, it’s all about the beach in La Jolla. For the kids, we like the fact that burgers can cost around $10 instead of the gourmet bleu cheese burgers at expensive San Diego beach resorts where you pay a mininum of $15 and usually more for just a hamburger for the kids.

There’s golf, a small gym, and the famed Marine Room restaurant with spectacular ocean views and dynamo chefs preparing fine cuisine.

The cheapest rooms at the hotel are the garden view one bedroom options. But you can step your way up to a luxury accommodation with ocean front setting, full living room, kitchen, and bedrooms.

La Jolla is a region of San Diego that is located on the northern end of the city and its beaches. It has long been considered the luxury part of town, kind of like Carmel on the the Central Coast. La Jolla has other luxury beach resorts and casual beach accommodations. It features a great, beach-close downtown with arts, shopping and dining.  The attractions of San Diego such as Sea World and the Zoo are no more than 15 minutes or so away. If you are looking for an unpretentious family vacation where you’ll have a comfortable, secure feeling, La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club is one of the best bets.

For an extensive list of San Diego Family hotels, the website, California Beaches, has put together a pretty good one.

La Quinta Mission Valley

La Quinta Mission Valley is well known for its great prices, ideal for families and those on a budget. With Free Parking, Complimentary High-Speed Wireless Internet, and Continental Breakfast, it is no wonder that the place is so popular. Centrally located to major attractions, shopping and ball parks, La Quinta Inn Mission Valley is less than one mile from two world-class shopping centers, Petco Park, Mission Bay, SeaWorld, the San Diego Zoo, Balboa Park, Old Town, the San Diego Harbor, Gaslamp Quarter,  the airport and more.

La Quinta Prices & Package Deals with Theme Park Tickets

While the parking is free, one of the biggest complaints for those driving large vehicles and big SUVs is the size of the parking spaces in the garage. The parking is tight. Two room suites are available, and the rooms are clean.

An inviting outdoor swimming pool appeals to the many families who frequent the hotel. Summers are winters offer equal opportunities to swim as the San Diego weather is some of the mildest in the United States during December through February. Many folks from the midwest gravitate to San Diego and this budget hotel, staying three days to a week at a time. My family and I stayed here for 3 nights and recommend getting two queen beds rather than counting on the sofa bed, which is less comfortable.  It’s a really nice motel with friendly, helpful staff.

The breakfast room can be quite busy as the hotel does a whopping business and there isn’t space for all families to eat there at once. You can either sneak your food back to your room, which we prefer to do, or just move on in and get what you want, tight quarters or not. It’s really no big deal as far as I’m concerned, as I don’t eat breakfast anyway.

As a matter of fact, I hopped in the car and went looking for a Starbucks cafe, finding one not far away. Overall, my family said the breakfast choices and quality were good for being free. Would I stay there again for $89/night? Why not? The prices are decent, plus you get a free breakfast meal. That’s a heck of a deal.

Where to eat? There are many great Mission Valley restaurants for families and adults. Denny’s for the full American breakfast is one of our favorites. Steakhouses abound in the Mission Valley, and family favorites include Applebees.