La Valencia Hotel

We stayed at the La Valencia this last December, we celebrated my birthday and also booked breakfast with Santa for our daughters. Everything was perfect. My husband and I already have plans to book the same weekend next year. To start Mark greeted us at the entrance with a cold glass of champagne. Ana and Joey were so sweet. They made check in a breeze and gave our girls a “special treat” of a box of chocolates, making them feel so fancy. They surprised us with a bottle of champagne and card sent up to our room for my birthday. The next morning we had breakfast at with Santa which I would 100% recommend. Our waitress Michelle is as so attentive and patient with our girls, and the Santa was one of the best we’ve seen. We were really impressed by all of the staff we encountered, and loved the character and vibe of the hotel. Chain hotels just can’t compare to this boutique hotel - a piece of San Diego history. We will definitely be back!

We have stayed at La Valencia several times and each visit is an enormous pleasure. We were there for a week in January and were thrilled with our big, beautiful room. The staff couldn’t have been more helpful, wanting us to have the most wonderful stay. The location and history of the hotel make it the perfect place to stay in La Jolla. We look so forward to coming back.

I stayed 2 nights in a 1 Bedroom Suite earlier this week. It was my second stay at La Valencia and will be my last. This is what you get for $ 900 / night during off-peak months: The suite was located in a narrow corridor between the restaurant and an event venue; the resort map labels this corridor the “Veranda Paseo.” This means that people will be hanging out, taking photos, and speaking loudly at all hours, just inches away from every window and the door of your suite. As a result of the exposed location, every window is covered in a reflective film, which obstructs natural light and causes the room to be very dark all day. I’ve included photos of what this looks like at peak sunshine hours. A real disappointment given that the oceanfront view is the only redeeming quality of the property. You’ll not only hear and see the heavy foot-traffic outside your room, you’ll also be woken at 4am when the restaurant/lobby directly above your room begins setting up tables/chairs. The sounds of furniture being dragged across the floor will continue until 6am or so—right in time for the “Veranda Paseo” to get busy. The room itself is a joke. It is apparent from the layout that it is not meant to be a sleeping room. For starters, there is no closet. See photos. The shower pressure is terrible; and even dialed up to the hottest setting, the water remains lukewarm. My partner and I remarked that, while we’ve never slept on a waterbed, the La Valencia mattress is probably the closest we’ll come to the real thing. It’s unconscionable for La Valencia to continue charging premium for this room. Of course, the pool area is a draw, as is the location convenient to La Jolla eateries and shopping. But in January, I’m not seeing that these pluses outweigh the major minuses.

This hotel is nothing short of amazing. We were displaced from the Palisades because of the fire and the staff went above and beyond to make our stay feel like a new home. Mike at the pool bar helped our kids feel safe and sound and went way out of his way to make our experience special and comforting as we were going through an exceptionally challenging time.

charming property in a great location for exploring La Jolla. Our villa was spacious and comfortable. We spent New Years Eve in La Jolla and the hotel had a lively celebration to come back to after dinner. We enjoyed the pool and hot tub and the staff was friendly and responsive to our needs.