The Grande Colonial Hotel, San Diego
In today’s blog post I want to share with you the Grande Colonial Hotel review.
We just got back home from San Diego. We stayed at a few beautiful hotels and had an amazing time in California. I already miss it and can’t wait to be back. More about the city in my next blog post.
Today I just want to focus on the first hotel we stayed at. The Grande Colonial Hotel, it’s the best hotel in La Jolla. Unfortunately, we arrived in San Diego with one day of delay because of the airline cancelling our flight. Upon landing, we picked up our rental car and headed over to La Jolla. The traffic wasn’t bad, we arrived at the hotel in around 20 minutes from the airport. The hotel has a valet service so we didn’t have to worry about parking. The valet guys were very friendly and welcomed us to the hotel.
When I saw the hotel I was amazed. The Grande Colonial Hotel is a beautiful boutique hotel right next to the beach. It was opened in 1913, which makes it La Jolla’s oldest hotel, and one of the most recognaizable landmarks in town. It has been completely modernized, yet faithful to its storied past, when travel meant something special and personalized guest service was a hallmark of every stay. The elegant lobby is filled with a lovely combination of yellows, blues, and whites, and tasteful wood accents. Decor is classic and European-inspired - a bit of upscale, French-country-inn with urban sophistication. This lounge area, with a fireplace, a chess set, and numerous coffee table books, creates very relaxing atmosphere. There’s also an outdoor terrace where guests can enjoy a meal from NINE-TEN, the hotel’s award-winning restaurant. Diners get a view of the beautiful ocean and the heated outdoor pool.
The hotel has a five-story main building, and three adjacent private buildings. The property overlooks the shores of the Pacific Ocean and is ideally located just steps away from miles of beautiful Southern California beaches. Luckily we got a gorgeous room with the stunning ocean view on the 4th floor. Even while showering I was able to admire the beauty of the California coastline. Our spacious guest room had king size bed, separate living room area, flat-screen TVs and free WiFi. Luxury bathrobes and bath amenities as well as free bottled water were included.
We also couldn’t missed this amazing opportunity to try dishes made by award-winning Chef Jason Knibb at NINE-TEN Restaurant. So already few weeks ago I made booking for us to make sure they will have an open table. After refreshing ourself we went to check it out. NINE-TEN offers the perfect combination of sophistication and casual elegance. They serve fresh California Cuisine for breakfast, lunch and dinner. An upscale brunch is served on Sundays, and room service is provided every day. They really emphasize a REAL Certified, farm-to-table philosophy. The dinner was incredible and the truffle infused meals were my favorite. The restaurant was able to accommodate my diet as well. The prepared gluten free bread for me. For appetiser I ate the grilled octopus and my entrée was a grilled local swordfish truffle infused. All tested at another level of deliciousness. I honestly can admit it’s the best restaurant in La Jolla.
After finishig the meal we went to explore the area. La Jolla is a great choice for travelers interested in sandy beaches, sunsets and beach walks. All within walking distance from the hotel. There are also dozens of other restaurants and upscale boutiques nearby. First we walked up to Prospect Street to browse shops. It’s considered the Rodeo Drive of San Diego with mostly local boutiques and a few brand names sprinkled in. After a little bit of shopping we headed to the beach to watch the sunset and the seals. Because of its extraordinary beauty, La Jolla Cove is one of the most photographed beaches in Southern California. It’s loved by both locals and visitors from all around the world. My favorite beach in this area is called the Children’s Pool. That’s the spot where La Jolla seals hang out. Looking at the seals from afar or the seawall was particularly enjoyable. Many of them sit on the benches for hours. It was so much fun just watching them sleep, flop around, and swim. And the best part of the whole trip was that our room was facing directly into this beach. As I mentioned before even in the shower I was able to watch majestic sea lions.
After watching the breathtaking sunset, we went back to the hotel. The next morning we had to check out and leave.
Fun fact or actually scary one: there are also several ghost stories associated with the hotel. I read about them before staying at Grande Colonial Hotel and I was a bit anxious. However during my stay I have never heard or seen any ghost. I can reassure you there was nothing to worry about.
To conclude we really enjoyed our stay, the staff were amazing, helpful and kind. Thank you again to the hotel for making my stay fabulous and memorable. Can’t to visit again!
