Where to Stay in La Jolla: The Grande Colonial

San Diego is one of my favorite places to visit for a weekend getaway and when my cousin said he was getting married in La Jolla, a hilly, seaside neighborhood within the city of San Diego, I knew I had to find the best hotel in the area!

I was so excited to find The Grande Colonial, a Four-Diamond Hotel historical boutique hotel during my research. Not only was I excited for their location in the Village of La Jolla (the quaint downtown area), but I was excited to learn about its history and eat in their award-winning NINE-TEN restaurant.

Curious about what to do in La Jolla, CA? Peep my mini-blog about what to do in the area here. Also, while we’re at it, let’s be friends on Instagram!

Getting to The Grande Colonial

If you’re flying into San Diego, I recommend getting an Uber or cab to take you to La Jolla. The Grande Colonial is located at 910 Prospect Street in La Jolla, just 12 miles north of the airport. My uber took about 25 minutes. They also offer limited transportation within a five-mile radius of the hotel and offer transportation around the village using their electric golf carts. This is based on availability and can be scheduled by contacting the valet team.

If you’re driving to the Grande Colonial, they have off-street valet parking with a $30/ per day fee. The other option is to just find street parking as they don’t have the option for self-parking.

Grande Colonial Lobby & Check-In

This hotel is extremely unique as it is one of the oldest original seaside hotels! In fact, it opened in 1913 and later became a gathering spot for movie stars, locals, and military men. Not only is the staff extremely welcoming and friendly, but they are knowledgeable with wonderful local recommendations.

Upon entering the lobby you’ll notice this hotel has history and has stuck true to its past while not sacrificing a modern vibe. Word has it the hotel is haunted and you can find ghost stories on their website. Unfortunately, I didn’t experience any of this although I kind of wish I had!

There’s a beautiful lobby sitting area with plenty of seating. The doors open out to the patio restaurant with views of the ocean and the pool. To the right, as you walk in you’ll find the NINE-TEN restaurant with a full bar and patio seating. More on NINE-TEN in a bit!

Rooms

The hotel has a total of 97 rooms spread across 3 buildings, including suites and studios either with village and garden views or ocean views.

We stayed in their Ocean-View King Junior Suite. It had panoramic views of the ocean and Village and you could even stare out at the ocean from the shower. It was incredible! The bed was beyond comfy and there was plenty of room because of the walk-in closet, desk, and seating area. Check out my video tour of our room here.

One of the highlights besides the amazing views was the luxurious robes that I love at every hotel I stay in! Other in-room amenities include a refrigerator, sitting area, complimentary in-room water bottles, walk-in shower, plush robes, free wi-fi, smart TV, coffee maker, and safe.

Grounds & Amenities

Onsite Restaurant: NINE-TEN Restaurant

Upon entering the hotel on the right side, you’ll find the entrance to the Michelin plate distinction restaurant, NINE-TEN restaurant. Award-winning Chef Jason Knibb has created a delicious menu with a unique seasonal style of cooking with menus dictated by the local harvest. The wine list, beer menu, and cocktail menu are also wonderful. I loved everything we had and still crave the half-baked chocolate cake!

Pool & Fitness

Since La Jolla Cove is more of a rocky cliff, it can take a hot second to get to the beach, so the pool was a nice touch to get out of the heat. They have plush chaise lounge chairs by the heated pool and once you’re done swimming you can have lunch at the restaurant on the patio. If you’d rather go to the beach, the hotel also provides towels, chairs, and umbrellas for you to borrow.

Bikes are also available based on request and so is a daily guest pass to the Life Time La Jolla fitness club that’s located within walking distance to the hotel.

Green Initiatives at The Grande Colonial

The Grande Colonial has a great recycling and sustainability program which is a big deal when I look for hotels to stay in. They employ recycling efforts to minimize waste and have recycling bins throughout the lobby and in the guest rooms. They are also making positive contributions to their surrounding environment. You can find a list of all of the sustainable initiatives they are focusing on here.

Weddings + Events

The Grande Colonial takes great pride in hosting exceptional events. They can help you plan your meetings and events, weddings, or private dining. The hotel extends its devoted hospitality to meetings, weddings, and special events of every description.

Price

Room rates fluctuate depending on what time of year it is, but I recommend checking out the Grande Colonial website to get the best prices for when you’re planning on visiting. They also are regularly running special offers if you can see any that work for you here.