San Diego Family Vacation – Hilton San Diego Resort & Spa

My husband and I decided it was time for an official SeaWorld and San Diego vacation with our girls.  We were both raised with great memories at Sea World and visiting the beach, so now that our girls are 4.5 and 1.5 years old, it was time to start making memories of our own.  When I started researching San Diego hotels, I realized that not a lot of properties promoted luxury and a family friendly environment, until I discovered Hilton San Diego Resort & Spa.  It is a gorgeous property on Misson Bay and it had everything we were looking for, not to mention it is less than a 5-minute drive from SeaWorld which was definitely a plus for us.

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The Hilton San Diego Resort & Spa is conveniently located on Mission Bay, and the views of the water are absolutely stunning.  It is a 10-minute drive from the San Diego Airport or a quick 5.5-hour drive from Arizona.

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When we arrived we were greeted with the most thoughtful welcome gifts.  The small touches go along way when you are traveling, and they went above and beyond to make our stay comfortable and cozy.  The girls fell in love with their mermaids and they became their little travel buddies for the rest of the weekend!

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We stayed in a Villa Bay View Room with two queen beds and a roll in pack n play that the Hilton San Diego Resort & Spa provided.  The 365-sqft deluxe accommodations fit our family’s needs perfectly.  The girls loved our private 2nd floor balcony and my husband and I loved the beautiful Mission Bay views… sunrises with coffee and sunsets with wine were stunning and just what we needed!  The room also provided a coffee maker (which is a must for my husband!),  a microwave and mini fridge which came in handy with our girls and their meals.

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The Hilton San Diego Resort & Spa property is breathtaking; wherever you walk you are surrounded by lush tropical greenery and fabulous amenities.  Believe me, The Hilton has thought of everything.  You are welcomed at the front desk by the sweetest employees who go above and beyond to make sure your stay is everything you hoped for.  We fell in love with the concierge, Gordon.  He is a San Diego EXPERT and was incredibly helpful in planning our nightly adventures around the San Diego area.  He was able to assist us with the perfect family friendly restaurants and hot spots around town.  At every location he made sure to have the owner or chef come out and we were often surprised by free appetizers or desserts!   Gordon went above and beyond in helping us, and seemed to always have a “surprise” every time he saw our daughters; sea shells, beach balls, rubber duckies, chapstick, etc – our girls were spoiled!  Gordon made our stay at the Hilton San Diego Resort & Spa extra special, by the end of the weekend, my 4 year old had herself a new bestie, and even nick-named him “Gordie”!

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The resort offers a boutique and market that has everything you could possibly need from drinks, ice cream and goodies to clothing, souvenirs and sunblock.  So if you are like me and you forget to pack something… no worries, the have it!

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Outside of the shop is an adorable creekside seating area with ducks, so of course the girls asked to visit the ducks everyday.  Everywhere you turn is a beautiful place to sit down, relax and take in the beauty!

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The property boasts multiple restaurants on-site that are not only delicious but offer stunning views. The Acqua California Bistro is perfect for a lovely dinner with a view, and if you are looking for a casual dining and happy hour spot, The Olive Lounge is perfect.  But, being a coffee lover… my favorite spot was Aroma Coffee House.  We had the most delicious blueberry muffins every morning and of course LATTES!  My hubby would run down before the girls and I woke up every morning and would surprise us with breakfast on our private patio looking out at the bay… talk about starting the day off right!

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The pool area is absolutely breathtaking with beautiful rock fountains, a large checker board, a wading pool for children, multiple hot tubs, a spacious waterfront pool, cabanas and my favorite aspect – Fresco’s Bar and Grill for poolside dining.  I enjoyed a fabulous drink called “The Caribbean” (a delicious twist on the classic pina colada), while lounging poolside and watching my husband splash around with the girls! It was heavenly.  The best part is that you can see the bay from the pool so you get to enjoy the view while floating around.  Our girls had so much fun in the wading pool; it was the perfect spot for them to splash around in a safe environment.  We ended up spending an entire day poolside and loved every second of it.  It was the most relaxing family day we’ve had in a long time!

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The beauty of the Hilton’s location is that it is literally on the water.  Right out in front of the hotel is a marina and bayside walking path that goes along the entire bay.  One morning we were able to put the girls in the stroller and take them on a 4-mile bayside run.  There is nothing better than an early morning work out in beautiful weather and right next to water (a rare sight for us Arizonians!).  If you are traveling without a stroller, you can rent surreys or bike cruisers at the marina and enjoy a nice family ride.  The marina also offers action sport rentals such as boats, paddleboards and jet skis; all located right in front of the resort.  The resort also offers amazing activities and amenities such as: a state of the art fitness center, a luxury spa and salon, S’mores Nights, Dive-In Movies, shuttle transportation, kids camp & resort games.  You can even book your trip to SeaWorld or The San Diego Zoo through the resort.  Everything is right at your fingertips.

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We can not thank the Hilton San Diego Resort & Spa enough for an incredible family get-a-away! The amazing accommodations, the beauty of the scenery and the kind-hearted employees made our San Diego vacation one for the books!  The Hilton San Diego Resort & Spa is where luxury meets family friendly accommodations.

Stay tuned for a recap of our day at SeaWorld and all of our restaurant recommendations, coming soon!

This review was in collaboration with Hilton San Diego Resort & Spa. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.

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