My daughter (13) and I traveled to San Diego with her soccer team for Surf Cup at the Polo Fields in Del Mar at the beginning of August. We have stayed in different hotels around San Diego, the Sheraton La Jolla compared nicely to the others based on location to field and amenities both at and near the hotel.
Arrival/check in
We flew into San Diego at 10:30AM, picked up our rental car and made it to the hotel around 11:30AM. The hotel is on a side street kind of perched up on a hill. There are a couple spots you can park to check in without going into their paid parking lot. The hotel is a two story 70s style architecture, not the most aesthetically pleasing hotel I’ve seen, but functional. We went into the reception area to see if we could check in early, and we were pleasantly surprised that we could. The front desk clerk was friendly and efficient and got us checked in very quickly. Because of the distance and the layout of the hotel, you pay for parking and then have to go through a gate in order to get both you and your car close to your room. Our room was at the far end of the hotel with shipping containers and construction material taking up some spaces, but at that time there were few cars and parking was not a problem.
Room
The hotel did a good job in putting (most) of the team on the same floor / building. We were on the first floor which was not something I wanted initially, but it made getting in and out of the hotel a little easier. We had two queen beds, the room was fine, but it felt like it needed an update. Our room looked out into the parking lot (perfect view of the containers mentioned before!), but we did not spend a ton of time at the hotel so not a big deal. I could keep an eye on my rental car as it was right outside the window. The hotel met our team’s needs, only having two floors made it easier for the kids to find each other and connect.
Location
You are two minutes from I-5, there is a large shopping mall adjacent to the property with a Whole Foods store, lots more stores and restaurants within easier walking/driving distance, and you are 10-15 minutes from the beach depending on traffic. We played soccer at the Polo Fields, which was about a 15-20 minute drive. We ate breakfast at the mall next door, there is a place called Nekter Juice Bar where the kids generally got a fruit bowl or smoothie in the morning. Whole Foods also has good meal options if you do not want to eat at the hotel.
Swimming Pool / Bar / Entertainment
Probably the highlight of the stay is the pool area which we took over on most days. The kids had a blast in the pool, and even when busy it was big enough for everyone to have enough space. The parents sat at the tables drinking beer and talking, a happy time for all. When we ran out of our store bought beer, we went over to the bar right off the lobby to get some drinks. One of the nights there was karaoke and the place was packed with only one bartender who was frazzled beyond belief. Took about a half hour for us to get our drinks, but in the meantime it was fun listening to the group of singers who come from all over the San Diego area to get together and belt out some songs.
Check out
We left very early in the morning, took about 2 minutes to complete at the front desk to turn in keys and get final copy of receipt.
Overall
I am happy we stayed at this hotel as we had a good time and it was comfortable. Chances are we will be back for another tournament and look forward to staying here again.
