San Diego Hotels: La Jolla Cove Suites

The La Jolla Cove Suites offers “one of the most stunning views in the country.”

The famous La Jolla Cove is right across the street, and yet, La Jolla Cove Suites has suffered low occupancy rates and mixed reviews for as long as I can remember.

Owner Krista Baroudi, whose grandfather built the hotel in 1959, was out of ideas for ways to save her “family’s beachside treasure,” so earlier this year she reached out to the Travel Channel’s Hotel Impossible host Anthony Melchiorri. He agreed to lend a hand and filmed a segment of Hotel Impossible at La Jolla Cove Suites in March.

Melchiorri, known for his tough love approach, pointed out the “bad beds, old and ugly furnishings, and outdated décor.” However, he also declared the hotel’s panorama of ocean, beaches, and the La Jolla Cove “one of the most stunning views in the country” and acknowledged that the 110-room property was “basically clean.”

The man known as the “hotel fixer” got busy and showed Krista how she could renovate the rooms with inexpensive materials from places like Home Depot. He also encouraged her to turn the 12,000-square-foot roof deck with the million-dollar view into a money maker by renting it out for wedding receptions and private parties.

New mattresses arriving for the renovated rooms in “the annex.”

When I visited La Jolla Cove Suites a couple of weeks ago and again today, I saw a marked improvement. The 25 deluxe one-bedrooms in “the annex” are all 930-square feet with view balconies and kitchens. They will be completely renovated by the 4th of July and are sold out for that day because the La Jolla Cove fireworks will take place right across the street.

The remaining rooms and suites are located in three adjacent buildings that occupy some of the most expensive ocean-view real estate in San Diego. Most of these quarters are spacious, include either full kitchens or kitchenettes, and have had minor improvements made in the past few months. While they are not on a par with nearby La Valencia or the Grand Colonial Hotel, they are just fine for families and visitors who think proximity to the beach is more important that impeccable interior design.

Just for the record: La Jolla Cove Suites has no restaurant, no bar, no room service, and covered parking costs $15 a night. On the other hand, the property is pet friendly and non-smoking; the staff is unusually courteous; wi-fi is complimentary; and there are laundry facilities and a business center on the premises. All guests share a heated saltwater pool, spa pool, and barbecue grill.

The other good news is that the complimentary breakfast served on the roof deck every morning includes fruit, pastries, fresh waffles – and “one of the most stunning views in the country.”
If you need more ideas about places to stay, check out La Jolla Lodging By Location.

Photo credit: ADAMS / HANSEN STOCK PHOTOS

Tags: Beaches, beautiful view, family-friendly, fireworks, Hotel Impossible, Hotels, kitchens, La Jolla Cove Suites, La Jolla travel information, places to stay, San Diego, San Diego hotels, Southern California, Travel Channel, weddings

Category: Beaches, Hotels