amandam673's profile and reviews

I stayed in one of the hotel's new annexes, which is down the hill and isolated from the main branch. My room had a gas-powered fireplace, a kitchenette, and a comfy sitting area. It was recently done, so everything was lovely and in perfect condition. An added bonus: I could leave through a back gate and dash down to the water with in 3 minutes (though there was NO view to speak of from my ground-floor room).

Convenient to the hotel's pool, and a short walk up a little hill to the shopping/dining on La Jolla's main drag.

The location couldn't have been better, right at the base of the Vail Village lifts, it’s as close to the action at you can get. At the end of the day, we'd simply pop off our skis and leave them at the liftside valet ski parking, and then walk 100 yards or so back to the Lodge in our ski boots, where we grabbed a cup of complimentary hot chocolate (or cider) to warm up.

The breakfast buffets in the cafe were perfect to start the day, $16 for cold buffet had plenty of options, though you could go all out with hot and cold buffet for $27. Or order a la carte, with an omelet for about $16.

Dinner at the Wildflower restaurant was phenomenal. The scallops appetizer served with risotto and rock shrimp was a stand-out for me.

The pricing on this room is approximate, a package per person and for the experience of learning to surf in a beautiful environment. A stay at the hotel includes daily in-water surf lessons, board rentals, daily breakfast in the restaurant (from a menu), and surf seminars. The room itself is clean and lacks amenities, but it is air-conditioned and the bathroom is beautifully tiled. No TV, but who needs it, you shouldn't be spending that much time in your room in a place like this. The pillows weren't super comfortable (at least when I was there), so be prepared if you're high-maintenance, or hope they've upgraded. The room could also use a better reading lamp by the beds.

Still, the staff was very friendly, from the front-desk to the surf instructors to the kitchen staff.

And the hotel itself, right on the beach, with an open-air cafe that overlooks the beach.

In October, they were starting construction on a new building to house a yoga studio (and exercise studio?).

If you're looking to surf, this is a great place to do it. I'd never surfed before, and managed to stand-up and ride in on my second attempt (granted, it was in white water, but I was surfing the "green waves" by the end of the week).