When it comes to a weekend trip with the family, you don’t have to travel far, especially if you live in SoCal. All you need to escape the real world for a weekend is the Hilton Garden Inn Carlsbad Beach. The Carlsbad Beach hotel has everything you’ll need to have a relaxing, exciting, leisurely or adventurous weekend. The beauty is you can decide which path you want to take. Discover the amenities of the hotel and create new memories with the family. Not to mention, the beach itself adds even more options to make your weekend a mini-vacation.
We decided to take a trip for the weekend, knowing the kids had no sports obligations or pre-arranged engagements. It’s not often we get a clear schedule during a weekend, so when we do, we want to take advantage. So we decided to head down to Carlsbad, California to spend the weekend by the beach.
Wondering where to stay in Carlsbad California? The Hilton Garden Inn Carlsbad Beach offers so much including the beach and views!
The Hotel
Located in-between San Diego and Orange County, the Hilton Garden Inn Carlsbad Beach offers an easy to access location that is just far enough removed from the hustle and bustle but close enough to convenience and activities. Located off the 5 freeway, exit Palomar Airport Road, and the hotel is located right off Carlsbad Blvd. right across from the beautiful coastal beaches. With breathtaking ocean views of the California coastline, you will not be disappointed. The hotel has everything a family would need – comfortable and clean rooms, a pool, amazing grounds and a full-service bar and restaurant on site.
Walking into the hotel was a delight of a first impression. The hotel was very spacious and open with plenty of comfortable seating. As we approached the front desk we were greeted with a smile and check-in was fast and efficient. Self-parking is $12.00 per night and it is important to note that valet parking is not available.
The Rooms
We arrived at our room and noticed right away we had a partial ocean view room and it was beautiful. We immediately opened the window to feel the ocean breeze.
Rooms at the Hilton Garden Inn Carlsbad Beach are clean, comfortable and well planned for guests. Thoughtful conveniences like the refrigerator, microwave, and coffee maker are all housed in a cabinet together and appreciated since we brought along an assortment of fruit for our kids to snack on as well as reusable water bottles.
It was also nice to see the Keurig coffee maker for a freshly brewed cup of coffee or tea in the morning; while the hotel offers breakfast in the morning it is always nice to enjoy a cup while getting ready. Our kids enjoyed this too because they like making us our coffee, and the Keurig is easy for them to operate.
Hit the Beach
After getting settled in the room the kids wanted to go to the beach; who could blame them with the beautiful views and ocean breeze? This is a great hotel for beach access with only a 5 or 10 minute walk next to the bluff over looking the ocean. In order to access the beach we just needed to carefully climb down some large rocks. I would recommend driving up the road to tower 28 and parking in the lot if you have small children with strollers or need easier access to the beach. Or, you can just take your beach chairs and sit on the bluff overlooking the beautiful ocean views and sunset.
Hotel Amenities
The Hilton Garden Inn Carlsbad has a nice pool that we took a dip in after returning from the beach. Located in the center of the courtyard area, it is private and surrounded by lush greenery. The pool was not too big but certainly enough space for the kids to enjoy; towels were readily available to dry off after a quick dip in the pool.
All of that swimming and sun made everyone hungry! Located right on site is the Carlsbad Beach Bistro which was a perfect choice for us and we were thrilled at how convenient it was. Dinner was perfect and we loved that they had a nice selection of our favorite beer, Karl Strauss. The service was excellent and the staff was very friendly. As we were waiting for dinner we couldn’t help but notice the incredible sunset that was happening outside, so we took a moment to step outside and enjoy the view. The hotel grounds are truly beautiful!
The day had been so wonderful so far at the Hilton Garden Inn Carlsbad that was hard to believe it could get any better. One of the many amenities is a movie night–outdoors. During the summer months, when the weather is just right, the resort sets up a movie screen and picnic blankets on the lawn for a movie night. They even provide snacks and sundries just inside the hotel from the lawn area to enjoy during the movie. My husband and I finished our drinks as the kids eagerly went out to get the perfect spot on the lawn for their outdoor movie.
The evening couldn’t have been more beautiful. While the kids watched the movie my husband and I sat nearby beside the outdoor fireplace and relaxed.
One of the best aspects of any hotel is room service and enjoying breakfast in bed. The Hilton Garden Inn Carlsbad Beach Resort offers not only that room service but a few other options as well. You can head down to the Pavillion Pantry for a very light breakfast, or head into the Beach Bistro for something more full. The Bistro offers American and lighter continental breakfasts for the family. It is definitely worth a try, not only because the food is great, but the views of the Pacific Ocean make for a fantastic breakfast.
Extra Perks
The hotel is located near the Carlsbad Premium Outlets and many restaurants and breweries. For convenience, the hotel has a shuttle for trips within five miles which would make it easy to get to if you decided you didn’t want to drive. You don’t even have to interrupt your fitness goals thanks to their state of the art gym and fitness center or bicycle rentals.
