Our Family’s Timeless Coastal Escape and Why the Grande Colonial Will Always Feel Like Home
Some places imprint on your heart long before you realize they’ve become part of your family story. For us, that place is La Jolla. For more than a decade, whenever life has felt too loud or our schedules too full, we’ve packed the car, grabbed far too many beach towels, and headed south to this jewel of the California coast. As a mom, I’ve watched my kids grow up on these shores – chasing after sandpipers, learning to boogie board in the gentle surf, wandering Girard Avenue with ice cream drips racing down their wrists. And through it all, our home base has never changed: the Grande Colonial (thegrandecolonial.com).
Located just steps from the sparkling curve of La Jolla Cove, the Grande Colonial is more than a hotel – it’s a gracious embrace. There’s something about its classic yellow façade and stately architecture that immediately slows your breath. Maybe it’s the century-old charm, maybe it’s the way the staff greets you like returning friends, or maybe it’s simply the comfort of a place that understands what families truly need when they travel: ease, beauty, and room to exhale.
Over the years, we’ve settled into many of the property’s charming room configurations – especially the intimate guestrooms with their coastal views and timeless character. For families who want a little more room to stretch out, the Grande Colonial also offers spacious residential-style suites, complete with kitchenettes and generous living areas – perfect for families juggling beach gear, growing kids, and the desire for simple conveniences like easy breakfasts or a quiet cup of coffee before the day begins. It’s the kind of thoughtful option that turns a simple getaway into something wonderfully effortless.
But the true hallmark of the Grande Colonial is its location. Step outside and you’re mere minutes from the ocean’s edge, where early morning walks along the Cove have become one of my favorite rituals. I’ve watched my teenagers stand quietly on the cliffs, mesmerized by the sea lions, the waves, the kind of natural beauty that even they can’t pretend is “boring.” The hotel is also steps from boutique shops, galleries, cafés, and sunset viewpoints that make leaving the car behind not just easy – but blissful.
And then there’s the dining. I would be committing a culinary crime if I didn’t mention NINE-TEN, the hotel’s award-winning restaurant that has anchored many of our favorite memories. On our first visit years ago, my husband and I snuck downstairs after settling the kids with a movie, promising ourselves “just appetizers.” We stayed for a three-course meal that still makes our top-five dinners list. Chef-driven, elegant without being intimidating, NINE-TEN captures the essence of California cuisine: seasonal, inventive, and impossibly fresh. Today, our kids consider the house-made desserts a non-negotiable part of any stay.
Days in La Jolla have a natural rhythm: mornings at the Cove or Windansea Beach, afternoons strolling Prospect Street or exploring the tidepools, and evenings wrapped in that golden coastal light that makes everything feel cinematic. And at the end of each of those days, returning to the Grande Colonial feels like slipping into something familiar and restorative. It’s quiet without being stuffy, luxurious without being fussy, and designed for travelers who appreciate thoughtful details – from plush bedding and oversized bathrooms to impeccable service that somehow anticipates what you need before you say it.
Every year, friends ask why we keep returning to the same place when there are endless destinations to explore. And my answer is always the same: some places don’t just host your vacations – they hold your memories. La Jolla is where our family reconnects, where we slow down enough to notice each other again. And the Grande Colonial is the setting that elevates those moments, making even an ordinary weekend feel like a cherished tradition.
If you’re looking for a staycation that marries beauty, ease, and a touch of timeless elegance, La Jolla is ready to welcome you. And if you want a hotel that treats your family’s getaway with as much care as you do, the Grande Colonial may just become part of your story too.
