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Every summer I try to take my pups on a staycation and this year we decided to drive down to San Diego from Los Angeles. I had a few free nights with my Marriott Bonvoy account that were expiring so I booked our stay at The Coronado Island Marriott Resort and Spa.

I was a bit nervous about booking our stay here because the reviews on Trip Advisor were somewhat mixed. The main thing was that the rooms were outdated, but despite the mixed reviews I went ahead and made reservations.

FIRST IMPRESSION

The resort is located opposite downtown San Diego and before we entered the resort’s entrance, the drive over the bridge was an amazing view. Check-in was swift and I was pleasantly surprised that they noticed the notes on the account when I called a couple of weeks back regarding a request I had about our room. More often than not, these notes are overlooked so it was a relief that they actually read it.

I had to sign a waiver regarding the pet policies and was a little bummed that there weren’t any treats or little gift bags for the pups. The lobby, however, did have water bowls for pets.

THE ROOM

We were in room 160, on the ground floor, which was very close to the lobby. Our room was in a convenient location. We were close to the underground parking lot elevator, steps away from the bay view, and super close to the lobby. Being near the lobby made the trip to their in-house Starbucks cafe especially convenient when I wanted to refill my cup of coffee.

We booked a room with two double beds and a sofa bed, so it was very spacious for two adults and two medium size dogs. The room had a workstation corner and a long TV console, which provided us with plenty of space to place our carry-on luggage and bags.

The beds were comfy, but the mattress moved around fairly easily so that was a little annoying. Other than that, we all slept really well. A nightstand was in between the two beds and it had plenty of outlets and USB ports to charge both of our devices.

Also on the nightstand was a lavender-scented pillow spray from thisworks. I’ve never heard of the brand, but after a quick search, they are a sleep, skincare, and wellness brand. 

Next to the bed was a refrigerator and on top of that was a small coffee station. The refrigerator was old and made an annoying hissing sound, which didn’t bother me during the day but at night it was noticeably loud which made it difficult to fall asleep when the sound got stuck in my head.

The coffee station wasn’t anything special and the coffee machine and tea selection were from an unknown brand. I instead grabbed a coffee from their Starubucks cafe every morning after my sunrise walk with the pups.

The bathroom was roomy and bright which is always a plus for me, since I prefer rooms with lots of light.  The vanity had plenty of space to place both our toiletries and plenty of towels were provided every day. 

The bathroom was designed with a separate shower and tub and the refillable toiletries (shampoo, conditioner, and body soap) were also from thisworks. There was a mini bottle of thisworks lotion and single-use face cleansing wipes. It was pretty basic, which was a little underwhelming for an upscale resort.

It would have been nice to have some Q-tips and cotton balls. I’ve never had any opinions on blow dryers, but the blow dryer they provided was noticeably old. The mesh part that covers the fan had a thick layer of dust that had not been cleaned in ages.

My favorite part of the room was the patio. We had the resort view and the patio was very spacious with cushioned patio furniture. We spent plenty of time out here since the weather was beautiful and the views were pleasing with flamingos and ducks swimming in the ponds. I really wanted the bay view (I didn’t have enough points to book this room), but the resort view was not a disappointment.

FEATURED AMENITIES ON-SITE

Wellness Center

I was surprised to see eight pickleball courts, three tennis courts, and a lap pool. The entrance to the wellness center looked outdated; however, they offered several complimentary classes like yoga, water yoga, and pilates. A fitness center was also available and fully equipped with free weights, treadmills, and Peloton bikes.

There were a ton of on-site amenities, but since we had the pups with us, we weren’t able to take advantage of everything they had to offer. The outdoor pool looked amazing as well, but we opted for the nearby beach since the pups weren’t allowed in the pool area. 

ALBACA 

Albaca is the hotel’s signature restaurant with incredible views of the bay and San Diego’s Skyline. These views definitely make their outdoor tables irresistible. Shortly after check-in, we decided to grab some drinks at the bar to enjoy the amazing views. I was so happy that our pups were able to join us too.

The atmosphere was bright and inviting and our server was super friendly. He was really thoughtful and brought some water for the pups and sat us in a cozy spot with plenty of space for the four of us.

The next morning, we decided to try their breakfast buffet but the experience was not so great. The views obviously didn’t change, but the buffet was underwhelming; especially for $30.00 (plus tax and tip). All of the pastries were stale, which was a huge disappointment. The eggs were cooked to order, but they were pretty bland. The only thing I enjoyed was the fresh-squeezed orange juice. 

My husband ordered plain buttermilk pancakes and the pancakes themselves were fantastic, but for $20 it would have been nice to have pure maple syrup. We weren’t expecting single-serve artificial syrup, which was definitely a letdown.

PET-FRIENDLINESS

When I was scrolling through the resort’s Instagram feed, I was excited to see the royal treatment that dogs received here. From comfy large beds, yummy treats, pet bandanas, raised dog bowls, and even a Puppy Chow Menu at Albaca. But to my surprise, we did not experience any of this.

I later saw online that all of the perks were part of the resort’s P.A.W. Package. This was an extra add-on that required a promotional code when making reservations. Even though we weren’t able to experience the P.A.W. Package, we were grateful that the pups were able to unwind and enjoy the pet-friendly atmosphere throughout the resort.

The fee per night for dogs (up to 2 dogs) is $25.00. I honestly was expecting the fee to be higher, so I was pleased that they offered such reasonable rates.

SKYLINE TERRACE FAMILY AREA

On one night during sunset, we decided to check out their outdoor recreation area which is located next to the pool. This family-friendly space offered several lounge chairs, a ping pong table, and corn hole boards.

We didn’t play any games, but we did grab a couple of lounge chairs that faced the view of the bay. We enjoyed drinks and pizza that we purchased from the hotel’s Food Truck Thursday event. During the summer, the hotel hosts Food Truck Thursday every Thursday night from 5-8 PM.

LOCATION

One advantage of spending a vacation at the resort is having all the conveniences offered by a resort in a tranquil setting, but still being just a stone’s throw away from attractions like Downtown San Diego and Balboa Park.

If you have a car, it’s an easy 5-mile drive to the other side of the bridge or you can walk to Coronado’s Ferry Landing Park and hop on a quick ferry ride to downtown San Diego. Keep in mind that only service animals are allowed on the ferry.

I highly recommend taking a stroll along the Bayshore Bikeway to Coronado Ferry Landing Park. From the resort, it’s about a 10-minute walk to various shops, cafes, and restaurants. We had a lovely breakfast one morning at Parfait Paris and the area is very pet-friendly.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Overall, we enjoyed our stay and loved that the property was super pet-friendly. The views and location are unbeatable, but the service was hit or miss. There were efforts to update the rooms, but it definitely needs some fine-tuning.

I would gladly stay here again with my rewards points, but I don’t think I would pay cash to stay at this property since it didn’t meet the standards of a 4-star resort. 

PROS

• Reasonable $25/day Pet Fee

• Gorgeous San Diego Skyline

• Spacious Patio

CONS

• Subpar Customer Service

• No Amenities for Dogs (unless the P.A.W. Package is purchased)

  
  

CORONADO ISLAND MARRIOTT RESORT & SPA
ADDRESS: 2000 2nd St, Coronado, CA 92118 (MAP)
PHONE: (619) 435-3000

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