Paradise Point Resort with Kids in San Diego (Review)

Paradise Point Resort isn’t merely a place to rest your head during a stay in America’s Finest City. This hotel is a destination unto itself. Indeed, you may not need to ever leave the resort during your vacation. (But with all that San Diego has to offer families, you should drag yourself away from this paradise at least for a little while to explore!) Read this review to discover why to book a stay in San Diego at Paradise Point Resort with kids.

San Diego's Paradise Point Resort with kids - paradise indeed! (Photo credit: Colleen Lanin)
San Diego’s Paradise Point Resort with kids – paradise indeed! (Photo credit: Colleen Lanin)

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Paradise Point Resort with Kids

I have wanted to stay at Paradise Point Resort ever since I scoped it out as a potential place to tie the knot with my now husband of 13+ years. We got engaged in Minnesota just one week before we moved to San Diego. I spent much of the next year driving around to every hotel in town and Paradise Point stuck out in my memory. Such much so, in fact, that it was the first (and only) hotel I contacted regarding a possible stay during my family’s first trip back to our longtime, beloved hometown of San Diego after our sudden move. Did it live up to my expectations after all these years? Absolutely!

Look out tower at Paradise Point Resort (Photo credit: Colleen Lanin)
Look out tower at Paradise Point Resort (Photo credit: Colleen Lanin)

Tropical Resort in San Diego

Want to take a trip to Hawaii but can’t quite afford the airplane tickets? Book a stay at Paradise Point instead! This resort is as close as you’ll get to a Hawaiian vacation in California. I kept having to remind myself that I was in my former hometown of San Diego, and not in Maui. The lush tropical grounds are home to many birds, turtles, and fishies. When you drive up to the lobby to check-in, you’ll see a pond with a lookout tower and a fountain that creates a perpetual rainbow.

Our Paradise Point bayside bungalow (Photo credit: Colleen Lanin)
Our Paradise Point bayside bungalow (Photo credit: Colleen Lanin)

Bayside Bungalows for Families

If you can afford it, then book a bungalow instead of a standard room. In addition to extra space (a living room, separate bedroom, and kitchenette), you’ll be treated to an incredible view of San Diego Bay. You’ll literally be steps from the beach, where you can build a bonfire at night for roasting marshmallows to make s’mores and sweet vacation memories.

View of the Coronado Bridge from our bungalow (Photo credit: Colleen Lanin)
View of the Coronado Bridge and San Diego Bay from our bungalow (Photo credit: Colleen Lanin)

Paradise Point on San Diego Bay

The water is shallow and the waves mellow, making San Diego Bay a wonderful choice for traveling families. Whereas the Pacific Ocean’s crashing waves can be intimidating for young children, here kids can play safely while parents sit nearby in beach chairs.

There’s plenty of water fun available for rental from the Paradise Point Marina. Enjoy the beauty of the bay via jet ski, sailboat, speed boat, or stand-up paddleboard. You can also book a water ski or wakeboarding adventure, or take a water taxi to visit nearby SeaWorld San Diego.

Paradise Point's fine-dining restaurant, Tidal (Photo credit: Paradise Point Resort)
Paradise Point’s fine-dining restaurant, Tidal (Photo credit: Paradise Point Resort)

Dining at Paradise Point Resort

Each morning, I ate my breakfast on our veranda to take in the view of the Coronado Bridge and San Diego Bay. Room service is available or you can walk over to the coffee stand in the lobby for java and baked goods or to the Barefoot Bar & Grill to grab something more substantial, like a Breakfast Burrito or Crunchy Toast (French toast coated with Frosted Flakes). My family brought along a few snacks to store in our mini fridge too. While there is no oven or stovetop, a microwave is available to heat things up and a coffee maker got put to good use during our stay.

One night my husband and I hired a babysitter to celebrate our fall birthdays at Paradise Point’s fine-dining restaurant, Tidal. Sit outside for gorgeous views of the bay amid twinkling lights or choose the dining room with its modern nautical decor. The focus here is on fresh seafood. The winning dish of the night was a seasonal offering of pasta served with lump crab meat and a sinfully creamy sauce.

San Diego sunset at Paradise Point Resort's Barefoot Bar & Grill (Photo credit: Colleen Lanin)
Sunset view at the Barefoot Bar & Grill (Photo credit: Colleen Lanin)

Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, the Barefoot Bar & Grill is where to go for casual fare like salads, sandwiches, and burgers. In summer, this is THE place to be for their Sunday Fundays Summer Concert Series. I remember whiling away a couple of delightful pre-kid afternoons here many summers ago. Bloody Mary, anyone?

Right next door to the Barefoot Bar & Grill is the Caveman Pizza Company, handy for pick-up or delivery for an easy family night in or when you want to book a sitter.

One of five pools at Paradise Point Resort (Photo credit: Colleen Lanin)
One of five pools at Paradise Point Resort (Photo credit: Colleen Lanin)

What Else to Do at Paradise Point and Beyond

Paradise Point Resort boasts five hotel pools and Jacuzzis scattered throughout the 44-acre property. Although we were disappointed to find the poolside bar and grill closed during our off-season stay in October, we had plenty of fun swimming in the resort’s large main pool with its zero-entry and adjacent fountains.

Explore San Diego's Pacific Beach area by bicycle
Explore San Diego’s Pacific Beach area by bicycle (Photo credit: Travel Mamas)

My family explored Paradise Point and the surrounding Pacific Beach area from atop two wheels. Rent bicycles and surreys from the gift shop. During the month of October, many San Diego hotels and attractions offer discounts and freebies for children as part of Kids Free San Diego, and Paradise Point is no exception. Our kiddos were able to peddle for free during our stay.

Pacific Beach, San Diego (Photo credit: Colleen Lanin)
Pacific Beach along the Pacific Ocean in San Diego (Photo credit: Colleen Lanin)

We had a ball playing tourists in what had been our hometown for many years. Of course, when we lived in San Diego, we never got to stumble out of bed and onto the beach as we did at Paradise Point Resort. Our visit made me homesick but I reminded myself we can always return to San Diego and the kid-friendly Paradise Point another time. For now, I’ll just have to daydream.

Read additional reviews and book your stay via Hotels.com now!

Want to know what else to do with kids in the area? Check 15 things to do in San Diego with kids and the best San Diego restaurants for families.

For another amazing hotel for families in San Diego County, read our review of La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club with kids.

What’s your favorite thing to do with kids in San Diego? Let us know in the comments below!

A Note from The Travel Mama: Thank you to Paradise Point Resort for hosting my family’s stay and my husband and my dinner at Tidal for the purpose of this review. All opinions are mine, as always.

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10 Comments

  1. I stayed at Paradise Point. The pools are good. On par with Los Cabos hotels.
    Everything else is not as wonderful.
    The resort greets you with an additional $75 per night that you were not aware of.
    There are: one shop, one fitness, one spa and not much else to do
    Kids stuff? The gym and.one.of the.pool prohibit kids under 16. So we were stuck to the.main shallow pool. All the other activities in the post are available without staying at the resort, just go to marina or.to the beach.
    Dining options? Dunno about the other kids but mine can’t care less. Anyway. The restaurants are smelly, run down and overpriced like hell. The food is hit and miss. Something is spectacular, something is meh.
    The cantina is never open. WiFi didn’t work.

    Overall, a resort in Baja, Mexico with 3.5/5 reviews will be a better comparison.

    1. Sorry to hear your family didn’t enjoy your stay at Paradise Point Resort, John. We love the location, the island vibe & the pools. Hopefully you enjoyed your San Diego vacation nonetheless!

  2. I live in San Diego with a family of 5 and I hate it. Homeless over crowding, a huge foreign population who wont speak english, rude people on bicycles, dogs off leash, no space, and everything is over priced.

    1. Hi Mark – I am sorry you are not enjoying living in San Diego. I love San Diego dearly but have to admit that it is a very expensive place to live. My family moved to Arizona to be closer to family and to lower our cost of living. No place is perfect, of course, and you’ll find rude people everywhere. But I have found wonderfully warm and welcoming people in both places, as well. In case you’re considering moving away from San Diego, here’s my take on moving to Arizona: https://travelmamas.com/moving-to-arizona/

    1. It’s so pretty, Jody. I highly recommend this resort if you’re ever in San Diego!

  3. You captured the vacation perfectly…Paradise Point was exceptional all the way around. My favorite thing was spending the night with the kids making that awesome bonfire on the beach outside our bungalow. Those vivid memories of roasting marshmellows and laughing by the fire will stick in my memory forever.