La Jolla Beach And Tennis Club

"Casual beachfront luxury worthy of becoming a family tradition "

La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club (LJBTC) is an exclusive and private club whose members are amongst the most elite families in San Diego. Luckily, us regular folk still have the opportunity to experience the perks of belonging to an oceanfront club because the LJBTC is also a full service resort with 98 rooms (including 67 suites). My family spent a weekend this summer at the LJBTC and we had a marvelous time enjoying a casual beach vibe with all the perks of club life.

LOCATION

The La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club is located in La Jolla Shores directly on its own private beach. The setting is spectacular with gentle waves lapping at the sand and million dollar homes on the cliffs, and the famous La Jolla sea caves sharing the same cove. LJBTC is within walking distance to a variety of shops and restaurants.

ROOMS

Most of the rooms at LJBTC are suites varying from one to three bedrooms. My family stayed in a one bedroom oceanfront suite. Since the Club is actually on the sand, we simply had to open our windows and the sounds and sights of the ocean entered our room. I loved sleeping at night with the windows open, listening to the crash of the waves. Our suite featured a living room with pull out couch and television, bedroom with king bed and television as well as an iPod docking station, full bathroom with spa products, and kitchen with appliances and seating area. The decor was clean and contemporary but not as upscale as I would have expected from a beach club. I appreciated that there were some kitchen items stocked in the cupboards such as pots and plates but I did feel as though it felt quite bare bones and a few more basics could have been added. Nevertheless, it was so nice to have a full kitchen and we made good use of it during our stay.

BEACH AMMENITIES

Every day, club emloyees set out colorful (and complimentary) beach umbrellas and chairs for guests. I suggest heading down in the morning and securing your sot for the day. Beach staff will assist you with menus, towels, etc. Our little umbrella/chair set up served as home base all day long. I loved being able to sit in my chair and have my children playing just a few feet in  front of me on the sand or in the gentle waves. The beach was sand crab central which resulted in hours of entertainment for my kids. Complimentary sand toys are available for check out along with beach tennis, volleyball, and bocce ball equipment. Kayaking and snorkeling are very popular and equipment can be rented from nearby outfitters located within walking distance.

TENNIS

The resort has 12 tennis courts and guests can reserve courts, check out equipment, or take lessons. My kids took a tennnis lesson from one of the resort's pros and I was thuroughly impressed. The instructor was fantastic with children, keeping them laughing and entertained while giving them actual instruction that they could use to improve their skills. Both of my children walked away huge fans of tennis, including my daughter who has showed zero interest in anything with a ball. Our experience at the resort lead us to take lesson at our own club back home.

OTHER AMMENITIES

The Club has a large outdoor heated pool (which is kept at a lovely 83 degrees), small kiddie pool, fitness center, massage services, 9-hole par three golf  course, and a playground. My son reminded me several times about how disappointed he was that I left his clubs at home. Don't let this happen to you!

DINING

There is a fabulous restaurant at LJBTC with massive windows that seem to bring the ocean into the room and food worth writing home about. It is called the Marine Room. Don't bring your kids here. If your kids are old enough, leave them in the room and have a romantic dinner with your spouse. If you will be dining with your children, I recommend heading down the sand to the La Jolla Shores Hotel (a sister property) and eating at their restaurant. For breakfast, check out club dining. We ate breakfast  on the patio by the pool and really enjoyed our meals. My huevos rancheros were the best I have ever had.

BEACH BBQ

The highlight of our stay was the night we participated in the Beach Barbeque tradition. For just $25, guests can rent a barbeque, table, and 10 chairs. The barbeque includes charcoal, and utensils. Club staff light the barbeques for you and set up your tables directly on the sand alongside several other families. The setting is nothing short of perfect. You have the option of either bringing in your own food or purchasing food from a Beach Shopping List. We selected kabobs, swordfish, halibut, and a salad. Everything was already seasoned. All we had to do was grill it and sip some wine as the kids played in the sand. After dinner, we made s'mores on the sand and watched the sunset. Sigh. I want to go back.

Bottomline: I love that this resort is truly right on the sand and the the ammenities, especially the beach barbeque, can't be beat. La Jolla is such a great family destination and La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club is a fantastic place to call home for a few days. It is no wonder families come back year after year.

Disclosure: My family was invited to stay at La Jolla beach and Tennis Club as a media visit in order to complete an unbiased review. Their hospitality was wonderful but all opinions are my own.