Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa

My girlfriend and I live in the area and came here for a staycation because we liked the idea of something a little smaller and less well-known than resorts like the Omni La Costa or L'Auberge. The Estancia sits atop Torrey Pines bluff on a gorgeous piece of property, full of lush tropical greens, lawns and a very warm Spanish vibe. But after two days, we're wishing we had made another choice because the service we've received has been dramatically and disproportionately lower than the prices we're paying. First, the good: Do the spa! Best massage I've ever had. We got a hot stone couples massage on our first evening and it was the perfect way to begin the weekend. Take your time in the spa, enjoy the hot tubs, eucalyptus steam room and roaring outdoor fire. The rooms are very comfy and the bed is amazing. There's a little balcony facing the courtyard, which is great for letting in a breeze and some ambient noise. It's pet-friendly - we've seen loads of dogs on the property, which gives it an extra warm and friendly buzz. We rented a cabana at the pool and it made a huge difference in the day- plenty of shade, plus a table for eating lunch and a private refrigerator filled with water, coconut water, Soja beverages and homemade kombucha. Now the disappointing: Service - uniformly poor across the board. The spa called us at 4:10 to ask if we'd be showing up for our 4 o'clock massage. We had booked a couples massage for 5, which was reflected in our confirmation email from the spa. Turns out they had that on the books too. Small clerical error, but it proved to be a sign of things to come. Our first night we ate in the restaurant. We thought the guy filling our water was a bus boy, as he never greeted us. Then he finally said, "Are you ready to order?" It took a long time to get his attention for things, we had to flag another waiter down to get a spoon for the soup and ultimately we felt like a bother. The breakfast buffet is pretty run-of-the-mill. Nothing fancy, but nothing horrible either. Our package came with an $80 breakfast credit. When we asked the hostess and waiter how that worked, they weren't really sure - they *thought* it just came off of our bill at the end but they weren't sure if the credit was for the whole stay or per day (the waiter thought it was $80 per day). The service at the pool was a deal breaker. We ordered chips, a quesadilla and an iced tea. It took us almost TWO HOURS to get everything. We had to ask twice for the quesadilla and three times for the iced tea. Finally my girlfriend just got up and got the iced tea at the bar. Likewise, we asked for the check twice before finally having to go to the bar again to close out. I don't mind paying a premium for luxury accommodations but nearly every engagement we've had has involved some sort of service issue. We ended up canceling our reservation at the restaurant for the second night and got room service. Overall it's a beautiful property with some decadent amenities and a quaint, almost hidden location. Unfortunately, for the prices you pay, the service you get in return could well leaving you regretting your decision to pick the Estancia.

I stayed at the Estancia about 11 years ago and chose to stay here again for a conference. We had conference pricing, so I cannot comment on the regular room rates. The room was clean and mostly quiet. Unfortunately, motorcycles were racing down the street two nights, but that is what can happen anywhere. The staff at the hotel were very pleasant and accommodating and I enjoyed talking with them. It does look like the hotel could use a little face lift with regard to the carpet and minor other touches that have aged. I would recommend this place as a nice place to stay, if you can afford the regular room rates. I know the area is expensive, so this hotel is not really much more than comperable places in La Jolla.

My wife and I stayed in this hotel for three nights end of July - maybe because of ComicCon - the price was almost 500 USD per night for a standard room (if you include the unavoidable 25 USD/night for parking). So for this money if would expect some treat, but unfortunately we where quite disappointed: the room is quite standard and could use some upgrades, there is literally no view from the room, the pool area is quite small and full of drunk people. Very disappointing

I and my significant other were here on a stay-cation. Upon checkin was upgraded to a better room due to non-availability of actual reservation and charged $25 more which I agreed to. If this room is indicative of all the other rooms at this hotel - then Estancia needs to UPGRADE ALL ROOMS. The room had dirty walls and appeared outdated. Additionally, the air condition was unusually loud from what I am accustomed to and could hear conversations of other guest. Another con was the pool - no separate pool area for adults. There are better hotels in the area. One positive note is that the restaurants serve good food.

While in San Diego County visiting relatives, we decided to take a fun family getaway. Picked Estancia based on reviews, photos of pool, and its connection to Meritage (also owns Bacara in Santa Barbara). We were very disappointed with what we got for $500 (for 1 night). We checked out a day early so as not to prolong the misery. Highlights -The landscaping is lovely. -The bed was a Cal King, like we have at home. Long length! -The pool deck is cute. Very "instagrammable." The pool itself was large. -The gentleman who helped us at the front desk at check-in and departure was very kind. He let us cut our reservation short one night without penalty and comped the resort fee for our troubles. -The location's proximity to La Jolla cove was nice. Lowlights (in order of occurrence, not magnitude) -When we checked in, there was a sign advertising cookies with the concierge. But there were no cookies. Apparently they'd run out? How hard is it to have excess cookies? -Our suite (176) was profoundly musty. A major turn-off when you're paying $500 a night for a "luxury" suite. -As some other reviewers have noted, there are spiders. Lot of 'em! Maybe something in the gardens attracts them? We saw them on the walls. My husband ran into webs walking to pool. Our room had a web on the ceiling (gross!), and we found and killed a big spider in the morning. -The pool is billed as heated, but its cold! Maybe 80 degrees. Not refreshing. Cold. Not fun with a baby. -The walls are paper thin. We had elephants doing tai bo above us (actually a wedding party -- on a Thursday?!). Complained to front desk but it didn't really get resolved. We couldn't fall asleep and then slept horribly. So disappointing for a getaway. Overall, steer clear. Not worth it. I wish I could get my money back.