Rachel SlackI am starting a little pet-friendly hotel series, because finding a hotel I actually want to stay at that also allows Zero is harder than it should be. First up: Loews Coronado Bay Resort.
I took Zero with me for a little San Diego stay and honestly, this is exactly the type of pet-friendly hotel in San Diego I look for when I’m traveling with a dog. I still want the nice hotel, good food, views, pool, and somewhere that actually feels like a getaway. I also need it to work with a 65-pound dog. Loews Coronado Bay Resort is tucked away on Coronado Bay, so it’s a lot quieter than staying directly in downtown San Diego. You’re surrounded by water, there are boats everywhere, and the whole property has that very relaxed Southern California resort feel. Late fall is such a good time to do San Diego with a dog too. It’s still warm enough to be outside during the day, but you avoid a lot of the summer craziness. However, any time is amazing there!
The biggest thing for me with Zero was having space. I love a cute city hotel, but taking a bigger dog somewhere that requires an elevator ride and a walk through a lobby every single time they need to go outside gets old very quickly. Here, we could actually get outside and walk around the property without it becoming a whole production. Zero obviously approved.
We walked around the marina, hung out by the water, and I did not feel like I had brought my dog somewhere that was technically pet-friendly, but really did not want pets there. There is a difference. That is a big part of what I want from a dog-friendly hotel. The rooms are also exactly what I want for this kind of trip: bright, coastal, and comfortable without trying too hard to be beachy. If you can get a room with a balcony and water view, do it. Morning coffee outside overlooking the bay with Zero was probably one of my favorite parts of the stay.
Also important: food. There are a few places to eat on property, which I always appreciate when I have Zero with me, because sometimes I really don’t want to get back in the car after checking in. We could spend the day exploring pet-friendly Coronado, come back to the resort, walk him, grab something to eat, and be done for the night. Now, if you want to leave the property, Coronado is right there. I’d definitely plan some time around the island instead of spending the entire stay at the resort. Grab coffee, walk around, head toward the beach, and make a day out of it. Downtown San Diego is also close enough if you want more going on.
I think this pet-friendly hotel in Coronado makes the most sense if you want a slower San Diego weekend. If your plan is to be in the middle of restaurants, bars, and downtown the entire time, this might not be the right spot, but for a couple of nights traveling with a dog where I actually want to relax? This is perfect.
A few things I really loved about the property that I want to highlight were how genuinely pet-friendly it felt and how easy it was to have Zero there. There was plenty of space to walk your dog, which is always a big deal for us when we travel with a larger dog. The marina and bay views were so pretty, and having the option of a balcony made it feel even more relaxing, very much a morning coffee outside kind of place. I also loved that there are dining options right on the property, and you are close to Coronado so you can easily spend time there without feeling like you’re staying right in the middle of all the busyness.
Since this is officially becoming a pet-friendly hotel series, my requirements are pretty simple: I want a hotel I would choose even if I wasn’t traveling with my dog. Being dog-friendly is a bonus. It shouldn’t be the only reason I want to stay there. Loews Coronado Bay Resort passed my test.
Zero would probably give it five stars based solely on the amount of things there were to sniff, but luckily for both of us, I liked it too.
Make sure to keep an eye out for all of our Tail-Wagging Check-Ins!
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Jeanine McKelvy
