Staying at the Beach Village at the Del makes one feel as though they’re on vacation no matter what the reason for their stay. These luxurious oceanfront private villas sit literally right on the sand in front of 28 acres of pristine shoreline.

Located on the beautiful island of Coronado, right next to it’s famous sister property the Hotel Del Coronado- this newly built property has some of the most spectacular views in Southern California.

My private villa was stunning. It had gorgeous walnut flooring, a fully equipped top of the line gourmet kitchen and elegant designer furnishings. When staying at a hotel, two of the most important features for me are the bed and the bathroom. and in this case well, the linens were super soft with sumptuous 400 thread count and the large marble bathroom had a deep soaker tub. Heaven!

For dinner I dined at their restaurant, 1500 Ocean led by Chef de Cuisine Brian Sinnott. When the weather is nice, which is pretty much all the time, you can sit right outside on their oceanfront terrace.

I started with the Hiramasa Crudo, which is raw Australian Yellowtail Tuna, it came with Pomegranate, fennel and espelette. And for my main dish I went with the the main diver scallops with Zucchini fondue, baby squash, harissa spiced eggplant in a cherry tomato-clam vinaigrette. Both dishes were divine.

Moving on to dessert, the chocolate chipotle cake with caramel ice cream and banana intrigued me. I wasn’t sure what to expect but to my surprise, it was one of the most memorably tasty chocolate cakes I’ve ever had.

My whole experience made me feel like I was on vacation far far away, when in fact I was only 5 min from downtown San Diego! The Beach Village at the Del is truly the ultimate luxury oceanfront getaway without ever leaving the city.

The Hard Rock Hotel San Diego is known for its rock-star vibe and prime location. During my recent stay there, I got a taste of exactly that!

The Hard Rock San Diego is situated right at the entrance of the Gas Lamp District of downtown. This is where all the trendiest cafes, restaurants and shops can be found. One of the world’s most recognized Japanese Restaurant, and one of my favorites, Nobu is right around the corner from the hotel.

The moment I entered the hotel, I felt like I was in Las Vegas. Upon check-in they asked what kind of music I enjoy and  when I arrived to my Hard Rock suite they were playing one of my favorite songs. Awesome!

My Hard Rock suite was super cool, with sleek, comfortable designer furniture, all the latest electronics, 42” HD flat screen with plug-and-play media hub to connect my iPod, laptop and video recorder. The large lounge area makes this room a fabulous spot for entertaining! I particularly loved my big rain shower right in the middle of the room.

Downstairs they’ve got Mary Jane’s Coffee Shop, which has a chic diner look to it and is open for breakfast and pretty much until the break of dawn on weekends.

My experience at the Hard Rock Hotel San Diego, well….Rocked!

If you are in San Diego this July 4th beware, the beaches will be packed by day for the annual Big Bay Boom! Fireworks display that starts at 9 p.m. in the Port of San Diego.

Known as the “Big Kahuna” of fireworks displays, nearly 4 million people come out to watch this event.

You can already guess getting to it will be difficult.

You might consider piling folks into the car or taking public transportation. The Port will be working with Old Town Trolley to provide free shuttle service for Shelter Island and Harbor Island viewing.

For the best views from boat or land, make sure to get to Shelter Island, Harbor Island or the North Embarcadero.

If your in town and can’t seem to get down to where the action  is, don’t fret, you can rest in a great San Diego luxury hotel and watch it on TV via Fox 5 HD or Cox 4 HD:

The Keating Hotel
Ivy Hotel