A Fun San Diego Family Trip 2025

January 18, 2025

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I’ve been recommending Bahia Resort Hotel a lot lately to people who prefer a family resort in a central location at a lower price point than other San Diego resorts.

It’s located on a 14-acre peninsula in Mission Bay. Thanks to tropical gardens, a secluded bay beach, fun activities, and walkability to the ocean, you’ll feel the vacation vibes.

My Bahia Resort Hotel review will highlight things to know before you book. Then you can decide if it fits your trip.

Bahia Resort Hotel Reservations

There is’t one right way to book. The resort offers direct promotions that are usually pretty good (link below). You can also bundle it with theme park tickets or choose to book through the usual online discounters.

998 West Mission Bay Drive, San Diego, CA 92109

What I love

Value for Money: San Diego resorts are expensive. Here, you get a bunch of fun amenities, comfortable rooms, and an excellent location on the lower end of our resort price range.
Great Location: Guests can access the sandy beaches of Mission Bay and walk 10 minutes to the ocean beach at Mission Beach.
Free Parking: It’s included in the resort fee for one car.
Water Sports: A huge highlight of staying on Mission Bay is access to all kinds of water sports. There’s an Action Sports Rental at the hotel where you can grab a bike, boat, kayak, and more.
Good Food: It’s a popular place for meetings. I’ve attended quite a few, and the food is always good. Dockside 1953 is also on our list of best Mission Beach restaurants.
It’s Chill: Many find the relaxed atmosphere appealing.
Suite for Large Families: Finding accommodations that sleep six people is rare. Some studios and suites here do.

Good to Know

Room Occupancy Policy: Rooms have specific occupancy for sleeping, but there is a maximum room occupancy of six persons that is effective 24 hours a day. This includes any guests who may stop by the resort to visit you.
Quiet Hours: The resort has a “zero noise policy” effective nightly at 10 p.m.
Resort Fee: The daily resort fee is $44 and includes Wi-Fi access, the rescue seal exhibit, tennis courts, shuffleboard courts, cabanas on the private beach, and two in-room bottles of water per day.
Parking Policy: Parking a second car will need to be done in one of the public Mission Bay lots. These fill up in the summer.
Pet-Friendly Accommodations. Pets are allowed but limited to one dog (50 pounds or less) or two smaller dogs (combined weight of 75 pounds or less)—a one-time, non-refundable room cleaning fee of $125 when bringing a pet.
Not a Luxury Resort: As mentioned earlier San Diego resorts are expensive. During peak seasons, Bahia might price like a luxury resort elsewhere (but will be less expensive than many of our other resorts).

Aerial view of Bahia Resort Hotel. — Aerial resort view from Santa Barbara Cove looking southeast.

I feel like I’ve been at the resort a lot lately from the events I’ve attended here and because of friends I don’t see very often attending events and spending the night here!

Overview of the Guest Rooms and Suites to Choose

I’m a big fan of familiarizing yourself with resort maps before booking a room. This is the Bahia resort map.

The Bahia Resort Hotel San Diego has many secluded beachfront rooms (facing Santa Barbara Cove on the map), offering fabulous views, comfortable accommodations, and many comforts of home. Each room has:

a mini-refrigerator
laptop-sized in-room safe
65″ flat-screen TV
hairdryer
coffee maker
Wi-Fi access
Daily housekeeping
Access to room service

Those wanting to upgrade their vacation experience can book one of the larger suites, offering more space, separate living areas, and private kitchens or kitchenettes(in select suites).

Bayfront rooms are on the ground floor, and Bay View rooms are on the second floor.

Rooms

King rooms sleep two people, whereas two queens sleep four people. Size ranges from 268-340 square feet. The larger rooms have a breakfast table with two chairs. Since their features are slightly different, you’ll want to read the room descriptions before booking.

Room and view types:

Resort View
Courtside Garden View
Bay View: Second floor.
Bayfront: First floor. The two-bed room is two double beds. These tend to be smaller rooms than the others above.

Studios

These are 460 square feet, and since they have sofa beds, the king studio can sleep four people, and the two queen studios can sleep six people.

The kitchenette in the studio rooms includes a microwave, compact two-door refrigerator with freezer, toaster, and sink. Depending on the floor, this room has a patio or balcony.

Views include:

Suites

Again, king suites sleep up to four people, and two queen suites sleep up to six people, because both have full-sized sofa beds. They have separate living areas, but the two queens offer a kitchenette (the king doesn’t have this).

Choose between the first or second floor. Sizes range between 450–695 square feet. View types include:

Resort View: East side of the peninsula with breakfast bar.
Garden View: Wet bar and the biggest suite in the hotel.
Bay View: Second-floor Mission Bay partial view with balcony and breakfast bar.
Bayfront: On the peninsula’s west side near the secluded beach. No kitchenette.
Deluxe: Kitchenette with full-sized fridge, stove, oven, microwave.
Deluxe Bayfront: Direct walk-out access to the bay beach.
Marina Suite: Direct walk-out access to the bay beach. Also has a bigger kitchenette area.

Accessible Hotel Accommodations

Accessible hotel accommodations offer additional amenities for guests with disabilities. Other amenities include widened doorways, lever door handles, space for power chairs, accessible switches, TV closed captioning removal of apparent obstacles, and bellhop door opening service.

Dining at Bahia Resort Hotel

When staying at Bahia Resort Hotel, you have several dining options, including casual and in-room dining options. Enjoy everything from a quick bite to a leisurely meal in the comfort of your room or suite.

Dockside 1953

Dockside 1953 serves locally sourced cuisine for breakfast, lunch, weekend brunch, and dinner with bay views and some fire pit tables. It’s known for seafood but you can also find steak and the Drugstore Burger (a local favorite at sister hotel The Lodge at Torrey Pines).

Airstream Grab’ N Go

Grab a quick breakfast or midday snack before exploring San Diego from the Grab’ N Go. This quick-pick location inside a shiny silver Airstream offers pastries, salads, flatbreads, and fresh-brewed coffee and tea. It’s right near the lobby and seals.

Pool Bar and Grill (Seasonal)

Grilled favorites, specialty drinks, and kid-friendly meals are available at the Pool Bar and Grill. Just be aware that it’s open seasonally (spring and summer usually) and, as the name implies, located near the outdoor swimming pool.

In-Room Dining at Bahia Resort Hotel

All guest rooms have either a patio or balcony with a beautiful view of surrounding areas, offering the perfect spot to enjoy a meal in your room. In-Room Dining brings a Dockside 1953 meal to you in the comfort of your guest room or suite from morning to night.

Fun Hotel Amenities Guests Love

Bahia Resort Hotel offers many options for guests to enjoy without leaving the property. The pool, tennis courts, private beach, and sightseeing cruises are popular amenities.

The Rescued Seals — Billy, Elmer, and Gracie

pool with seals at bahia resort — They’re located to the left of the lobby.

I always stop by to see the seals when I’m there. All three of them are blind or so visually impaired that they can’t be returned to the wild. So, the Bahia Resort Hotel is their home, and guests love them.

There are also super-cute ducks that wander the resort when not swimming in the ponds. Kids love them.

Mission Bay Cruises

The Bahia Belle is a turn-of-the-century, Mississippi-style boat offering guests 45-minute sightseeing cruises along Mission Bay. The sternwheeler boat is 74 feet long, with three stories and an observation deck offering beautiful views of the surrounding area.

Cruises leave the Bahia Resort Hotel or its sister resort across the bay, the Catamaran Resort Hotel and Spa.

Planned Resort Activities Like Bonfires

Bahia Resort Hotel offers many unique, planned activities for guests to enjoy. A popular activity is Bayside Bonfires, where guests can toast the sunset while roasting s’mores under the stars.

Firewood, chairs, and s’mores are provided and can accommodate up to 10 guests. Fire pits must be reserved nightly.

Bay Beach Lounge Chairs and Beach Cabanas

Soak up some sun and enjoy the fantastic views of Mission Bay as you sink your toes in the sand in your beach lounge chairs or private beach cabana.

Chairs are available for hotel guests on a first-come, first-served basis and open daily, weather permitting. A lot of families with small kids prefer the calm Mission Bay beaches because there’s less of a worry about waves and surf at the shoreline.

Playground, Beach Games & Shuffleboard

Shuffleboard is a favorite hotel activity enjoyed by many during the late afternoon. But you can also check out beach games and a small playground on-site for younger kids.

Across West Mission Bay Drive are a couple of other playgrounds surrounding Bonita Cove.

Tennis and Pickelball

You’ll find two lighted tennis courts in the middle of the resorts. Racquets and reservations are complimentary. You can also play pickleball, attend clinics, or schedule lessons.

Junior Olympic-Sized Swimming Pool

The outdoor swimming pool at Bahia Resort Hotel.

The junior Olympic-sized swimming pool is the perfect place to cool off and relax. Sit back and enjoy the perfect San Diego weather while kicking back in the pristine pool waters.

Water Sports

San Diego is home to many water sports opportunities that guests staying at Bahia Resort Hotel can enjoy.

The onsite Action Sport Rentals offers an array of rentals for exploring Mission Bay. Water sports include powerboats, sailboats, kayaks, paddleboards, and surf and bodyboards. In addition, those who prefer to stay on land can enjoy bike and surrey rentals.

Fitness Center

The fitness center offers guests various fitness equipment options at Bahia Resort Hotel, such as Lifecycle bikes, Life Fitness treadmills, Integrity Cross Trainers, and free weights.

I also highly recommend walking, jogging, or biking around Mission Bay for exercise.

Event Space

The Bahia Resort Hotel offers the opportunity to host events, such as business meetings, conferences, anniversary parties, and weddings. The hotel has various versatile settings for an event of any size.

I’ve been to many meetings and events here. They do a nice job with food, set-up, and service.

Why Stay on Mission Bay in San Diego

Mission Bay is a human-made saltwater bay offering recreational opportunities for outdoor enthusiasts and beachgoers. I love it for water sports, roller skating, biking, playgrounds, jogging, sailing, and sunbathing.

People like to stay in this area because it’s centrally located and there’s a lot to do.

Woman and man standing beside their bikes at the beach

Mission Bay Beaches

The Mission Bay Beaches sit along a two-mile peninsula along the Pacific Ocean, where many enjoy relaxing on the sandy beaches. These beaches offer the perfect location to spend the entire day or watch the sunset after a long day exploring nearby attractions.

I don’t think these beaches offer the same experience as the ocean beach, even though it’s a saltwater bay. The sand feels a little mushy, and the water gets stagnant in some parts of the bay. But the lack of waves makes it easy for kids and water sports.

SeaWorld San Diego

One of San Diego’s most popular attractions is SeaWorld San Diego, located on the shores of Mission Bay. Best known for its entertaining animal and marine shows, the park is home to sea life exhibits, interactive programs, thrill rides, and more. It is possible to spend the entire day exploring or just a half-day visiting your favorite parts of the park.

Belmont Park

Belmont Park is an amusement park nestled along the shores of Mission Beach with a historic roller coaster and tot-friendly rides. You can walk to it from the hotel, which I think is a big perk.

Other exciting activities at the amusement park include playing carnival games, arcade games, climbing the Sky Climb (a 30-foot wall), and more. Cannonball restaurant here is on our list of best Mission beach restaurants and there’s now a Pizza Port outlet which a local favorite for pizza.

Mission Beach Restaurants and Beach Area

Hotel guests get to enjoy the bay beach and this ocean beach. You can walk, bike, or skate up the Ocean Front Walk boardwalk to Pacific Beach and back. I do this all the time. Pick up bike or skate rentals at Mission Beach Rentals in Belmont Park.

This is a really nice beach area, and you can even learn how to surf here.

Mission Bay Golf Course

The Mission Bay Golf Course is an 18-hole course with lights for night golfing and a driving range designed by Ted Robinson. This golf course covers 46 acres, offering wide open spaces perfect for a golf outing.

Bahia Resort Hotel Review of Who Stays Here and Why

We find that people who choose Bahia Resort Hotel include those who:

Need a more budget-friendly, full-service beach resort.
Want to stay close to SeaWorld San Diego.
Have a large family and want to sleep in the same room.
Like water sports.
Want a more casual, laid-back San Diego experience.
Are attending meetings or events there.

Who is it not for? I’d say certain luxury travelers. If that’s you, then head to La Jolla or one of our inland resorts like Rancho Valencia. It is also not for people who want to avoid families.

Final Thoughts

The Bahia Resort Hotel stands out as a serene escape in the heart of Mission Bay. With competitive rates compared to nearby options and thoughtful amenities, the Bahia combines affordability with comfort and a great location.