If you follow me on Instagram, you know I have some next-level-obsession with my dogs and traveling. It only makes sense that I start writing about dog-friendly destinations! I’ve always wanted to take the dogs to the beach because I’m extra. All I needed was to find 1. a dog-friendly hotel that was 2. reasonably priced and 3. close to a dog-friendly beach. Not too hard, right?
Where We Stayed
I was so excited when Carlsbad By The Sea Hotel connected with me, inviting me to a Valentine’s weekend getaway. I had recently visited a friend in Carlsbad and fell in love with the quiet beach town that’s sandwiched between San Diego and Orange County.
Carlsbad By The Sea Hotel is located just minutes outside of Downtown Carlsbad. It is by far one of the most affordable options for lodging. The recently renovated hotel has a heated pool and spa, in addition to the prettiest tree-filled gardens. The Front Desk workers were so friendly to us! I could’ve chatted with them for hours if I wasn’t disgusting from driving all day. Have you seen photos of these insta-famous flower fields? They’re right across the street! I can only imagine what it would be like to walk out of the hotel each day to see the hillside covered in bright, beautiful flowers! Maybe next year. 😍
We took nightly dips in the hot tub and walked our dogs in the morning and never felt crowded. The recently remodeled rooms were filled with so much natural light. And the bed. The blessed bed. I’m always weary of hotel beds (if you’re a frequent traveller, you know how upsetting it is when your hotel bed feels like it’s made out of rocks) however, these beds were beyond comfortable. I slept like a baby swaddled in a cloud (and so did Zara, apparently ↓).
Where We Ate
The Windmill Food Hall on the property has a variety of restaurants making it the perfect place to eat. I snagged myself a yummy BBQ plate while Merik indulged on a pizza. It has such a cool, eclectic vibe to it and you guessed it, dog-friendly. Plus, the hotel provides a daily food and beverage credit for the food hall, so we basically had two free meals during our stay! I need to get better at taking photos of my food, but my belly comes first. I’m debating posting my photo of our empty ramen bowls from Harumama.
Some other nearby recommendations:
- The Goods 🍩
- WR Kitchen & Bar
- Campfire (worth every penny)
- Harumama
- 20|Twenty
- Yellow Deli
- Handel’s
- The Naked Cafe
What To Do
As I mentioned above, the hotel is literally the closest you can get to the Carlsbad Flower Fields. I’d love to come back here when they’re blooming to be able to take that all in! There’s shopping and dining right outside the property, and shuttles available to Legoland. Downtown Carlsbad has plenty of cute shops and bakeries, making it a fun area to walk around and explore. Once you’re done, kick off your shoes and walk along the beach while you watch the sunset. 10/10 would recommend.
Here are some options if you’re wanting to venture out a little further:
- Sit atop the many beaches to watch people surf
- Walk along the boardwalk
- Del Mar Horse Races – I came here when I was in elementary school and had so much fun. It’s a beautiful place!
- Del Mar Dog Beach – this is where we took our pups both times. There’s volleyball nets and you can walk along the beach next to beautiful cliffs.
- San Dieguito Lagoon – we walked around here with our pups at sunset and it was beautiful. A nice way to get out in nature without hiking up hills or dealing with sand. 🙂
- La Jolla
- Downtown San Diego
- Balboa Park – the park is dog-friendly and full of museums and gardens. We pulled up, fell asleep in our car, and proceeded to go get Salt and Straw instead of explore the picturesque park. I have some regrets, but that car nap was needed.
- Coronado Island – such a charming town with iconic hotels!
- Ruby’s Diner on the pier
These are just a few things I’ve done in the area, but there’s plenty more to see and do! A big thanks to Carlsbad By The Sea Hotel for hosting us for the most relaxing and memorable weekend. We’ll definitely be back!
