A San Diego-based travel publication and advisory, since 2009.
Deep San Diego expertise, verified theme park ticket savings, and luxury hotel booking access worldwide.
La Jolla Mom is led by Katie Dillon, a longtime La Jolla resident and Four Seasons Preferred Partner travel advisor through Cadence Travel. We are best known for San Diego travel expertise, verified theme park ticket savings, and luxury hotel bookings with VIP amenities worldwide.
Our deepest roots are in San Diego, but many readers first find us while planning a local trip and later return when they need help booking luxury hotels elsewhere.
via Cadence Travel
Destination Specialist
stays booked
From La Jolla, by way of Hong Kong.
La Jolla Mom was founded by Katie Dillon in 2009, the year she returned to La Jolla after seven years abroad in London and Hong Kong, including over four years living in an apartment at Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong. She launched the site to share a thoughtful perspective on family travel shaped by personal experience and an insider’s understanding of luxury hospitality from the inside.
What began as a personal journal evolved in response to reader demand. As questions came in from visitors planning their first San Diego vacation and from locals looking for better ways to enjoy their own city, it became clear there was a need for trusted, on-the-ground guidance. La Jolla Living, LLC was formed in 2011 to house the growing publication.
As the audience grew, so did the services. In 2017, we partnered with San Diego-based aRes Travel to offer verified discounts to top attractions like the San Diego Zoo, LEGOLAND California, and SeaWorld. In 2019, Katie became an independent affiliate of Cadence Travel, a Virtuoso member agency also based in La Jolla, which lets us book luxury hotels worldwide with VIP amenities included. She also earned certification as an official San Diego Destination Specialist.
Though our name still reflects roots in motherhood and local storytelling, La Jolla Mom has grown into a global travel resource, grounded in firsthand experience, strengthened by industry partnerships, and guided by the personalized service that’s defined us from the start.
Built on relationships, not algorithms.
A real team with real industry relationships. Everything we recommend comes from firsthand stays and long-standing partnerships with the people who run these hotels.
We’ve lived it
Katie lived at Four Seasons Hong Kong for over four years. She knows what a great hotel feels like, and judges every one we book against it.
Because we know it
When we recommend a hotel, it’s because we’ve stayed there, booked it for a client, or know the team firsthand, so when we point you somewhere, it’s a place we’d actually go. Read our editorial guidelines.
Genuinely local
We live here. Our top-ranked San Diego guides come from years of lived experience, not visitor research.
No fees, real perks
You pay the same as booking direct and still get VIP amenities worth hundreds. We’re also the top independent referrer to Hotel del Coronado.
Three lanes of expertise.
We go deep on the things people actually ask us about. If you’re here for any of these, you’re in the right place.
San Diego, deeply
A longtime local. Top-ranked local guides shaped by lived experience and the questions families actually ask.
Theme park ticket discounts
- San Diego Zoo & Safari Park
- Disneyland Resort
- Universal Studios Hollywood
- LEGOLAND California
- SeaWorld & more
Verified discounts through our partnership with San Diego-based aRes Travel. Same tickets, lower prices, dedicated support.
Luxury hotels worldwide
- Four Seasons Preferred Partner
- Virtuoso
- Hyatt Privé
- Hilton for Luxury
- Marriott STARS & LUMINOUS
- Accor Preferred · Rosewood Elite
Book a hotel anywhere in the world through one of our VIP advisor programs. Same rate, plus amenities included.
San Diego hotels we cover personally.
Hotel del Coronado · Beach Village at the Del · Fairmont Grand Del Mar · Lodge at Torrey Pines · Rancho Valencia · Pendry San Diego · The US Grant · L’Auberge Del Mar · Four Seasons Aviara · Alila Marea · Andaz San Diego · The Guild Hotel · Hotel Republic · Manchester Grand Hyatt
Book a San Diego luxury hotel with VIP amenities, or browse all San Diego hotel reviews.
Who’s behind La Jolla Mom.
The people who write, book, and check our work.
Katie Dillon
Managing Editor & Owner
Katie Dillon is the managing editor and owner of La Jolla Mom. She is also a travel advisor, a hotel expert, and has written most of the articles on this site. More from Katie.
Madeleine Collins
Writer & Editor
Madeleine Collins is a British, San Diego-based writer and editor who has been published in Marie Claire, The Hollywood Reporter, Cosmopolitan, and more. She writes and edits some of our articles. More from Madeleine.
Edward Castro
Theme Park Ticket Updates
Edward helps keep our theme park ticket articles current with the latest prices and information. He also used to work at San Diego Zoo Safari Park.
Tonya Waite
Travel Advisor, Hotel Bookings
A lot goes on behind the scenes here. Tonya works on our hotel side to keep our bookings organized and liaises with hotels. She is a travel advisor with a CTA from The Travel Institute.
Transparency about our business.
Three revenue streams keep this site running, and we’d rather you understand how each one works than wonder. None of them cost you extra.
Hotel bookings
When you book a hotel through us, either directly or through our online booking tools (TravelWits and Virtuoso.com), you receive the program’s VIP amenity package. The hotel pays us a commission as part of the program agreement. There’s no advisor fee for hotel-only bookings.
Affiliate links
We earn affiliate revenue when readers book select hotels, theme park tickets, and other travel services through links on the site. Our partners meet strict standards for quality, privacy, and security. This revenue keeps our content free to read.
The tickets store
Our tickets.lajollamom.com store is powered by aRes Travel and offers verified discounts to top San Diego and California attractions. aRes provides a dedicated customer-support phone line for our guests.
For a complete breakdown, visit our Services page or read our Editorial Guidelines.
From real bookings.
“Just walking around at night with all the holiday lights was awesome. I am SO happy I booked through Katie Dillon. It was so easy, didn’t cost any more than booking through the hotel, and we had VIP amenities, upgrades, and just felt so welcomed. Can’t wait to use your booking services again in the future.”
“During our stay at Pendry Hotel we were so pleased with all of the amenities we received by booking with La Jolla Mom (room view upgrade, $60 breakfast credit, $100 resort credit, wine and chocolate-dipped strawberries) we shared your information with several guests and staff members. All were unaware of your service and said they would use it themselves for future visits.”
“It was an amazing 50th birthday. The hotel was a spectacular venue due to its location on the beach and lovely newly renovated rooms. I will definitely stay there again. Having the Virtuoso amenities was priceless as we had amazing breakfast included each morning, which ensured we started our day off right.”
“We loved the Christmas social area as our granddaughter came to visit. We were very impressed with the resort and the polite, accommodating service from the staff. We hope to return.”
La Jolla Living, LLC (La Jolla Mom)
888 Prospect Street, Suite 200
La Jolla, CA 92037
Email (fastest response): contact@lajollamom.com
Phone: (858) 346-7888
Our Commitment to You
We’re dedicated to transparency, accuracy, and continuously improving our travel guidance. Please feel free to reach out. We’d love to hear from you.
