When you first enter the property of the Coronado Island Marriott Resort & Spa, you cannot take your eyes off the swaying palm trees overhead. They’re a symbol of rest and relaxation offered by the amenities inside the popular San Diego resort.
An area’s culture is rarely a tourist attraction, but out-of-towners come to Coronado Island to spend time on the white, sandy beaches. Guests can’t help themselves but get in-grained into the California beach lifestyle during their stay. That could mean soaking up the sun laying on a poolside chaise lounge at the Marriott Coronado or an early morning walk on the pathways adjacent to the island’s iconic beach. The hope is the time spent in Coronado brings calmness to your hectic life. I share what you need to know before booking in. As a travel advisor, if you book hotels using my links, I might be compensated.
Coronado Island Marriott Reservations
It’s free to join Marriott Bonvoy and book the discounted member rate directly.
WHAT I LOVE
- Newly renovated rooms and common areas
- Spacious rooms with balcony views of San Diego Bay or the Coronado Bridge
- Decor that pays homage to the California beach culture
- Spa treatments and bento lunches
- The California coastal menu ALBACA restaurant
- Three on-site pools
- The famed Coronado beaches within walking or biking distance
- King and two double bed rooms sleep up to five people
GOOD TO KNOW
- Easy Coronado location near the bridge and ferry landing, with views of downtown
- The famous Coronado Municipal Beach is on the other side of the island (take a hotel bike or Uber)
- $20/night plus tax charge for rollaway beds
- Each room’s patio has a cement boardwalk that leads to the Coronado downtown area, which has many quality shops and restaurants
ALSO FEATURED IN
Coronado Island Marriott Rooms, Suites, and Cottages
Accommodations at Marriott Coronado provides some much-needed comfort during your time away from home. The rooms are spacious with a private balcony or patio to enjoy bay breezes at night.
The interiors of each recently-renovated room, suite, and cottage are quite similar with a modern design that provides a cozy, relaxed atmosphere.
The layouts range from 920 square feet to 500 square feet as each room offers a desk workspace, king or double bed and sitting area.
What we like about these rooms is that each one has a sofa bed and all non-ADA rooms can sleep up to five people. This means that parents can stay in a king bed while kids sleep on the sofa bed.
To sleep up to five people, you would either book a two double bed room and use the sofa bed (sleeps one person) or you would book the king room with sofa bed (sleeps two) and reserve a rollaway bed ($20/night plus tax fee applies).
This makes Coronado Island Marriot an excellent San Diego family hotel.
Executive Suites have a living room with a sizable sofa (which converts into a sofa bed that sleeps two people) that is separated by a wall from the bedroom. Each suite’s patio or balcony has a table that can fit four for dining, which is perfect for breakfast and board games.
The cottages are ideal for guests who are on a business trip or require more comforts of home. The Junior Cottage is similar to a loft with a small kitchenette for quick meal options before heading out. The sofa bed sleeps two people.
One-Bedroom Cottages are the roomiest accommodations and a solution for those who require the bedroom separated from the living room and a kitchenette. The maximum occupancy in this cottage is five people as a rollaway bed can be added to king One-Bedroom Cottages and there is a sofa bed in the two double bed option.
Connecting rooms can be requested for those who need even more space.
Coronado Island Marriott Resort & Spa Dining
Marriott Coronado has two on-site signature restaurants, ALBACA and Auga, that offer popular California coastal cuisine menus with contemporary entrees made from the freshest ingredients provided by local farms and the San Diego fishing community.
ALBACA serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, which is highlighted by their breakfast buffet. The top choices on the evening menu are Baja fish tacos and a flat-ironed steak seared to perfection. The decor of ALBACA’s dining area offers an inviting atmosphere to enjoy the taste of California while sitting under the backdrop of downtown San Diego.
Auga is a poolside bar that serves beverages and a limited food menu of appetizers and daily lunch specials. It’s situated adjacent to the Marriott Coronado’s main pool. Auga offers the perfect balance of taste and wellness as most guests find themselves lying on a chaise lounge near the pool. Before too long, they will order some food and drinks while enjoying a day under the sun.
Resort Amenities
When in San Diego, a little pool time (especially with this view) is always in order.
Three Swimming Pools
At Coronado Island Marriott, two swimming pools (La Riviera and Villas) are family-friendly, while the Spa Outdoor Pool is restricted to guests 18 and older.
Wellness Center
The new Wellness Center is definitely a resort highlight for those who want to stay active during a San Diego vacation. Here, guests have access to cardiovascular equipment, weights, and fitness classes.
Guests can play tennis and pickleball but also book a lesson with the onsite tennis pro, Don Patterson.
The Spa at Coronado Island
Do make time to check into The Spa at Coronado Island which I have recently done for a massage. Plan extra time to enjoy the lap pool, steam room, and other facilities in this 5000-square-foot spa. They offer a full-service menu of wraps, massages, facials, couples treatments and more.
Do order a bento box with a refreshing cocktail, a perfect way to start and end a treatment.
Coronado Sightseeing and Activity Options
Other resort amenities include the option of renting jet skis, kayaks and sailboats from pier operators who are located outside the back entrance of the Coronado Island Marriott Resort & Spa.
If you want to sightsee the local attractions found in Coronado, the resort has an onsite bike rental service or guests can use the courtesy shuttle bus service that makes various stops throughout the island.
If you’re looking to experience the famed California beach scene, then head over to the Coronado Surfing Academy for private and group surfing lessons. Their staff is comprised of professional surfers who love to share their passion for the ocean with others. For Marriott Coronado guests, the wetsuits and surfboards are included in the cost.
Coronado Ferry Landing Location
One advantage of spending a San Diego vacation at Coronado Island Marriott is having all of the conveniences offered by a spa resort in a tranquil setting, but still being a stone’s throw away from the vibrant downtown scene of San Diego.
You can rejuvenate your body and mind by spending an afternoon at the spa and fitness center before heading out on a short ferry ride across San Diego Bay to downtown San Diego for evening fun.
Guests have two pier (Broadway and Convention Center) dropoffs to choose from as both are a short walk from the various local shops and fine dining attractions.
The ferry departs from Coronado every hour, seven days a week, with the first departure at 9 a.m. The last ferry departing from the Broadway Pier is 9 p.m. nightly except on Friday and Saturday when the final ferry of the night departs at 10 p.m. The last ferry departure at the Convention Center pier is 9:55 p.m. except on Friday and Saturday when it departs at 10:55 p.m. Have no fear if you miss the ferry back to Coronado as there are a number of water taxi services that provide rides throughout the night.
The Coronado Ferry Landing isn’t only offering passenger ferry rides and water taxi service. The site’s grounds are home to free music concerts on the weekends in the summer months. All of this fun is a short walk from the Marriott Coronado’s main lobby entrance.
Nearby Coronado Beaches
The beaches in Coronado are simply amazing as there is plenty of open space to set your beach umbrellas and chairs. On the weekend, it’s crowded, but no group feels on top of one another. The white sand and clear water remind beach dwellers of the conditions found in the Virgin Islands.
Many of the guests love strolling along the shoreline and observing all of the exquisite sand sculptures found along the beach. Others enjoy spending their time sitting and reading their favorite book or people watching everyone that comes and goes from their spot. Please note that you cannot take any seashells off the beaches.
To get to Coronado Central Beach in front of the Hotel del Coronado (ranked as one of the top beaches in the nation), take one of the hotel bikes or an Uber as it’s otherwise a 30-minute walk. However, you have access to smaller bay beaches near Coronado Island Marriott Resort & Spa.
The only downside is the parking situation near the Coronado beaches, which can be very challenging for those locals who you invited to come over and spend a day with. It’s better for them to pay for parking at the Coronado Island Marriott.
Still, the setting is perfect, especially during the sunset hours.
Coronado Island Marriott Reservations
It is usually best to book on Marriott.com if you are a Bonvoy member. Or, you can bundle your stay with theme park tickets in a vacation package.
Katie Dillon is the managing editor of La Jolla Mom. She helps readers plan San Diego vacations through her hotel expertise (that stems from living in a Four Seasons hotel) and local connections. Readers have access to exclusive discounts on theme park tickets (like Disneyland and San Diego Zoo) and perks at luxury hotels worldwide through her. She also shares insider tips for visiting major cities worldwide, like Hong Kong, London, Paris, and Shanghai, that her family has either lived in or visits regularly (or both).
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