Paradise Point Resort and Spa: What You Need to Know Before Booking

Paradise Point Resort and Spa is nestled on a 44-acre private peninsula in Mission Bay, the country’s biggest human-made aquatic park. This AAA Four-Diamond destination has 460 guest rooms and suites, five pools, four restaurants, a full-service spa with a state-of-the-art fitness center, a mile-long sandy beach, and a private marina.

You’ll enjoy beautiful bay views from nearly anywhere on the peninsula. Note: This resort is under new ownership and will transition to a Margaritaville property. The review below is from when it was part of Destination Hotels.

Paradise Point San Diego Guestrooms, Suites, and Bungalows

Paradise Point features 462 guestrooms, suites, and private bungalows. These Balinese-inspired accommodations feature warm yellow walls highlighted by dark wood and wicker furniture, wood-slatted headboards, and plush bedding with chic patterned throws. 

Accommodations open onto private patios outfitted with stylish Adirondack chairs and offer bay, garden, or lagoon views. 

In-room amenities include a work desk, flat-screen TV, iPod docking station, high-speed internet access, mini-fridge, Keurig coffee maker, in-room safe, and iron/ironing board. Quartz ensuites are underwhelming with a shower/bathtub combo, wall-mounted hairdryer, and eco-friendly Gilchrist & Soames spa products.

Upgraded features and amenities can be found in the suites and bungalows, including more square footage, wet bars, microwaves, fireplaces, and jetted bathtubs.

Building exteriors could use some updating as they do feel old and don’t quite match up to the now-nicer guestroom interiors. Gardens contain over 600 species of plants and are well-manicured.

You’ll self-park in a lot or parking space close to your accommodations.

LJM Tip: Some guestrooms don’t have garden, bay, or lagoon views. Instead, they overlook less impressive landscapes like the resort parking lot. Make sure to request a room with a specific view when booking to ensure you don’t get stuck with an uninspiring vista (if you book with Travel Leader Select benefits, we will do this for you).

Standard Patio Guestroom

Standard Patio Guestrooms are conveniently situated near the resort lobby, central lagoon, and Main Pool, and are just steps from Mission Bay Beach. This is the most basic accommodation at Paradise Point with 450 square feet of space and two queen beds.

Lanai Garden Guestroom

Tucked amid meandering lagoons, the most popular room choice is the resort’s Lanai Garden Guestrooms. They offer 460 square feet of space with gorgeous garden vistas and your choice of one king bed or two queen beds. Several connecting room options are available with this accommodation. There is also a sleeper sofa in select Lanai Garden rooms.

Lanai Premium Guestrooms

Boasting gorgeous views of Mission Bay and the surrounding landscape, Lanai Premium Guestrooms provide island luxury with your choice of one king bed or two queen beds. These rooms often feature upgraded amenities, including walk-in closets, sleeper sofas, wet bars, and bay views. To ensure you get the upgrades you want, request them at the time of booking.

Lanai Bayside Guestrooms

Lanai Bayside Guestrooms feature the best views of Mission Bay and serene resort surroundings. They come with one king bed or two queen beds, and a few include sleeper sofas. This accommodation provides connecting room options as well.

Junior Suites

Junior Suites are spacious studios offering bay or garden views. They include a dining area, wet bar, king bed, and a queen sleeper sofa.

Bayside Fireplace Suites

Ideal for romantic getaways, Bayside Fireplace Suites are equipped with the same features as Junior Suites, plus a few upgraded features like beautiful French patio doors and impressive fireplaces. There are a limited number of these suites, and they can only be booked via phone, 800-344-2626.

Executive Suites

Executive Suites are an ideal choice for business travelers. Each of these eight one-bedroom suites features a separate living and entertainment room with dining room table, wet bar, and comfy queen sleeper sofa. These suites also include air walls, which can be used to section off different spaces for meetings and presentations. Adjoining suites are also available for conference-style arrangements.

Presidential Suites

The Presidential Suites are as lavish as it gets at Paradise Point Resort & Spa. There are two options to choose from Presidential Suite North and Presidential Suite South. The former is a one-bedroom king suite with 1,600 square feet of space. It has a separate living room, dining area, and full kitchen with stove top, refrigerator, and microwave. It also includes 1.5 bathrooms and a private patio nestled along the sand. The suite includes an option for connecting an additional room, reserved separately and providing two queen beds.

Situated closest to the water, the Presidential Suite South offers spectacular views of the resort’s private marina and gorgeous Mission Bay. This 1,800-square-foot accommodation features one bedroom with a king bed, separate living and dining areas divided by an opulent fireplace, full kitchen, and 1.5 bathrooms. There is a second fireplace in the bedroom. Additional connecting rooms can be reserved separately, increasing the suite’s square footage to up to 3,250.

Garden Bungalows

Nestled among the tranquil lagoons, Garden Bungalows offer a residential atmosphere with lovely garden views from their large private patios. With 650 square feet of space, bungalows feature one bedroom with a king bed, a spacious living area with a queen sleeper sofa, a dining room with table and chairs, and a quartz wet bar.

Bayside Bungalows (Top Pick)

Bayside Bungalows share all the same amenities as garden bungalows, but as the name would suggest, they are waterfront bungalows with incredible views of Mission Bay. Bungalow options are ideal for families. There are several to choose from in different parts of the resort, so you can choose your ideal surroundings.

Dining at Paradise Point San Diego

With four distinct eateries at Paradise Point, there is a unique dining experience for every occasion.

Tidal is the resort’s signature restaurant with upscale fare. Barefoot Bar & Grill, popular with locals, is a casual waterfront restaurant with a New American menu. Tropics Cantina is a seasonal poolside eatery, and Caveman Pizza Company is a quirky pizza restaurant. Food2You Delivery is the resort’s room service.

Tidal Restaurant

Perched above the Mission Bay shoreline, Tidal is the resort’s signature restaurant. The uncomplicated, laid-back eatery has a thoughtful menu of fresh, local cuisine with a focus on seafood.

Housed in a mid-Century beach house with 180-degree views, it’s an excellent gathering place for savory cuisine and lively conversation.

An outdoor deck has fire pits, cozy lounge areas, and cool communal tables. A menu of shared plates and craft brews tantalize the palate.

Try their Wood-Roasted Trout with macadamia nut stuffing, coconut cream cake, green beans, and bacon dashi.

Barefoot Bar & Grill

A legendary San Diego beachfront restaurant, Barefoot Bar & Grill is a casual coastal eatery with panoramic views of Mission Bay.

Open daily for breakfast, lunch, and dinner; they serve New American fare — upscale burgers, sandwiches, fresh seafood, and salads. Expect intriguing selections like their Slammin Salmon — seared Scottish salmon, three cheese ravioli, asparagus tips, sautéed spinach, chunky tom and garlic sauce, and grilled lemon.

Tropics Cantina

Located at the Main Pool, Tropics Cantina is a seasonal eatery that serves authentic Baja-style, Mexican food.

The menu features a selection of tacos, cochinitas, burritos, specialty dishes, and homemade salsas to pair with authentic margaritas, cervezas, smoothies, and housemade cocktails like the Watermelon Mule. Try the Baja Fish Taco.

Kids’ menu choices include a cheese quesadilla, bean and cheese burrito, hot dog, and PB&J.

Caveman Pizza Company

Possibly the unique eatery on the property, Caveman Pizza Company is located in a space that once doubled as a bunker when the hotel was built during the Cold War.

Today the cavelike space serves up delicious pizzas, pastries, sandwiches, salads, and a few wood-fired specialty items. The menu features over a dozen specialty pizzas, as well as build-your-own-pizzas. The pizzeria serves craft beers, boxed wine, classic cocktails, and soft drinks.

Food2You Delivery

Food2You Delivery is essentially the resort’s room service. You can order from Paradise Point’s three main restaurants — Tidal, Caveman Pizza Company, and Barefoot Bar & Grill. If it’s breakfast you want delivered, that comes from Barefoot Bar & Grill. You can get griddle items, omelets, local specialties, traditional classics, and Barefoot Bennies.

The Spa at Paradise Point

Named among the top 100 resort spas in the U.S. by Condé Nast Traveler, The Spa at Paradise Point has created a healing sanctuary in a lush tropical oasis.

Island-inspired spa treatments, services, and rituals are designed to restore the body, mind, and spirit. Guests may choose from among six massages and seven body treatments, plus healing rituals, facials, waxing, and nail services.

There are a number of spa packages, including those for couples and weddings. Spa services include steam rooms, dry saunas, showers, and locker rooms.

Paradise Point Fitness Center

Paradise Point Fitness Center overlooks the resort’s main pool. This bright and airy space is fully equipped for even the most vigorous workout.

Cardio equipment includes ellipticals, stationary bikes, treadmills, and more. There are free weights and circuit machines for strength training, and medicine balls and mats for stretching.

The Fitness Center is reserved for guests 18 and older, and its use is included in the daily resort fee. If you want to use the spa facilities like steam rooms or dry saunas, it’s an additional daily fee of $15.

Resort Marina and Watersports

Paradise Point Resort has a full-service marina for guests. Action Sport Rentals operates out of the marina and offers an array of exciting water sports activities.

Six-passenger Duffy boats will take you out on 90-minute guided tours of Mission Bay. You can bring along food and beverages from the resort’s Island Market if you want. Additionally, you can go sailing with a competent skipper, take sailing lessons, or rent a sailboat if you’re already experienced.

There are six-passenger speedboats for rent too if you’re 18 or older. Other choices are waterskiing, wakeboarding, jet skiing, kayaking, or paddleboarding.

You can also take surf lessons from Mission Bay Aquatic Center, or go shore or boat fishing off Dana Point. You can even charter a sport fishing yacht at Paradise Point Resort.

Paradise Point Resort Beach

The 44-acre “island” (peninsula) resort is encircled with a mile of sandy beach. Build sandcastles with the kids, or put together a game of sand volleyball, bocce ball, or horseshoes.

When the sun goes down and San Diego’s evenings turn chilly, you can sit around a beach bonfire and listen to the waves gently lap the shore, watch the nightly fireworks spectacle across the bay at SeaWorld, or simply break out the s’mores and cuddle under the stars.

While you can swim here, the shoreline and water can be a little bit murky.

The Pools at Paradise Point San Diego

There are five pools in this tranquil paradise for guests to explore: Main, Lagoon, Adult Lagoon, Meadow, and Waterfall. Each has its own ambience, so here’s the breakdown of what to expect.

Main Pool

This centrally located pool is off the resort lobby and is popular with families who have kids.

There’s plenty of room for playing and splashing, plus rows of lounge chairs where you can catch some rays or sit in the shade of a tree or umbrella. Numerous lounge-side tables are ready to hold your drinks and Mexican fare from poolside Tropics Cantina.

Lagoon Pool

Lagoon Pool is a smaller resort-style pool with zero entry on one side. This is great for families with small children, since the sloping entry makes for a gentle transition to deeper water.

With fewer chaise lounge chairs and a smaller pool size, this pool is destined to be a little tamer than the Main Pool.

The other cool thing about this pool is its two fire pits where you can warm up poolside in the evening, or break out the s’mores. It’s situated near guestrooms 100 to 300.

Adult Lagoon Pool

The Adult Lagoon Pool is located behind a gated fence in an area marked ‘Adult Retreat.’

The rectangular pool and adjacent hot tub are surrounded by palm trees and tropical foliage. There are changing and bathroom facilities.

This pool is also located near guestrooms 100 to 300.

Meadow Pool

A cool water fountain makes a splash at Meadow Pool, adding a whimsical flair. This small, zero-entry, sock-shaped pool is surrounded by a patio and lounge chairs. It also has a hot tub. It’s close to rooms 300 to 400.

Waterfall Pool

Waterfall Pool is located across the resort parking lot away from the other pools. It’s near accommodations numbered in the 700s.

The kidney-shaped pool, surrounded by a patio with lounge chairs, is a little quieter and has a beautiful rock waterfall water feature near one end.

Other Resort Amenities

Paradise Point Resort has an 18-hole putting course where you can work on your short game before heading across the bay to Mission Bay Golf Course for a 9-hole round of golf. (The course even has night golfing.)

You can rent beach cruisers to explore Mission Bay or cross over to Mission Beach and ride the two-mile-long beach boardwalk.

The resort provides transportation by golf cart to avoid long walks across its 44 acres.

Tennis courts, nature tours, and poolside movie nights also offer hours of family entertainment.

Mission Bay Neighborhood

Mission Bay Park dominates the Mission Bay neighborhood where there are few residents due to zoning that protects the park’s public access.

Things to do at Mission Bay include San Diego watersports of all kinds. Recreational water activities include swimming, sailing, kayaking, fishing, boating, water skiing, windsurfing, and jet skiing.

On land, there are easy biking and hiking trails, children’s playgrounds, sport courts, picnic areas, open green spaces, and a nine-hole public golf course, plus lively seasonal events on Fiesta Island.

Bahia Belle, a Mississippi-style sternwheeler, makes daily trips across the bay between Bahia Resort Hotel and Catamaran Resort Hotel. Anyone is welcome to board; you don’t have to be a guest of one of those two resorts. Daytime to sunset cruises are family-oriented, and nighttime cruises are adults-only affairs with music, dancing, and cocktails.

SeaWorld San Diego, one of San Diego’s premier attractions, is located along the shores of Mission Bay too. The marine mammal-themed park and oceanarium provides exciting shows and presentations, thrilling coasters and rides, educational animal experiences, and lots of wild and wet family fun. It takes about 15 minutes to walk from Paradise Point to the SeaWorld San Diego entrance.

On the other side of the bay from Paradise Point, visitors will find an entirely different experience at Mission Beach (resort guests will need to drive about 10 minutes to get there). Backed by the Pacific Ocean, this wide sandy beach is one of San Diego’s best. A two-mile boardwalk runs the length of both Mission and Pacific Beach beaches with lots of shops, bars, and restaurants along the way. It’s the perfect spot to watch a sunset.

Historic Belmont Park on Mission Beach is a must-do family adventure. This historic beachfront amusement park has been entertaining families since 1925. The original Giant Dipper roller coaster is still providing thrills and fantastic views. From laser tag to arcade games to bumper cars, there’s plenty of nostalgic fun for everyone. On the ocean side of the park, you’ll find great restaurants and two high-tech wave machines to test your surfing skills — FlowRider and FlowBarrel.

Paradise Point Resort and Spa Reservations

Use site our partner Kayak to quickly find the best online price across top travel sites including the hotel’s own website.

Other Mission Bay Hotels

• Hyatt Regency Mission Bay Spa and Marina
• San Diego Mission Bay Resort