At Coleman Concierge, we focus on experiential travel, so our romantic weekends are focused on the active traveler. We’ll give you the nitty-gritty on the area hikes, bikes, and paddles that cater to your unique taste. If you love luxury, tasty food, and comfortable accommodations, we have that covered too. Our top 21 weekend escapes offer a little something for everyone. Since we worked in the service industry in Southern California, you can trust that we know the best that the area has to offer.
Romantic Beach Resorts
Photo Credit: Canva.
Maybe it’s one too many Beach Boys songs growing up, but who doesn’t think of romantic beach getaways? You can spend an endless summer with California girls picking up good vibrations. Only, the California coast is notoriously cold. When we lived in San Diego, we’d only surf in board shorts from August to October, the rest of the time it was wet suit season. Also, June Gloom is real. The sun doesn’t consistently burn through the marine layer until July. That doesn’t mean romantic beach getaways are bust. There’s still plenty to see and do in every season.
Summer is the peak season, with warm oceans and flat seas. However, the fall shoulder season is almost magical. The water is still warm, but the crowds have gone home, and you can find great deals on travel. Winter brings the best surf, and some unusual California styled holiday celebrations while spring brings flowers and baby animals. No matter when you visit, California beach resorts offer top-notch spas and amenities for the discerning traveler. You will not even have to leave the property to have an incredibly romantic beach getaway.
Nostalgic Stays on Coronado Island / Hotel Del Coronado
Photo Credit: Canva.
Coronado Island is a barrier island outside of the San Diego Harbor. The island grows every time they dredge. It’s grown so much that now it’s technically a peninsula, connected to Imperial Beach by the Silver Strand (which happens to be the best bike trail in San Diego). Coronado Beach is wide with smallish waves since Point Loma shelters the shore from most of the incoming sets.
The harbor-side of the island offers incredible views of the San Diego skyline and convenient ferries to downtown. You could easily base out of Coronado Island and add a bit of San Diego urban escape to your beach getaway. There are enough delicious restaurants on Coronado Island that you find a new, romantic dinner every night and not have to drive.
Our Concierge Choice property for Coronado Island is the historic Hotel del Coronado, Curio Collection by Hilton . The Hotel Del is America’s largest wooden beach hotel with a long and glamourous past. For over 130 years, it has hosted presidents and movie stars like Theodore Roosevelt and Marilyn Monroe.
The contemporary side of Hotel Del offers a large selection of restaurants and bars, a fabulous spa, shopping, and a creative activity list to complete your stay. However, where they truly transcend is how they celebrate the holidays, especially the 4th of July and Christmas. Between the parade and the spectacular harbor views, there’s no better property in San Diego for the 4th. Over Christmas, they transform the Del into a winter wonderland complete with ice skating.
Fun Weekend Getaways for Couples at Mission Beach & Bay / Paradise Point
Photo Credit: Paradise Marina.
Mission Beach sits on a narrow strip of land between Mission Bay and the Pacific Ocean. If you called central casting for a California Beach, they would send you to Mission Beach. It has everything you’d want for a beach vacation, including miles of sand, an oceanfront boardwalk, and even a small amusement park.
What’s more, right behind Mission Beach is Mission Bay, an enormous aquatic playground protected from the open ocean. The back half of the bay is filled with jet skis and speed boats, but Sail Bay, directly behind Mission Beach, has a lower speed limit. It’s the perfect place to hit the water on everything from kayaks, to light up SUPs, to sailboats, and windsurfers. You can even ride on a paddle boat or floating hot tub. Mission Bay and Mission Beach are the perfect fusion between a fun/active beach and accessible water.
Our Concierge Choice property for Mission Beach is Paradise Point Resort and Spa because of location, location, location. Paradise Point is a bungalow hotel on an island in the middle of Mission Bay. You’re surrounded by parks, beaches, and water. They offer every water toy you could imagine from surfboards to sailboats and everything in between, including bikes for you to ride the paths around Mission Bay. You’re also only a mile away from San Diego’s dive boats if you want to explore the Point Loma Kelp Beds or Wreck Alley.
While you’re loving the active play of Mission Bay, Paradise Point still caters to romance. Between roasting smores on beach fires and private sunset dinner cruises aboard their Duffy boat, they have you covered. They also have a highly rated spa on-property. For a special treat, go the day after a full moon. You can watch the sunset over water to the west and the walk over to eastern beaches to watch the moon rise. This is also a prime location to watch the SeaWorld fireworks.
Amorous Adventures at Laguna Niguel / Ritz-Carlton
Photo Credit: Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel.
Laguna Niguel is a pocket of natural beauty tucked between Los Angeles and San Diego. On land, Laguna Canyon offers a plethora of hikes with vistas of the Pacific. The topology continues in the water, where you’ll find the cleanest and bluest water in Southern California. Long sets make this the perfect place to learn to surf or SUP. During the spring tides on a full moon, you’ll find tide pools filled with all kinds of curious creatures. You can even catch a ferry to Catalina Island from nearby Dana Point.
Our Concierge Choice property for Laguna Niguel is the romantic Ritz-Carlton . This hotel fuses modern luxury with playful creativity to capture the essence of the OC. From its perch on the bluffs above Salt Creek Beach, patrons have direct access to the ocean and uncompromised views. The on-property full-service spa offers treatments to restore and rejuvenate. Their house restaurants include 180Blu featuring patio dining with an ocean view, Raya with Pan-Latin coastal cuisine, and Eurosteak with pasture-raised beef.
Romantic Beach Getaways to Malibu / Malibu Inn
Photo Credit: Malibu Beach Inn.
Malibu is the first beach north of Los Angeles that makes you feel like you’ve left the city behind. You could venture south into the city, or head north up the coast beach hopping along the PCH. Make sure to make time to enjoy the magnificence of Malibu with a trip to the Getty Villa and watching the sunset with a cocktail in hand. Outdoor enthusiasts will love the night programs at Charmlee Wilderness. During the summer, they offer full moon hikes or stargazing on select nights.
Our Concierge Choice property for Malibu is the Malibu Inn . It has a private stretch of sand along Carbon Beach and a terrific romantic package. You’re greeted with chocolate-covered strawberries and chilled champagne and eat dinner at the on-property Carbon Terrace while watching the sunset over the ocean across the private beach. Doesn’t that sound romantic?
Luxurious Beach Escapes to Santa Barbara / Four Seasons
Photo Credit: Four Seasons Santa Barbara.
Santa Barbara is the luxury beach getaway for Los Angeles. When Hollywood heavyweights such as Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, or Jenifer Lopez go to the beach, they go to Santa Barbara. Adventurous couples will love Santa Barbara for its elegance as well as some truly unique outdoor experiences. You can ride your bike through the Lompoc Flower fields, which bloom all summer long, or take a bike tour through the local wineries.
Scuba divers can enjoy diving with baby sea lions on the Channel Islands in the spring. These puppies of the sea are the cutest things ever. In the winter, you look for monarch butterflies migrating to Ellwood Mesa from September through February. When you’re hungry, you can indulge in the culinary delights along State Street.
Our Concierge Choice property for Santa Barbara the Biltmore Santa Barbara , a Four Seasons Resort. This upscale property offers laid back sophistication along the Southern California coast with Spanish Colonial Villas set on a magnificent 22-acre property adjacent to Butterfly Beach. Their award-winning on-property spa provides a full range of services to relax the mind and body.
Affordable Romantic Getaways to Ventura & Oxnard / Mandalay Beach
Photo Credit: Embassy Suites by Hilton Mandalay Beach Resort.
Ventura is a fun, budget alternative to Santa Barbara. Main Street in Ventura makes a fine substitute for State Street, but it’s easier to find parking. You’re close enough to make a day trip to Santa Barbara if there’s something there that catches your eye. You can even book a scuba trip to the Channel Islands from Ventura. What it lacks is a true beach resort. That’s why we stay down the coast at Oxnard.
Oxnard might not have the hype of other beach cities, which is why we are happy to introduce our Concierge Choice property- Zachari Dunes on Mandalay Beach . I’ve stayed here often traveling on per diem, and it is legitimately nice. It’s directly adjacent to the beach with gardens and pools on the property. You will have to leave the property for romantic dining. They also have an on-call service for Spa therapists to staff their treatment rooms. It’s not Santa Barbara nice, but you’re not paying Santa Barbara prices either.
Sexy Urban Escapades
Photo Credit: Canva.
Just off the Pacific Ocean sits two of the sexiest cities in America – San Diego and Los Angeles. Which one is better? It depends on what you’re looking for and who you’re asking. Los Angeles has the glitz and glamor of Tinsel Town, but San Diego is known as America’s finest city for a reason. Let’s just say you can’t go wrong no matter which one you choose. However, your choice of home-base will greatly affect the nature of your sexy urban escape.
We have highlighted four Southern California urban areas that are unique and sexy in their own right. San Diego’s Gaslamp District is a premier entertainment district that’s perfect for foot traffic. La Jolla is an upscale and artsy escape. Beverly Hills and Rodeo Drive are known around the world for their glamorous lifestyle. Our selection for Santa Monica is close enough to bike to the ocean, boardwalk, and beyond into the super cute beach communities of North Los Angeles.
Flirty Flings in San Diego / Andaz
Photo Credit: Andaz San Diego.
The Gaslamp Quarter is the premier entertainment district in San Diego. Young couples will love the clubs, dive bars, and cocktail lounges. At the same time, a more sophisticated crowd will appreciate the Spreckels and Balboa theaters. The entire neighborhood is lined with romantic restaurants and rooftop bars with a hopping street scene for foot traffic.
You’re walking distance from Little Italy, with great food and a fantastic farmer’s market on Saturday morning, and a short trolley ride away from Old Town and the Tijuana border. You can even catch a ferry over to the beaches of Coronado and the elegant Hotel Del. While you’re at the waterfront, check into whale watching and harbor cruises. One more thing, the proximity of downtown San Diego to the airport and the availability of public transportation makes it a perfect base for a car-free San Diego vacation.
Our Concierge Choice property for downtown San Diego is the Andaz San Diego . It’s a sexy, swanky retreat in the heart of the city. Watch the sunset from the rooftop pool and bar before heading out for a night on the town. When you eventually return to your room, you’re greeted with modern luxury and upscale amenities. You could even opt for an upgraded suite for your stay like the 750 sq. ft Cabana Suite with direct access to a private poolside cabana via a spiral staircase.
Discover the Joy of La Jolla / Pantai Inn
Photo Credit: Pantai Inn La Jolla.
La Jolla is a brilliant combination of natural beauty and upscale elegance. The town originated as a fishing village where La Jolla Canyon descended into the ocean. The area is now all protected habitat at the La Jolla Underwater Park, so the only fishing comes from huge colonies of seals, sea lions, and cormorants. You can visit these beautiful creatures as you walk along the beaches and bluffs of La Jolla Cove. If you snorkel or dive right from La Jolla Cove, you will probably see a sea lion swimming around.
To expand your adventure, take the Coast Walk Trail over to La Jolla Shores. There you’ll find kayak tours of the sea caves and snorkeling with nurse sharks. If you’re a strong diver, Vallecitos Point is the premier shore dive in Southern California. It’s a surf entry with a 1000′ kick out, but you can get down 100′ or more and see all kinds of critters. Up the beach by the pier is one of the best and easiest surf breaks in San Diego. La Jolla Shores is a prime area for stingrays. Make sure you do the stingray shuffle when you’re in the water, which is a good idea for any Southern California beach.
On land, La Jolla is filled with upscale elegance. Art Galleries line Prospect Street, and you’ll have your choice of delicious romantic dining. Make sure you save room for Bobboi Natural Gelato, it’s a life-changing indulgence! It’s also worth walking up to the Sunday morning farmer’s market to sample local snacks and produce. If you’re looking for a laugh, check out the Comedy Club, which features the best comics in Southern California.
Our Concierge Choice property for La Jolla is the Pantai Inn , a small luxury hotel with a Balinese theme. The grounds are superbly situated in the heart of La Jolla with a tranquil ocean view courtyard, outdoor fire pit, and seating area, and beautifully landscaped gardens. What’s more, they even offer free parking, which usually comes at a premium in La Jolla.
If you’re in the mood for love (and we know you are
