Planning a stay at the Mission Bay Resort? This is everything you need to know for a San Diego family staycation!

Thank you to the Mission Bay Resort for hosting our stay.

Back to reality! We just got back from a really fun San Diego staycation at the Mission Bay Resort.  We did something a little different for this trip, since Robbie was already back to work for the school year…..we made it a three generations trip with Lydia, my mom and I.  And spoiler? We're already planning to go back to the Mission Bay Resort to do this again next year, we LOVED IT!

Mission Bay Resort is a relaxed, enjoy the endless summer, family friendly property nestled into the protected Mission Bay neighborhood of San Diego proper.  The resort is divided into a number of smaller buildings and is easily walkable.  They have a gym, pools, tennis courts, volleyball, multiple dining options, and beach access to the Bay (perfect for younger kids).

My overall reaction to this property? HOW DID I NOT KNOW THIS WAS HERE IN SAN DIEGO? I absolutely loved this unique, beachy property and can't wait to return.  In fact, while visiting I learned that they have resort memberships for locals and am seriously considering one for next summer.

Mission Bay Resort: A Family Staycation Guide

Planning a trip to the Mission Bay Resort? I wanted to share our favorite activities and don't miss spots.

Pro tip: when booking?  We loved having a bay front room.  We could literally open our patio door and WALK down the lawn and onto the sand.  Lydia loved walking out in the morning to hunt for shells, and I can't imagine a better place to sip my first cup of coffee.  That room location made the trip even more magical.

Mission Bay Resort: Dining

The Mission Bay Resort has four dining options on property and we tried them all.  I loved each for different reasons….and if you have time, highly recommend trying each during your visit!

1. Covewood: Covewood is the “fanciest” dining experience on property.  We actually ended up eating at Covewood three times (once for brunch and twice for dinner).  The service is stellar, and the views from the outdoor dining area? Time your meal with sunset if you can.  It's amazing!  We loved the fish options they had, and parents? Don't worry, there is a great kids menu with a ton of options.
2. Plaza Del Sol: Looking for a fun and casual alfresco dining option? Plaza del Sol is a bar with live music, a great outdoor space and a simple pizza and small bites menu.  We loved the music, and it was perfect for a quick late lunch.
3. Solrisa: One of your questions…..is there a pool side bar? Why YES THERE IS.  Solrisa serves tacos, burgers, and simple vacation food and is housed in the pool area.  There are tables to eat at or you can have your food served by the pool on lounge chairs (fair warning, use the food cover they provide, a seagull snagged our fries)!
4. Mission Joe: Now, y'all know I'm a BIG coffee person.  So you'd better believe I checked out Mission Joe, Mission Bay Resort's onsite coffee shop.  Multiple times.  They make great  coffee drinks, have a killer drip coffee, and have simple grab and go breakfast options (Lydia loved the pastries).  Warning: while we were there, Mission Joe was only open from 7 am to 1 pm….so plan accordingly!

Mission Bay Resort: Activities

I love that Mission Bay Resort had a ton of on property activities.  It felt like the perfect combination of a relaxed vacation and activity filled days.  These? Our favorite on property activities:

1. Pool and Hot Tub: Plan at least a full afternoon in the Mission Bay Resort pool area.  There are two hot tubs, a large pool, a splash pad, tons of outdoor games, and the perfect amount of palm trees.
2. Shell Hunting: The Mission Bay shores have more shells than I've seen on a beach in a LONG time.  We loved walking along the sand and collect the best ones.  This was a perfect morning or early afternoon activity.
3. Bike Rides: Yes, we rented a surrey bike.  It cost $30 for an hour and was totally worth it (in fact, Lydia says it was her favorite part of the staycation).  You can also rent beach cruisers (they have kids' bikes too) along with jet skiis and powerboats and sailboats.
4. Scavenger Hunt: Be sure to check the schedule that the resort puts out each day, because there are always fun activities.  We did a great nighttime scavenger hunt and Lydia LOVED IT!
5. S'mores: There are fire pits ALL over the property (you can even book a room with a private firepit if you'd like).  Be sure to make some time to do s'mores……we made ours the last night of our trip and had a blast!

Bonus for the Mission Bay Resort?It's close to Seaworld, the San Diego Zoo, Liberty Station and Balboa Park.  So many things to check off a San Diego Bucketlist during your stay!