Town and Country Resort: A Hidden Gem in a San Diego Neighborhood
Town and Country Resort is a nostalgic hideaway located in San Diego, California.
Strolling into Town and Country Resort feels like stepping into a time machine. The atmosphere is a throwback to California’s yesteryears with nostalgic, feel-good, retro vibes. Originally built in 1953 as a motor inn with 43 rooms, located in the middle of the “country,” the lodge housed attendees of San Diego’s first convention center.
Today, the bustling hotel is conveniently located close to roadways that quickly take visitors to all ends of San Diego. The hidden find in the Mission Valley oozes a retro resort-y vibe with quick access to the freeways to explore all of San Diego.
The resort has a sprawling outdoor pool complex with three pools, a waterslide, private cabanas, and more.
Why You’ll Love It
The expansive lobby has a wide fireplace and walls made with white rocks, Brady Bunch-style, illuminated by mid-century overhead lighting. The floor-to-ceiling windows spotlight the gorgeous, chillax outdoor area.
The open-plan entry area welcomes guests immediately to a local favorite haunt, the Monkey Bar. The rectangular indoor and outdoor bar has plenty of seating all around the counter, amped up with live music on select nights.
Drop in on days for “Yappy Hours” where you can sip cocktails with your canine. Tip: Dogs less than 30 pounds are welcome as guests.
If you want to head to the Gaslamp Quarter for nightlife or north to the beachside towns, the trolley stops right next to the hotel. A quick five-minute walk takes you to the high-end Fashion Valley Mall—home to luxury retailers like Gucci, Neiman Marcus, Louis Vuitton, Tory Burch, and Rolex.
Some of the brick-and-mortar luxury stores are the only places where you can see the latest fashions in clothing, handbags, and accessories in San Diego, drawing customers from all over the region and Mexico for a shopping spree vacation.
The resort features mid-century modern design with spacious floor plans.
Accommodations
The vibrant hotel with multiple towers and wings has 671 guest rooms. My room was outfitted with hardwood floors, separate bar area with an extra sink, and a sitting area big enough for a couch and comfy chair. A dry-erase board with pens and erasers was mounted to the wall next to a full-length mirror in the entryway.
The Pop Art wallpaper in the room had groovy beach scenes, showing relaxed beachgoers in black and white with sunny bold yellow umbrellas.
Guest rooms and suites feature mid-century modern furniture with stylish decor and amenities. (Pictured: Snazzy King Room).
Amenities
I love the outdoor area with fire pits, corn hole, a sand volleyball court, oblong-shaped pools, and a thrilling four-story slide at the far end near the tower of rooms.
The oblong-shaped pool is surrounded by plenty of turquoise loungers, cabanas for rent, a ping pong table, and outdoor movie screenings by the pool on Saturday evenings but be sure to check the times since it changes seasonally.
No need for a towel at the pool since a poolside vending machine drops fresh pool towels with the tap of your hotel key.
The outdoor pool complex includes Twister, the resort’s 4-story waterslide.
Cuisine
The hotel restaurant, ARLO, is popular for its pasta and seafood plates. Don’t skip on the sourdough bread from a local bakery. Try the Hamachi crudo and customer favorite: the pasta Bolognese baked in a house-made pizza crust. DJs liven up Sunday brunches with French toast, pancakes, and eggs. Wine Wednesdays are popular for the vintner deals.
Next to the main pool is Lapper Sports Bar + Kitchen with happy hours, karaoke, and trivia nights. They mix a mean margarita, along with a host of other cocktails, beer, and wine to enjoy by the pools.
Another insider tip is MRKT, a gem of an on-site café, perfect for a coffee, quick bite, a casual sit-down, or even room service. They have muffins, bagels, ice cream, and a convenient store so well stocked that the nearby residents use it as much as the guests.
ARLO is the resort’s award-winning restaurant that serves fresh dishes made from local ingredients.
Spa & Wellness
A state-of-the-art fitness center with Peloton bikes, weight machines, and treadmills is located on ninth floor of the Regency Tower with bird-eye views of the resort.
For spa amenities, you can book a complimentary facial and makeup session at Neiman Marcus. Just a few minutes away by car is Legacy Spa, outfitted with an aromatic spa, private pool, nail services, and relaxing lounge. The front desk staff can book an appointment for you, and they have discount coupons for 10% off.
Guests can work out in the state-of-the-art fitness center that offers a variety of equipment and machines.
Meetings & Events
The large indoor/outdoor conference area stretches over 295,000 feet, accommodating meetings with over 5,800 people in its Golden State Hall. Several smaller ballrooms host fewer guests, ranging from 62 and upwards.
The resort offers 290,050 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting and events space.
Insider Tips
Parking costs $38 per day at the adjacent parking structure. Local parking options are available for day guests including several lots across the street and street parking.
The Fashion Valley trolley stops next to the hotel, taking visitors all over San Diego.
Electric car charging is available at Town and Country Resort.
Town and Country Resort has a variety of ongoing programming for guests linked here.
Various packages and offers are linked here.
The hotel is family-friendly.
Restaurant reservations are accepted and can be booked by the front desk staff.
Check-in is at 4 p.m. and check-out is at 11 a.m. The hotel does its best to accommodate early check-in and late check-out requests.
The resort’s popular Monkey Bar has fire pits and serves craft cocktails, wood-fired pizzas, and tasty bites.
For more information and to book a stay at Town and Country Resort, call (619) 291-7131 or visit their website. Follow on Instagram: @towncountrysd
500 Hotel Cir N, San Diego, CA 92108
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[Photos courtesy of Town and Country Resort]
Helen I. Hwang is an award-winning journalist, author, and mechanical engineer. Her works have appeared in The New York Times for Kids, Eater San Diego, People Magazine, Parents.com, Trip Advisor, Huffington Post, Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel Magazine,TravelSavvy.com, and other publications. She has also written a book, titled All Grown Up: Please Touch Museum and Its Move to Memorial Hall, for the Please Touch Museum, a children's museum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In addition, Helen worked as a researcher for the Peabody Award-winning NPR radio program, Fresh Air with Terry Gross. Over the years, she's lived on three continents and traveled to more than 40 countries. She currently lives in San Diego, CA, the 16th place she's called home. More about her can be found at helenihwang.com.