West Inn & Suites is truly a gem in the heart of Carlsbad. This 86-room boutique hotel is conveniently located 30 minutes from downtown San Diego, and was the perfect destination for our family vacation. This privately owned hotel caters to families, business travelers and pets too! The management does an excellent job of offering top-notch service and accommodations to all of their guests.
On the property there are two great restaurants, The Bistro West and West Steak and Seafood. We ate lunch at the Bistro. This is an impressive dining experience. The décor is tasteful and modern. We especially liked the “bubble wall” alongside our booth. Elizabeth enjoyed a beet salad with goat cheese and shrimp and I devoured a tasty cheeseburger with sweet potato fries and delicious curry ketchup. Our son, Bodhi, ate gluten free miso soup. We were so happy to order from The Bistro’s gluten free menu,which had many delicious options.
We didn’t get a chance to visit the fine dining restaurant West Steak and Seafood, but we heard that the food is outstanding and that West has a great happy hour.
The West Inn and Suites is a perfect hotel for a weekend getaway. Plan a longer stay, if you can, to take in all that Carlsbad, California has to offer. This town is filled with things to do for the whole family! The West Inn is located just four blocks from beautiful Carlsbad beaches, and a couple of miles from Legoland, Lego Water Park and Sea Life Aquarium, Premium Outlet Stores (offering 50 percent discounts on all major brands), Pick Your Own Strawberries and Flower Fields and many more area attractions. Also nearby are two PGA Championship 18 hole golf courses.
Our favorite things about The West Inn and Suites include:
- The staff prides themselves on customer service and it shows in everything they do.
- They offer free shuttle service within Carlsbad. This service was great for us. We saved the cost of parking at Legoland.
- As a pet friendly hotel they have designated rooms for pets, equipped with dog beds, food and water bowls, pet aromatherapy, a dog run and a pet friendly walking path. Just ask Rookie, the miniature Australian Shepherd who will greet you at the front desk. Allergic? Not to worry, the pet-loving hotel owners take cleanliness very seriously. They charge a pet fee of $75 a day or $150 for two or more nights. This fee is non-refundable because they dry clean the drapes and steam clean the carpets so that anyone with allergies is not affected.
- The staff has a storage room filled with items that guests have suggested to make your stay more comfortable such as Tempurpedic pillows, foot stools, beach toys, swim diapers and much more.
- This hotel is special needs friendly too. The hotel and rooms are equipped with amenities for special needs, and the Jacuzzi has an electronic chair that can be lowered into the warm water.
Other amenities include a nice size heated swimming pool, Jacuzzi, a business office, complimentary breakfast, cookies and milk at bedtime, free wireless internet service, and same-day valet laundry service.
During our stay, we enjoyed a day at the pool, checked out the outlet stores and I experienced Legoland for the first time. It turns out that Mother’s Day is the perfect day to visit Legoland. It wasn’t crowded – five-minute lines at most. My son was over the moon with excitement seeing his favorite Lego Star Wars characters and riding all the rides. Legoland is great for grown-ups too. I loved seeing the detail in the miniature cities of Las Vegas, New York and Washington D.C. All are elaborately constructed out of Legos and are quite impressive. Legoland is made up of over 40 million Legos. It’s truly remarkable.
We also toured Legoland’s Sea Life Aquarium. We were amazed by the up close viewing of the Giant Pacific Octopus, and the Claws Exhibit, which included the largest crabs on land and sea. The Sea Life restaurant was great. The menu has healthy choices and includes gluten-free options.
In Carlsbad, Elizabeth, Bodhi, and I found the perfect place to spend Mother’s day weekend. We built some fun and lasting memories this trip.
About the Author: Jeff Savenick is a Television Producer, Director, Writer, And Editor. He has worked on many high profile shows such as MTV’s “Real World”, “Gene Simmons Family Jewels” and “Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills”. Jeff is passionate about traveling and has written for Johnnyjet.com before, check out his archived articles on Anna Maria Island and Paradise Point.
