My husband and I are busy people with a lot going on. Lately, it seems like we only have time to say a quick word or two to each other in the morning and evening. That’s why having a weekend away — just the two of us — as guests of the gorgeous Omni La Costa Resort and Spa near San Diego was just what we needed.
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We were celebrating our 16th wedding anniversary and I can’t think of a better place to do that than the Omni La Costa. The resort has eight swimming pools – including an adults-only pool, two golf courses, tennis courts, a kids club, and more than 600 rooms, suites, and villas.
Our weekend started with the two of us checking into our beautiful room and then finishing work on our laptops. That might not sound like much fun, but then we got a knock on the door.
Our stay was part of the Love and Luxury Package, which includes 2 Mini-Bottles of Moet & Chandon Rosé Champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries. The lovely champagne and dessert encouraged us to put our laptops away and enjoy the view from our room.
Gluten-Free at the Omni LA Costa
My husband has Celiac Disease so everything he ate had to be gluten-free. We had no problem finding amazing food to eat. After we finished our work, we headed out to the Diversions bar at the Omni to watch the Dodgers in the playoffs and get a little something to eat. I’m joking when I say a little something. We had the mile-high steak nachos, which were gluten-free and seemed like enough to feed everyone in the bar, but we managed to eat most everything on the plate. We also had chorizo stuffed dates off of the seasonal menu and they were also delicious.
The next morning, we had a wonderful breakfast at VUE. There were many gluten-free options to choose from including gluten-free pancakes, lobster scramble, and the dishes we ordered below – the vegetable frittata and the mushroom omelet. They came with a gluten-free English muffin and a variety of breakfast potatoes. I didn’t think we’d be able to eat again after the nachos the night before but devoured our fresh and flavorful breakfasts.
Our dinner at VUE was equally delightful. The morning we left, we stopped at the marketplace and were happy to find that they had gluten-free pastries including this muffin and coffee cake.
Bee-Keeping Experience at the Omni La Costa
The Bee Keeping Experience at the Omni La Costa was one of the coolest things we’ve done in a very long time. My husband and I went on a short tour of the La Costa Beehives led by Executive Chef Jason Adams. La Costa makes all of the honey they use in their dishes and keeps the bees on the property.
The bees pollinate the herb garden’s varieties of lavender, cilantro, fennel, and basil. The colder weather makes the bees less active, but that didn’t mean we couldn’t see them doing their thing.
We put on beekeeping suits and walked up with Adams to see their hives. It didn’t look like much until he pulled out the honeycomb.
The bees started flying around us a bit more at that point, but it wasn’t scary (we’re not allergic and Adams was calm, which helped keep us calm). After we were done getting to know the bees, Adams shared with us what the bees’ hard work produces for the resort.
I don’t like honey very much, but the honey fresh from the honeycomb was like nothing I’ve tasted before. It was wonderful – fresh and lightly sweet with the aroma of lavender. Guests of the VUE restaurant can try the honey with the breakfast buffet.
Adults-only pool at the Omni La Costa
After our beekeeping experiences, we headed to the adults-only pool where we had a cabana waiting for us. The fall Southern California weather was perfect for sitting by the pool.
It was a lovely space with shade, a couch, and a table. We ordered a pitcher of frozen Rosé cocktail and a scrumptious bowl of poke for me. We chatted with other guests, I read my book and took a nap, which made for a perfectly relaxing day!
Kidtopia Kids Club at Omni La Costa
We were at La Costa for our anniversary weekend, but we could have easily brought our kids and had an amazing time. There’s so much for families to do. Parents with older kids can take them golfing, play tennis, or hang out by the pool. Younger kids will love splashing around in the Sandy Beach Family Pool and everyone will have fun on the slide.
Chopra Center at the Omni La Costa
The next time we visit La Costa, we’re definitely going to take a meditation class at the Chopra Center. Founded by Deepak Chopra, the center offers wellness activities and retreats. Friends who have spent time there say it’s life-changing.
There was too much to see and do at La Costa in the time we had. We were focused on relaxing (and eating!), but we could easily pack our days with activities.
I’d love to go back and bring my boys and do more exploring around the resort and around Carlsbad over the holidays. The resort is having its annual Tree Lighting with hot chocolate and cider, the Carols of Carlsbad from the Carlsbad School District, and a skydiving Santa on December 1st.
Speaking of exploring the resort, one of the nicest parts of being there was walking around and seeing the fountains and admiring the landscaping. If you live nearby, it would be a lovely place for a date day or night.
Disclosure: I was a guest of the Omni La Costa Resort. I was given hotel accommodations and some meals for review purposes. All opinions are my own.
