Paradise Point provides plenty of possibilities for pups and post puberty people
Written: Jun 07 '03
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Location, location, location
Cons: Expensive, shows some wear
The Bottom Line: I certainly recommend Paradise Point, but it is expensive. I also like Hawaiian shirts and ugly hats. If you want fancy accoutrements, go elsewhere.
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| pdrmike's Full Review: Paradise Point Resort & Spa |
Ahh, alliteration. One may not think it is necessary for a resort, but I beg to differ. Well, I guess not for any resort, just this one. About 30 years ago, my family started taking yearly vacations to this resort, which was then called Vacation Village. At some point, they changed the name, or added Princess Cruises to the title, thereby destroying the alliteration. I never went there during however many years that was. I suppose one could attribute that to being in school, and not having any money. I think it's because of the name. Now the resort is called Paradise Point, which rolls off the tongue. Over the last couple of years, I have made a couple of visits there, once for a weekend, and once for dinner.
For the kids
I don't have kids, and haven't gone there with any. But, I have plenty of memories of going there myself as a youngster, so I can speak from personal experience. My brothers and I always loved this place. There was plenty of stuff to do, most of which is still there. They have bike rentals, boat rentals, 5 pools, tennis courts, an arcade, play areas, and an observation tower. In the old days, there was also a pitch and putt golf course, which was replaced by more rooms. They also had a large sand play area with a submarine shaped jungle gym, which is now gone. There is a sand volleyball court in it's place now. RIP, yellow sub.
Now there is a putting course, which is really a miniature golf course, but on real grass, with no windmill. Or pendulum. Not even a clown's mouth.
The Grounds
Paradise Point is set on an island in beautiful Mission Bay. At the edge of the Bay is a nice sandy beach, with at least one area for swimming. The beach gives way to the resort, which is made up of bungalow-style rooms. As such, each of these has its own sitting area. The sitting areas for the bay side rooms naturally face the bay. The interior of the resort features more rooms, which are set around small gardens, lagoons or ponds. On our recent trip, we had an interior room, which opened up to a small pond. It was quite peaceful sitting out and watching the local ducks swim around. They will also come up and eat more muffin crumbs from the grass an arm's length away, assuming you throw them out or are a very sloppy eater.
In addition to bay side rooms, the restaurants are also along the bay. The Barefoot Bar over looks the bay and boat dock (which is also good for sitting on). Baleen is a "new" place, well at least it wasn't there 20 years ago. It also overlooks the Bay, but we didn't eat there, so I can't comment, other than to say I know the setting is great. Room service is also provided.
The Rooms
Old School. In the 70s, I thought they were great. Now, I would say they are serviceable. They could certainly use an update, but they are pretty large. They have the bed, TV, sitting table, and a good size bathroom. The best stuff about them is the individual patios to sit on, as well as the fact that you don't have the foot traffic you may hear in a normal hotel.
Arrival
We went down last year on a Friday night in October, and arrived about 9:00 p.m. I was somewhat surprised that they had remembered me and were awaiting my arrival. But, as soon as we pulled up and stopped the car, a huge fireworks display started in the Bay. My wife wanted to attribute it to the pyrotechnics convention that was being held that weekend, but I knew better. Talk about your customer service. They held one on Saturday night as well, which we were able to watch from the Barefoot Bar.
Other activities
Well, if you rip through the resort activities, there is lots to do in the area. Sea World is just around the corner, and makes for a great day trip. The purpose of our trip was to take my wife there for the dolphin interaction program, in which you get to go in the tank with the dolphins for about 20 minutes. You don't actually get to swim with them, but stand on a 4 foot deep shelf. She loved it. Me, I hate that Dan Marino now more than ever.
Nearby there is also a lake for racing model boats, which I always enjoyed watching as a kid. The zoo and wild animal parks are 20-30 minutes away.
Value
One thing to do before heading to Paradise Point is have someone give you a gift certificate. We had one for $500, and that did not pay for the weekend. So, be prepared to fork out some dough at this place. With room rates that start around $200, I can see someone wanting better accommodations for the price. But what I think you are paying for is the location, and the grounds. If you have kids, they will love it. I know I did. In sum, I think the price is fair, but it is certainly no bargain.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
pdrmike
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Location: Playa del Rey, CA
Reviews written: 19
Trusted by: 1 member
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