La Jolla Mom

🌴 San Diego destination expert with discount tickets and luxury hotel perks worldwide 🌴

Written almost exclusively by me, Katie Dillon, the goal of La Jolla Mom is to inspire people to enjoy the world abroad and at home with their kids. Here, I document my love of five-star hotels, premium class cabins, and kid-friendly destinations. I do take the occasional press trip, but most content is derived from our own vacations. Those planning an epic vacation to San Diego can find tips for the best sightseeing tours, hotels, and attractions while locals also read to find things to do around town. And, finally, I love learning about products that make my life and perhaps yours easier. From camera gear to skincare, if your business has a truly helpful product or service, it’s my pleasure to share it.

10/16/2026

Have 12 hotel tabs open? Make room for one more. 👀

My free booking tool lets you compare and book luxury hotels yourself, with access to VIP benefits like daily breakfast for two, hotel credits, and room upgrades when available.

Benefits vary by hotel and VIP rate, but you’ll usually pay the same price as booking direct, with more included in your stay.

Book anytime, even if that’s at 11 p.m. after the kids are asleep. My team will still check your reservation and support your trip behind the scenes.

My free booking tool can be found at the link in my bio!

10/14/2026

Might as well get a few weekends out of those costumes. 🎃

Trick-or-treating in Little Italy, the Pumpkin Express in Campo, a pumpkin plunge in Carlsbad… October plans don’t all have to involve a pumpkin patch.

Here are 25 Halloween outings with kids around San Diego, with dates so you can plan ahead.

10/06/2026

San Diego → Tokyo ✈️

I’ve taken this nonstop flight more times than I can count and Tokyo is somehow still always on my “okay, when are we going back?” list.

It helps that the hotel situation is very good.

Aman Tokyo if you’re going all out. Four Seasons Otemachi for the views. Park Hyatt Tokyo because it’s a classic. Janu if you want something newer. And Four Seasons Marunouchi if you want to walk off the train and basically be at your hotel.

The tricky part with Tokyo isn’t finding a great hotel. There are almost too many.

Where you stay can really change the whole feel of the trip, so I usually start with who’s going, what you actually want to do, and how much time you want to spend getting around.

If Tokyo is on your list too, I can help you figure out which one makes the most sense and book with luxury benefits when available.

10/03/2026

Kids Free San Diego is one of the best times of year to visit, but the offers vary quite a bit by attraction.

I pulled together the 2026 deals worth knowing, including the fine print, redemption details and dates so you can plan around the best ones.

Comment KIDSFREE and I’ll send you the full guide!

09/28/2026

Someone once told me her favorite Four Seasons was the last one she stayed at. I agree, though I have particularly fond family memories at these five.

Another favorite not pictured is Madrid, which I will be checking into next week so you will see plenty from there soon. ✈️

Address

San Diego, CA

Website

https://lajollamom.com/, https://lajollamom.travelwits.com/

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