Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa Reviews

I don't even know where to begin about this incredible venue. Months back when my then fiancé & I were touring venues, we instantly knew Estancia La Jolla was the place we envisioned ourselves getting married. Megan Meachum gave us our first tour & I cannot explain how helpful she was in our wedding-planning process. From answering countless emails, to attending our menu tasting & even being present on our wedding day, our wedding wouldn't have happened without her. The entire staff at Estancia La Jolla was so kind & helpful, we couldn't have asked for a better experience. Our wedding day was everything we could've dreamt of & if you're able to have your dream day there, we couldn't recommend it more.

Amazing staff and delicious food! The setting was so beautiful. Everything was taken care of. Nicole was very helpful setting us up from out of state. I highly recommend this venue.

The Estancia grounds are completely lush, green and beautiful. If you are looking for a mix of "old meets new" California vibes, this is the place for you.
Every detail about the grounds/hotel/spa is thought out, and designed with care - even down the the paintings, lettering and murals sprinkled throughout the hotel by local artists.

We were very happy with their food, (we had Sea Bass & Filet Mignon) and how quickly the plated dinner was served to our guests. We had ZERO problems with setting up, and even if we did I am confident that Estancia could have handled it with ease.

The hotel staff was extremely professional, friendly, and very happy to help with all of our concerns. We were lucky enough to have Megan as our coordinator, and she was a dream. She helped us navigate all the grimy details of planning a wedding and ,made sure that everything was in order to have our dream wedding. She was on it with everything we may need and anticipated our needs before we even asked.

One of the great things about booking here is that both we, and all of our family and friends were able to more of each other than a typical wedding because we all stayed at the hotel. They made booking for the wedding really easy, and everyone was able to book with the wedding rate.

If you are thinking about using Estancia as your wedding venue I will warn you that yes it is expensive, but if you can swing it - it's worth it. If you are on the fence, go visit and I promise you'll quickly fall in love!

I cannot recommend this place enough, we truly had a dream come true kind of wedding at Estancia and we will definitely be coming back for visits for years to come.
-Bree&Ally

We cannot begin to describe how amazing Estancia is. When we first started looking for venues for our destination wedding, things were so overwhelming. Estancia was the first venue we visited and after viewing numerous others.... we knew nothing compared to its Hacienda vibe and beauty. Both the Olive Lawn and Garden Courtyard are beautifully filled with luscious landscape and greenery, perfect for outdoor events. Their Grande Room is a perfect space for a smaller wedding with an indoor/outdoor feel. We love the hardwood floor and the patio space in that room.

The service was above par! Maddie at the front desk was always so sweet, thoughtful, and welcoming. She even gave us the sweetest card on our arrival for our wedding week! Even on our one year anniversary visit, she remembered us and made it a point to make us feel so welcomed back!

Sara East was our events manager. She was so spectacular to work with. She is so approachable, sweet, and knowledgeable. Every visit to the venue, we were greeted with the warmest smile and even the most delicious cheese plate! She was great during our wedding planning, food tasting, and especially during the day of the wedding.

Sara even worked with my husband recently to surprise me with a recreation of our wedding menu. We celebrated our 1 year anniversary enjoying a private four-course dinner. Henry, our server was so friendly and attentive during our dinner and Chef Vincent’s meal was divine.

Sean was the best bartender at Estancia! He remembered us from our wedding week and just added to the experience. When Sean creates a drink you witness someone who takes pride in his craft and service. Amazing drinks EVERY time!

During the wedding planning, we were fortunate to meet Pimm who helped craft our wedding specialty cocktail—pineapple jalapeño margarita.

The food served at our wedding was ridiculously delicious. Our families and guests voiced so many compliments on the presentation and taste.

Being surrounded by our family and friends on our wedding day was perfect and Estancia made it 100 times better!

Estancia La Jolla will ALWAYS feel like a home away from home.

The Adap-Garcias

We had an incredible wedding weekend at Estancia. The grounds are stunning, the staff is so helpful, and the actual wedding was a gorgeous, perfect, rowdy party. They anticipated our needs and went above & beyond for our stay. Riley was so incredibly helpful during the entire planning process; she was so kind to make some exceptions and throw in some extras for us. Thank you Estancia for an unforgettable weekend!

We had the most amazing wedding at Estancia! Five star venue with five star food and service. We toured 12 different venues in the San Diego area and fell in love with Estancia as soon as we set foot on the property. Our event manager Brenna Myers was an absolute joy to work with. We planned our wedding from across the country so there was a ton of back and forth, and Brenna handled every call and email exchange with a smile. She gave us the confidence that every request and wedding detail would be handled with care, and Estancia did not disappoint. We had shuttle busses coming for pre-wedding events on Thursday and Friday, used a number of different spaces throughout the property all day Saturday and had a magical brunch on the Olive Lawn on Sunday. The food throughout the weekend was outstanding! Estancia prides themselves on their cuisine and it definitely delivered. There were so many logistics for all of our events considering that most of our guests were flying in from New York, but Brenna and the entire Estancia staff didn’t miss a beat and execution from their end was flawless. We cannot say enough about how wonderful our experience was at Estancia!

Location and Venue: You CANNOT BEAT getting married in La Jolla! Even though we lived in the area, we cannot believe how fortunate we were to be married in that location. The entire property is BEAUTIFUL and PICTURESQUE. There are many spots on the property to get perfect pictures of the happy couple.

The spaces at the Estancia are perfect for a wedding reception. We were in the newly renovated Grande Ballroom, which had plenty of space for our 120 guests at tables and dancing. The seats, tables, table-settings, room décor, and beautiful NEW wood flooring are ALL AMAZING!!

Dinner: Our guests were thrilled with the dinner at the Estancia. The most favorite item was the Street Taco bar, of which almost every guest got seconds (or thirds). For appetizers, we strongly recommended the bacon wrapped sirloin and the red, white, and blue salad. We served our dinner at stations, and every member of the Estancia team was polite and responsive to all our guests.

Service: The events team at the Estancia are WONDERFUL to work with, specifically Brenna. She was so friendly, prompt, and accommodating through the entire planning process. The entire Estancia team was incredible and accommodating to every request we had.

Hotel Accommodations: Most of our out-of-town guests stayed at the Estancia and loved it. The rooms are CLEAN and COMFORTABLE. The property is BEAUTIFUL and SERENE. Even though it is more expensive than staying at a budget hotel, it is worth it to create a luxury experience of your entire wedding weekend.

Price: While normally Estancia is on the very pricey end, we received an amazing deal for our February 4th date. If you want to have your wedding/reception at the Estancia (and trust us you do!), try planning for a January/February wedding when they have fantastic special offers!

We strongly recommend that you consider the Estancia for your wedding and/or reception!

Estancia La Jolla captured my heart when I visited their with my then boyfriend for a weekend getaway. Spending time at the pool under the cabanas with a Sangrita signature cocktail was one of our favorite past times while we were dating. The beauty of it's property and the professionalism of their staff is what always drew me to the property for business and pleasure and made me want to send my clients there for their own wedding.

As a wedding planner in San Diego for the past 12 years, I always enjoyed the calmness and beauty it provided me and my brides and grooms so when Rich Younger my husband popped the question, there was no other property that I could see us saying "I do" at then at Estancia where my heart had always been.

My husband and I were married at Estancia on January 27, 2018 and from the moment I signed the contract with them, I was amazed that being on the client side of the coin was as amazing as being on the colleague side.

Brenna Meyers in the Senior Events Manager role is exquisite. Her attention to detail and the calm sense in her demeanor is something that deserves high praise. In my mind, she IS Estancia and everything that I love about the property shines through the way she presents herself and the way she takes ownership of every situation, every bride, every time and my wedding was no exception. She is there to guide you, inform you, treat you like a VIP and simply listen to the needs and wants and vision of her clients and she was my right hand girl throughout the entire planning process. Every bride should have a Brenna in their planning process to ease the stress and be informed of every decision and every detail.

My wedding day at Estancia was everything that I have ever dreamed of and I see a lot of weddings there. Thank you Karla for doing my contract and for answering all of my questions throughout!

Thank you again SO much!!!
Korie + Rich

Our daughter's wedding was just last Friday but I couldn't wait to write a review. Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa far exceeded our expectations!! Brenna Myers is the Catering Manager and from the very beginning of our dealings with her she quickly responded to all requests and emails. Brenna was a joy to work with!! From finding a date to flexing with our needs and desires, Brenna went the extra mile to make things happen.
Every detail of our celebration received attention from every member of the catering staff. The hotel staff was equally exceptional-from front desk, to bellmen and pool servers. Everyone's demeanor was pleasant and kind. This was very important to my husband and myself since we had many guests staying at the hotel.
AND I can't say enough about the quality of the food at the reception. My brother was the Pastor for the ceremony and has done 100's of weddings. He told me it was the best wedding food he had ever had and I'd have to agree. The appetizers as well as entrees were hot and magnificent. This was a very pleasant surprise since I had been at so many weddings where the event space was lovely but the food was cold and bad. Servers were very attentive and bartenders were professional.
I really am grateful for Estancia's attention to detail and great customer service. This wedding was what my daughter called "the best night of my life." Thank you Estancia, it was in no small part because of you.

Imagine this: You're driving up a gorgeous green drive way to the valet, you take a deep breath and feeling of a calmness and relaxation come over you. That's what it is like to come to Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa.

After physically visiting 49 venues - yes, I typed that correctly 49 venues - Estancia was going to be my LAST tour, no matter what it was like, I was going to choose between the 50 venues I went to.

When my mother and I drove up the very first time, it was amazing. We were greeted by courteous Valet, lush green landscape, and a beautiful fountain. Within 10 minutes of being on the property my mother and I looked at each other and said this was it - deposit down, contract signed, DONE!

Once our contract was signed, I was introduced to the amazing, talented, and professional Brenna. Brenna helped us every step of the way with whatever crazy, insane, questions/ requests I had. Brenna of course was introduced as the Catering Manager, but by the end of my wedding, Brenna truly became my confidant, supporter, and friend. There were many emails I send to Brenna in a tizzy over the drama that was going on, she was able to support me and give me some compromising solutions to make things a little easier! Brenna really is the heart and soul of Estancia and the reason my wedding went off smoothly!
Fast Forward to the Tasting:
#1- The food here for a wedding is FANTASTIC! I've been to plenty of weddings and know that it's really difficult to mass produce food for lots of people at one time. Normally something doesn't taste the same as it did in the tasting. Well, I'll tell you PEOPLE ARE STILL TALKING ABOUT THE FOOD - 4 MONTHS LATER! The beef short rib and salmon are delicious and the lamb pops we had as appetizers were the crowd favorite! (I'm told there was a line at the kitchen door waiting for them to come out!).
The grounds speak for themselves - it's just amazing and the absolutely perfect place to have a weekend wedding.

We received nothing but the best of everything from the Estancia. Brenna, the valet guys, the front desk, service staff during lunch, Felipe at Mustang & Burros, everyone we met at the hotel was super professional and friendly. We had our ceremony and lunch on the Olive Lawn, which affords an intimate, private setting surrounded by the beautiful plantings and buildings. This place has a total "Santa Barbara/Montecito" ambiance tucked away across from UCSD. Like another reviewer, Ray, Sean, and the other guys on the valet team work their butts off and set the great tone for everything else at the Estancia! J&E

So beautiful! So accommodating! Beautiful lush greenery with a spanish feel. Very tranquil and pleasant. Brenna was amazing. She was very responsive and patient and nothing but joy to work with the whole time. Perfect setting for a dream day.

We had a lovely, serene wedding at Estancia and will always be grateful for the charming setting and terrific service.

We chose the venue based on the beautiful landscaping and intimate feel. We were thrilled to work with Adrienne Almario, who managed the event perfectly and is a tremendous resource for event styling and logistics. Adrienne is extremely professional, responsive, and thoughtful, and she answered our many questions patiently and thoroughly. She has an encyclopedic knowledge of event coordination and catering and addressed all the details of our wedding perfectly. Adrienne is a lovely person and an absolute pleasure to work with.

Estancia created a wonderful event and made our wedding party and guests feel at home. We used three locations for our 40-person wedding: the Olive Lawn for the ceremony, the Caretakers Lawn for the cocktail reception, and the Hacienda Lawn for dinner. The catering staff transitioned from one location to another seamlessly, and they were all gracious, conscientious, and attentive. Miguel led the catering team and made the team’s hard work look effortless. The entire catering team was terrific. We are especially fond of Lydia, who served us at our tasting and at our wedding. She was a friendly, warm, and familiar face during our event.

The food was delicious and well prepared, and the bartenders did a terrific job creating a signature cocktail for us. We have eaten dinner twice at Estancia’s Mustang & Burros and breakfast once at Estancia’s Adobe El Restaurante, and we had great meals all three times.

We stayed at Estancia on our wedding night. The room was lovely and well appointed.

We want to give a special shout-out to the valet team, who are some of the friendliest and most personable guys around!

Estancia is a wonderful place to get married. I really enjoyed the whole experience, and everyone (from the valet to the waiters, etc) really made you feel like you owned the place on the day of your wedding. The setting was amazing, and the whole wedding was absolutely gorgeous.

My daughter was married at the beautiful Estancia Hotel in May. The wonderful Adrienne Almario was our event manager. Everything was perfect: the setting was gorgeous; the food delicious; the service impeccable. The staff, guided by Adrienne, were gracious, friendly, and patient. Nothing was left to chance, every detail was addressed. Adrienne always made me feel like my daughter's wedding was her top priority. Thank you to the staff at the Estancia for making my daughter's wedding magical. Pam S.

Gorgeous venue with a professional staff. A hidden gem

Working with Erica Davis at Estancia was an absolute joy. She and all the Estancia staff are extremely professional and go out of their way to make sure your needs are met. They worked with us till the end, making it so easy for us to make last minute changes. My wedding at Estancia was an absolute dream and it went so smoothly! I recommend this place to anyone and everyone.

We got married last May at the Estancia and it was just great. The staff was wonderful and so easy to work with! They really know how to treat their customers/couples. The grounds are beautiful and so are the ballrooms. We were extremely happy that we chose the Estancia!

We loved Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa. Our wedding was truly magical because of this amazing venue. My husband and I planned a destination wedding to San Diego, CA and choose Estancia on the recommendation of our wedding planner, Melissa Barrad. We couldn't have picked a more perfect venue. Our family and friends are still talking about our wedding and Estancia. The grounds were spectacular. We had our ceremony on the Olive Lawn and the reception in the Adobe Restaurant.
The staff was professional and so helpful. We had a brunch the day following our wedding on the same lawn.

A friend of mine also treated me to a massage at their spa. It was amazing! I highly recommend taking advantage of the spa while you are there.

We will return to Estancia in the years to come. It is truly a magical place.

Estancia has THE BEST service! I felt like a total princess the day of my wedding. They pay attention to even the smallest detail.

The moment we walked into Estancia, we knew that it would be a dream venue for our wedding. The whole resort feels like a world away from the San Diego beach that it’s next to. We toured the gardens and ballrooms and suddenly the wedding vision came to life. The planning process was seamless and we enjoyed and looked forward to having our meetings with our coordinator, Brenna Meyers. Brenna is an asset to the Estancia team, she worked so well with our vendors and always made us feel valued. Most of our guests stayed at the resort, but even the ones who didn’t were wowed by the venue, service and welcome that they received. The food is fantastic, the service was incredible, and the accommodations they made for us were above and beyond.

The Estancia is just as gorgeous as it looks in the photos. We got married on the Olive Lawn and it was perfect for the size and ambiance of our wedding. I also appreciated that the onsite coordinator placed all of my wedding party in the same wing of the hotel. We felt like we had the place to ourselves even though there were plenty of other hotel guests that weekend. I got a pre-wedding massage at the hotel's spa and it was literally the best massage I've ever had. I took off one star for quality of service because the food was great during the tasting, but not as good on the actual wedding day. That being said, I have no regrets and I highly recommend the hotel.

I loved getting married at Estancia! Even though my wedding weekend was packed with other weddings, we never got the feeling that we were just one more wedding. The service was attentive and caring, and the spaces are gorgeous! Estancia was very flexible with our requests and in the end, I had the perfect day! Brenna was especially great and so helpful throughout the planning. We look forward to celebrating anniversaries at this beautiful venue!

Service is what sets Estancia apart from others. And by service, its not just the staff working the wedding (although Brenna Myers was absolutely outstanding!!), but everyone at the entire hotel. The valet are very attentive and always offer up a bottle of water. The front desk reception workers are uber friendly. Even the grounds crew and maid service would greet you with a smile.

As for our wedding, we had quite a production. 170 guests with ceremony onsite out on the main lawn, and reception in the large ballroom. We chose the venue after looking at 8 other San Diego/La Jolla locations. It stood out for its beauty and service. The ceremony felt like we were in some magical garden. The ballroom was beautifully decorated. And the staff as mentioned above went above and beyond. All of our guests were thoroughly impressed and entertained. They also loved the hotel and said just walking through the doors brought about a sense of calmness and relaxation.

My only slight knock is on value. We knew the place was going to be on the pricey side and that was fine. It was well worth it. I also know that there is an annoying wedding surcharge with every site/vendor. It got to the point where I thought of not telling vendors it was for a wedding because it felt like everyone added 10-20% to their normal rates. Its just that there were some charges that I thought should have been included with our package rather than added as an extra fee. Some examples include uplighting for the ballroom ($600+), copper chargers for each seat ($3.00 per setting), kids meals (chicken fingers and fries) that cost $45 when you include the tax and 22% service. Fortunately I was able to get them to include the cost of kids beverages instead of having to pay an additional $30 per child for those!

All that said, Estancia was worth the price and the value is good and I would definitely recommend as a great venue. Thanks for making the entire weekend so special!