Pay attention, family travelers. I’ve recently discovered a gem of a San Diego vacation home rental option. If you’re not in the San Diego area, you probably haven’t heard of Luv Surf, but this local company should absolutely be on your radar before your next visit to Southern California.
Luv Surf is a boutique rental company with half a dozen beach home rentals in the Mission Beach and Mission Bay area of San Diego. Each home is beautiful, in an ideal beach location, and pet and baby friendly. While in a Luv Surf rental, families can enjoy both beach living and city living. Since I hadn’t heard of them before our stay, I admit to being skeptical. As soon as I opened the door to our vacation home rental at 812 San Rafael in Mission Beach, however, I was blown away. Check out our video:
- Service and hospitality: Before I’d even arrived at our home rental, I called my rental contact Sheila (as instructed by Luv Surf). I thought I was calling just to get the key code for the front door, but instead, I got so much more: cheerful instruction for how to find the house, where to park, how to make my way to the rooftop deck (more on that later), where to find the SUPs and beach toys (yep!), and what I’d find complimentary in the fridge. In Luv Surf’s words: wine should always be waiting!
- Amenities and extras: Many vacation homes are luxurious and beautiful (and 812 San Rafael is both of those things), but rarely do they have everything you need with turn-key readiness. We were advised to poke through our home’s kitchen cupboards before grocery shopping for our stay, which turned out to be great advice: already on-hand were all the small items we thought we’d need to buy, such as ziplock baggies, spices and oils, laundry detergent, soaps and sponges, and even standard over-the-counter medications such as cold medicine. The bathrooms were stocked with shampoos and lotions, and wine and beer were in the fridge.
- Recreation items: We were so excited to see two SUPs (paddle boards) waiting for us, as well as boogie boards, a skim board, kids’ life vests, sand toys, beach towels, and cruiser bikes. This is such a savings in recreation rentals! Right away, we were riding bikes along the many bike paths and paddling around Mission Bay!
The 812 San Rafael location:
We stayed at the San Rafael home, which is located just three homes from the water of Mission Bay. On the other side, it’s only one short block from Mission Beach. The location absolutely couldn’t be beat for our family: we were in the area to explore San Diego (all within easy driving or public transit distance) and play on the water. Our school-aged kids could absolutely walk by themselves to the bay or the beach, and we could all ride bikes straight from the front door. There’s ample dining and shopping within walking distance—Mission Beach is a lively, vibrant, and fun community—and the beach is lifeguard-manned. Stop by the Luv Surf retail store just a few blocks away!
The home itself is three stories (in addition to a rooftop deck). The first floor houses one bedroom and bathroom plus the garage (with full laundry facilities). The second floor has two bedrooms (one of which is a children’s bedroom with bunk beds) and two bathrooms (one of which has a jacuzzi tub). Each of these bedrooms have their own private deck. On the third floor is the kitchen and living area (with yet another deck), and upstairs from the kitchen is a fabulous rooftop deck with fire pit, outdoor table, and seating.
A few extra ‘extras’ you can expect:
- BBQ
- granite counters
- gourmet kitchen
- espresso maker
- flat-screen TVs
- complimentary WiFi
- pet amenities such as dog beds and toys
- high chair and baby-proofing items
Get more tips on what to do in San Diego during your stay!
A word on parking:
The home is located in bustling Mission Beach, which is notorious for having little street parking. The property features two spaces to park: in the single car garage or in the parking space adjacent. The garage and space are located at the back of the house, in a narrow alley. We have a standard-sized minivan, and had a hard time fitting into the garage space (it involves careful navigation). We opted to park in the space instead, which meant that when we had a friend stop by for dinner, she had to find street parking, which was very difficult. This solitary inconvenience would in no way prevent us from renting a Mission Beach home, but it helps to go in aware.
Rates:
All Luv Surf rentals have rates that change seasonally. The San Rafael house ranges from $325-$620 nightly. It is absolutely a luxury home property. Once there, you’ll save on parking, entertainment, dining, and recreation.
Directions:
Mission Beach is only minutes from all points in San Diego. It’s also less than 30 minutes from Legoland and Carlsbad beaches.
As I disclose whenever applicable, we stayed with Luv Surf as guests of the company. Hosted visits make up-to-date reviews on Pit Stops for Kids possible.
