A dozen old friends decided to take advantage of a special offer at the Estancia to spend some time together. In a sentence, we had a wonderful time. The staff were each helpful and friendly. A gardener stopped what he was doing to give me directions (the grounds are very large and could use a few more directional signs). The concierge advised us of some restaurants with water views that could accommodate our group and made the reservation for us.The rooms at our price point, while not impressive looking, were roomy enough, very clean, had large flat screen TVs, and nice toiletries. The bathroom was modern with marble counter top. Hair dryer and iron were provided. One pricing feature I liked was the "hospitality fee". Instead of being nickeled and dimed for different extras, the most common ones are all in one fee which included access to the exercise area, wi-fi, bottled water, a welcome drink in the lobby, morning coffee in the wine bar, and a free margarita (very tasty) in the bar. Our special offer included valet parking. The hotel was very busy with several weddings and other events, but the valets never kept us waiting longer than 5-10 minutes. There is a lavish buffet breakfast on the weekends which is $22, more than my budget allows for breakfast. The server told us that for half that price, we could have a 'continental breakfast' which included all the cold items, even smoked salmon with capers and also hot oatmeal. That was a good deal.Located directly across from University of California San Diego and adjacent to the Salk Institute, this property is not right on the beach, but there are walking trails next to the hotel. While the shops and attractions of La Jolla and San Diego are nearby, the Estancia provides a tranquil retreat from the crowds. Our room on the ground floor was rather dark. I would request a room on the third floor next time. A major refurbishing is planned for early 2013 which should brighten up the rooms. I would also have liked more outdoor places to sit and relax with my friends. We had a very enjoyable stay.