Originally Posted by asufan

As someone from that area, there's not much in the way of beach front hotels in Newport Beach, and the peninsula is a bit overrun by knuckleheads (OK for me to deal with, maybe not the OP's mom). There is a Four Seasons, however it is not on the water. I would recommend Laguna Beach, Surf & Sand Resort is my favorite. Aliso State Beach is the cleanest, least crowded beach in the area, Main Beach in Laguna gets crowded but is also fine IMO.

Originally Posted by AZJoeD

Nothing against San Diego, I love it. But why not try the Newport Beach (Orange County) area? It is closer, in the middle between LA and San Diego so you can go either way easily. It will probably be warmer. You can find nice hotels at a low cost. Lot's to do in the area.