I visit and write about wedding venues a lot and it’s always exciting. I recently got a tour of Hotel Karlan, a DoubleTree by Hilton San Diego. The hotel has just finished a $12 million dollar renovation and rebranding.

The property, conveniently located off the I-15 in the foothills of North San Diego County’s Carmel Highlands, is well appointed with many amenities including refurbished meeting and event space, villa style guest rooms and a new restaurant, featuring farm-to-table contemporary cuisine.

I loved touring the hotel and seeing the 32,000 square feet of meeting and event space, which includes 17,000 square feet of outdoor event space.

The lush lawn is perfect for an al fresco ceremony. Plus the patio is a great space for a cocktail hour. This site works for weddings small and large – up to 400 guests!

During lunch at the on property restaurant, Asado Grill, catering sales manager Kylie Flora explained the venue is a fit for couples who want a wedding venue with indoor and outdoor locations, as well as rooms for guests and members of the wedding party to stay on-site.

Those guest rooms are spacey and modern, each with a patio as well as contemporary bathrooms complete with great mirrors and lighting, which is ideal for brides who want to take the perfect bathroom selfie!

Another benefit of the venue? The Black Horse Pub, formerly a golf clubhouse, is a spacious place for cocktails and relaxing with friends.

Hotel Karlan is booking weddings now and into the next year.