Bay Ho Retreat—Sleeps 9—5-Minutes to La Jolla, Pacific Beach, Bay & Trolley

Ideal for families, friend groups & fur babies, this remarkable travel-inspired 3BR/2BA mid-century charmer is 5 minutes from Mission Bay & the Balboa Transit Center serving UCSD—downtown—Petco Park—Snapdragon & Fashion Valley. San Diego's finest beaches, including La Jolla Shores, Pacific Beach, Del Mar, Encinitas, boating & fishing at Dana Landing, plus Sea World, Legoland & the world-famous San Diego Zoo are a short drive from this fully appointed safari-themed retreat with an open floorplan kitchen, dining, and living areas, a wood-burning fireplace, game room, gym, garden, yard & patio. Sleeps 9.

Bay Ho Central’s Safari Theme came from our most recent trip to Africa—every room has a name… and a story.

Our family has cherished this Bay Ho gem for nearly 50 years—it's where we raised our kids, loved our pets, and spent our most transformative years. The art, furnishings and curios reflect a lifetime of travel, every piece collected with care.

Beds are dressed in organic cotton, feather down and wool. We chose every mattress and pillow in this house for one reason… so YOU sleep well. And you can land at any hour and still walk straight in. Self-check-in is by door keypad.

This home is all yours from the moment you arrive—clean, organized and vacation ready, so come write a few pages in the diary of this house.

Here’s the layout.
THE LION'S DEN — Living Room
Large and airy open floorplan, with a whitewashed stone fireplace and a 19th-century-style oil of lions overlooking the savanna. Opposite hangs a bold ink wash of a charging elephant by our daughter Shanan Campanaro, founder of Eskayel. French doors line one wall and open to the courtyard where a morning cup of coffee comes with songbirds.

THE WATERING HOLE — Dining
Glass table for six beneath a crystal drum chandelier, with additional seating spilling on to the patio and open areas. Built-in shelving holds board games, books and tchotchkes from three generations of travel bugs. Scrabble, Backgammon or a digestivo, anyone?

THE MESS — Kitchen
Fully supplied for a Thanksgiving feast or midnight snacks—just bring the food. All major appliances plus air fryer, blender, food processor and ample cookware, utensils and tableware. Opens to every living space, so you're in the center of what's going on.

TIGER TERRITORY — Family Room
Full sleeper sofa. Sleeps 2. Additional fees apply.
Tell us in advance and we’ll have it made up before you arrive.
Named for the floor-to-ceiling folding screen of tigers at a jungle pool. Wood-beam ceiling, wall of exposed brick with wood-burning fireplace, 65" QLED TV with internet streaming on your personal app accounts. Perfect for movie nights and lazy afternoons.

THE GATHERING PLACE — Courtyard
The courtyard is the beating heart, 'la città centrale', The Gathering Place… where the diary of this home is being written. It has seen three generations climb trees, pick oranges & chalk hopscotch on the patio. The circular flow from the courtyard through each room… and back to the courtyard—that's what I love most about it. Guests wander in, out & around the spaces. The perfect party floorplan. Patio dining, market lights, scalloped umbrellas, a new gas grill—accessible through French doors from both living room and family room. All of it invites a gathering—morning coffee, afternoon cocktails or backyard camping under the stars.

THE BIG FIVE — Primary Suite
Cal King, Full en suite bath/shower combo. Sleeps 2.
Expansive, especially with the afternoon light pouring in through the large picture window that frames the garden. Knotty pine ceiling, exposed beams, rough-hewn wall siding and a beautiful, intricately scrolled vintage brass bed all give this spacious room warmth and charm. Relax in Maitland Smith leather chairs by French doors that open onto the courtyard patio.

Wildlife oils by Justin Mashora depicting the awe-inspiring African Big Five live above a dedicated work desk with monitor. A floor-to-ceiling mirrored wardrobe allows you to unpack completely… with no short supply of hangers. The en suite features a large quartz-top vanity, a triptych of mirrored cabinets, and dedicated storage for all your personal items.

ZEBRA ZEN — Bedroom 2
Full + Twin bed. Sleeps 3. Shares hallway bath.
Full of light and life—these walls have sealed lips. Once graced by the raw graffiti of a restless teenager exploring her art form, the room is all personality and provenance. Three early original pen-&-ink works by Shanan Campanaro live alongside a dramatic oversized painting of a family of Zebras. A dedicated workspace desk can double as a vanity. Features a large, mirrored wardrobe with generous shelving & hangers for unpacking, seating area and a supply of children’s bedtime books.

DRAGON'S TALE — Bedroom 3
Queen bed. Sleeps 2. Shares hallway bath.
Cozy and unique. The headboard is a tail fragment of a 140-year-old Indonesian Naga ship's figurehead. A Kuba mat from the Congo hangs alongside. Seating, small closet and door mirror.

PIT STOP — Hall Bath
Serves Zebra Zen and Dragon's Tale. Large quartz-top vanity, mirrored medicine cabinet, generous storage, tub/shower combo with new fixtures. A Shanan Campanaro print of the Cabrillo Bridge hangs here—art finds its way into every corner.

THE TRAINING CIRCUIT — Gym Room
A rare find in any rental: private gym with commercial-grade Total Gym GTS and Row Trainer and mirrored wall. This room has a history. It is where Tom Campanaro, founder of Total Gym, and I planned early photoshoots and marketing campaigns for the company.

GAME 'N' GEAR HQ — Garage
Ping Pong table, ninja target, boogie boards, beach chairs, sand toys, full-size washer & dryer.

THE GARDEN — Yard and Water Feature
Beyond the patio is grass for grounding your bare feet and playing ball, a gentle babbling stream, rock garden, wildflowers & lily pond that make for a peaceful place to start or end the day. The miniature village houses tucked among the rocks are remnants of a backyard railroad my dad built. Golden hour palm trees on the western horizon silhouette against the setting sun.

Bay Ho Central is just that… central to all things San Diego. Book the convenience, the spaciousness, the calm after a long day. I’d be honored to host your group.
Cheers,
Joy