L'Auberge Del Mar

L'Auberge Del Mar is a great way to wind down/escape from the big city (overcrowded vibes). The property is quaint and beautiful. The service is top-notch and the beach is perfect. My family have been twice and we'll definitely be back for a third time.

I had a great experience planning a last minute 2 night stay on a Sun and Mon in peak summer. I admit that part of my positive experience was a result of the fact there were no sizable weddings etc while I was at the property and I was able to get early check in. I think a lot of the so-so reviews I see are related to being a guest at the hotel when there is a big wedding or weddings in one weekend and they tend to take over since the property isn't that big. I get it. I would be pretty upset if I had a getaway planned and suddenly a majority of the property is taken over by loud groups. I also hope that at some point ownership can figure out a way to build out a separate adult only pool area. The pool area is pretty small so you can have a group in a cabana partying hard while kids and families are all around. I can see how both groups get frustrated, especially if kids are being kids and happily screaming. Parents also don't typically want to be located feet away from a group partying hard. I heard a "rumor" while staying that there's been some consideration given to turning the tennis court area into an adult only pool area sicne it's valuable real estate and not getting much use. If so, that would be genius IMO but I have no clue if a legit rumor or even possible to accomplish in the next few years. The staff I interacted with were great and I loved the room vibe. The lobby bar is really fun on a Sun night too when there is a live crooner in the adjacent restaurant, Adelaide (need to make reserv for restaurant that night well ahead of time). It brings out a lot of the locals. The short walk to the beach is easy as well. I would just advise people there for pure vaca and/or families w/yougn kids to be aware of the wedding scheudle if visiting during the summer. Oh and also, I didn't realize how dog friendly the property is and wish I'd brought my mutt.

The service here is top notch. We stayed for two nights while visiting for a family wedding. The wedding, which was held on the terrace at L'Auberge was an amazing event, and staying on site at the resort put it over the top for us. With breathtaking views, especially at sunset, and attentive service by all the staff, I can't think of a better place for such an event. My husband and I had a terrific time, and we'd highly recommend L'Auberge to others in the future.

The hotel has undergone a nice cosmetic remodel, but they didn’t improve the infrastructure. As a result, our bathroom (Room 311) couldn’t provide a hot shower 2 of our 3 nights. When paying over $1k per night, that’s unacceptable. The hotel engineer said the 3 floors for rooms ending in “11” share one circulation pump and no tank, and the line gets full of air. Well if that’s true, fix the problem. Also the tiny fitness room was a joke, with just 1 yoga mat and no room to stretch. Also, not enough power outlets for all our devices. And the room safe is in a cabinet above a small drink refrigerator. The safe was so hot I decided not to put my devices in it. Didn’t want to cook my iPad. Also, only 2 old slow small elevators and no service elevator. Make sure you know how to exit in an ER, because the 2 wings of the hotel don’t really connect. It turns out the beach is about a half-mile hike down a steep slope and across the train tracks and a congested beach street. Seeing the CA Coastside train pass by in a tiny space next to beach front homes was really mind-boggling. Better see that now, as hubby says the track is falling into the ocean. My complaining aside, the hotel service and food was excellent, the restaurant had an opera singer at Sunday dinner, a convenient walk to some great restaurants, and fiber-speed internet. Also had a ton of guests with dogs. There were double weddings every day and the hotel lobby was incredibly noisy, so it seems to be a popular venue. Just not one we will return to.

The bed was so comfortable, the atmosphere was incredible, it's such a great place overall.. The views from the pool area to the ocean are breath taking.. the rooms are spacious and the decor fits the vibe..