Fairmont Grand Del Mar

We booked through American Express Platinum Card holder travel program. The hotel occupies a sprawling area with gorgeous landscaping and a vast offering of activities. Loved having a dedicated adult pool with plenty of chairs + umbrellas away from the family / kid pool. We also were pleased to take advantage of the complimentary car service and applaud how courteous our driver, Oscar, was while dropping us to our dinner destination in La Jolla. However, there were several areas below expectations that we would have appreciated being privy to prior to booking. First, the hotel is in serious need of an update - interiors scream 1990s with dark cherry wood, old carpet, and rod iron staircase fixtures among other dated design elements. We have stayed in many Fairmont properties featuring modern decor and aesthetics; the Fairmont Grand Del Mar is NOT one of them. Next - we nearly fell out of our pool chairs when receiving the $28 guacamole ordered for a snack. It quite literally came in a tiny bowl sized only slightly larger than a Dixie cup containing no more than 3 tablespoons. While we certainly expect higher than normal food pricing at a resort, $30 for a dollop of dip is a whole new level of insanity. Another note about the pool - there is just ONE restroom in proximity. After waiting 15 minutes one day, I ended up walking back to the room to use the restroom because there didn't seem to be another closer option. Third - any time we approached the front desk or concierge with a quick question, it seemed to require an exorbitant amount of time as the staff were either not prepared to guide visitors (e.g. unable to answer seemingly easy "what's the best place to get fish tacos in town?") or failed to recognize the mounting line of guests forming as they incessantly carried on flirty banter with a young woman checking in (not to mention the staff member volunteered her a 15% discount at the onsite spa following their extended exchange; we were not offered the same generous welcome upon check in). Finally, despite having our "do not disturb" sign on the first night of our stay, we were abruptly woken up by the room phone ringing from the front desk letting us know someone was at our door to drop off a pack of chocolate almonds courtesy of American Express Travel. Truly have never been so exasperated - if a guest has do not disturb on...don't call and wake them up especially at 11pm. Come back in the morning with the non-perishable gift once the DND status has been removed. With the service standard normally exceptional at Fairmont properties, we were flabbergasted when this occurred. Overall based on these and other observations, I do not think it is worth the price and would go elsewhere in the same price range next time we stay in the area.

We booked this hotel for 6 days as part of our stay at San Diego. We wanted to experience a premium stay in USA, and loved the experience. It is a massive property in very quiet surroundings. We got a beautiful room with a balcony. The swimming pools were also very lovely. The room itself was large and very comfortable. The bathroom was massive and well compartmentalized. Every day, the hotel staff would keep a relaxing perfume that we used before sleeping Breakfast was great though there is a lack of variety - I guess we are used to lavish buffets in Asia. The staff was brilliant - right from the parking attendants to reception to the staff at the restaurants, they were very courteous and non invasive. We went during the world cup and lo and behold, the Swiss football team was camping at the hotel. Unfortunately they were kept secluded without any of the room guests also allowed near them. The hotel was also not airing the world cup soccer games nor the NBA finals in the rooms - that was a little disappointing considering that we were staying in a premium property.

Everything about this hotel was AMAZING. It was beautiful and extremely peaceful. The atmosphere of the hotel was something I hadn't experienced before. The staff was exceptional.

Overall, this was a fantastic experience. Right up there with one of the best hotels we’ve stayed at. The layout is fantastic and beautiful, food options are great, pool areas super clean, and the rooms were amazing.

We had a decent stay. It would have been great had it not been for the host down at the restaurant named Ruston. That guy is clearly on a power trip and loved making people sit where he pleased regardless of their preference. He lied to us and said tables were reserved outside and that’s why we couldn’t sit us there. 2 minutes later my friend came down and was seated outside, and he did not have a reservation. It’s experiences like that that kill a hotels reputation. 4 tables remained open outside while we were the only ones sitting inside. We were polite so I’m not sure why he felt the need to exert his power like that. We won’t be coming back to the hotel for that reason. It’s a shame because you have other people working there that do such a good job only to have it ruined by employees like Ruston. People like Kate out by the pool, or Jeff at the lobby bar love their job and want guests to feel welcomed. Hire more of that. Less of Ruston. He is not worthy of the role.