David Chiu

(photo via GrandDelMar.com)

Heather and I spent the weekend in San Diego visiting friends and also for my 5k event in Solana Beach. Through some connections and some luck, we had the opportunity to stay at the Grand Del Mar.

The Grand Del Mar is one of the most luxurious resorts we’ve had the opportunity to stay in. The Mediterranean architecture mixed with Craftsman details provides a very warm, luxurious, intimate feel. The room we stayed in, called the Terrace Room felt like a mini-suite. The bedroom felt very spacious and was furnished with a french antique-style desk with leather chair, another large chair with an ottoman, and on the other side of the King bed, a small french-antique desk. The bathroom was appointed with marble floors, dual sinks, a large soaking tub, a separate shower, a separate room for the toilet, a small changing area with a closet, and a coat rack storage bench with a large mirror. The bathroom also contained a window opening with shutters which opened to the bedroom area making the bathroom area feel larger than it already was. In addition, our room had a private terrace with a gate that opened straight to the olympic length swimming pool and sauna (there are 4 pools on the property, this pool is for adults). This made it very convenient to wake up, walk out on the terrace and jump in the pool to swim some morning laps before having a delicious buffet breakfast at Amaya.

(I forgot to charge our good camera, so I had to use my iPhone. Sorry.)

(entering the room)

(the Terrace Room)

(looking into the bathroom)

(Craftsman details on the ceiling)

(a view from Amaya restaraunt. A couple got married in that courtyard later that day)

(entering Amaya restaraunt)

(right outside Amaya restaraunt)

(how amazingly beautiful is this?)

(what the rooms look like from the outside)

(the lounge)

(a chapel/auditorium area)

(stairway to the spa area)

The resort offers many services and activities. There is a beautiful 380-acre golf course, an award-winning spa, a well-equipped fitness center, a five-star/five-diamond restaurant, a casual dining restaurant and a clubhouse grill and a lobby lounge. Activities include hiking in the canyon preserves, mountain biking, horseback riding, golf, tennis courts, fitness classes,  a game room with pool tables and all the new video game consoles connected to HDTV’s.

The best part of our experience was the friendly service, and the serene quietness of the resort. We wish we could have stayed at least a week.

We want to thank the wonderful staff at the Grand Del Mar for the exceptional service and a luxurious stay. We hope to have the opportunity to return soon… hint… hint…