We’ve experienced a triple-digit heat wave for several days in Southern California, but thankfully we found a bit of relief at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach this weekend…30º of relief actually.
Weekend Escape To Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort + Spa
I hope we are in the last gasp of summer here in Los Angeles, even though we typically will have another heat wave in October…For the last several days, we’ve had brutal heat. At my house, which is not exactly in the desert, the temperature hit a blistering 114ºF a few days ago and has remained over 100ºF for several consecutive days. Today we escaped the heat…it will peak at 94ºF (#sarcasm).
Give me London or Seattle…
Anyway, we ditched the 108ºF afternoon heat for a lovely 78ºF sunset in Huntington Beach, an area I would happily call home but for now quite enjoy as a weekend escape from the city.
I’ve reviewed this hotel in great detail and would refer you to that review for most questions about the property, but always walk away thankful for how well the hotel takes care of Hyatt Globalists (as I face what is likely my last few months of that status…) due to several events that have curtailed my travel this year:
- Free breakfast for all four of us (breakfast ran over $160 with tips)
- Free access to wellness area (sauna, steam room, jacuzzi) in spa (normally $40)
- Late checkout (even though as a “resort” is not obligated to extend such a late checkout)
- $25 credit in Surf City Grocers (grocery store / coffee shop)
- Upgrade (to an oceanview room)
Suite upgrades are not common and parking is still $46/night, but I appreciate this hotel and find it a much better overall value than the Park Hyatt Aviara.
We enjoyed the room, enjoyed breakfast, and the kids loved swimming (they protest bitterly when they have to take swimming lessons at our gym, but then act like fish at a hotel with slides and a kiddie pool…).
There was an elaborate Indian wedding at the hotel during our stay and my son innocently asked, as he saw four men carrying the long cloak over the groom’s sherwani to avoid it touching the ground, “Is that man very rich? Does he have slaves?” Wow…
As we drove back home, the mercury quickly rose. Thankfully, the heat will disappear tomorrow, but we will all still look forward to our next visit back to Huntington Beach.
I married my spouse there years ago — glad to see the property is still in great shape.
“Free breakfast for all four of us (breakfast ran over $160 with tips)” Absolute insanity.
And when people ask why I do care about Globalist status, I point to stuff like this.
Because no, I love a nice breakfast but I’m not paying for that…and yet having an 11am breakfast/brunch is a such a nice way to break our fast.
Yeah my wife lives it. Kids love the Oreo waffles before they changed it.
Speaking of Globalist breakfast they finally instituted my suggestion I made a couple years ago. Basically I complained that it took way too long for Globalists to be seated for breakfast and I suggested they make a separate line just for Globalists. The restaurant manager emailed me back to apologize for the complaint and told me to just email him when I was going to be staying there which was great but I always felt like I was bothering him. Now you just let the hostess know you are Globalist and you will be added to the separate line. I didn’t know about it the first day but they added me for the following day. Only took 10 minutes to get seated after I checked in. Fantastic.
I had no idea. Good to know! (I had to wait 30 minutes for a table).
That’s not terrible. When I first complained the wait was 50 minutes. I’m always there labor day and memorial day with the family. I always use the suite upgrade at booking as I book as soon as schedule opens with a points booking .
Next year when the Globalist benefits might be gone, consider bringing the family to visit our National Park beaches. Enjoy lots of free ( well sort of ) stuff ( on Assateague Island) park rangers teaching the children, fishing, crabbing, conservation, and other amazing life skills. Wild pony interaction is a complete bonus! We also sell sunscreen and hats.
Will do!
This is a beautiful hotel but I prefer the hilton next door, it has real ocean views and an adult only pool ☺️. Most of the rooms at the Hyatt have no view.
Great story and lovely photos. At that age kids are most happy by a pool with an ice cream in hand (at least in my experience).
Nice to see them so happy.
I’m surprised that you write numbers in a European way, including a comma instead of a decimal point before cents. When did you start and does it ever create confusion among waiters?
Have done that for 20 years now. So far, so good.
WOW! I would hate to be living at your House. Ahhh The Bed sheet is not tucked in right. the wrong Fork is on the wrong side.
LOL. Do you have a spy camera installed in my house? 😀
Matthew, with your love for Mexican food, Ola Mexican Kitchen is a 1/2 mile walk from the Hyatt Huntington Beach. Have been twice when visiting family in Orange County, enjoying the scratch made food and ocean views. Parking is validated if you don’t want to make the trek on foot.
Thanks! Will try.
My tolerance for heat and my concern about rising temperatures is such that I have been saying it makes sense to stay where it will be cooler and buy land for agricultural purposes where the growing season is going to get longer and prices for such land are more likely to hold up better or boom over the next several decades. Even in places where air conditioning was rarely or barely needed in the summer, many such places now have heat waves at times that seem to be worse or hit over more parts of the year than used to be the case. But even long ago, I had a habit of escaping as much as possible to Argentina and Chile during the June to August period to get out of the DC/NYC heat. And this from the kid who used to play outside in Houston during the hot Texas summers. 😮