The Park Hyatt Aviara Resort in Carlsbad, California is a lovely hotel in many ways and my kids loved it, but I do not plan to return. Let me explain why.
Park Hyatt Aviara Resort Review
It has been a very hot summer thus far in Los Angeles and I recently used an expiring free night certificate to escape the heat for a couple of days and head to Carlsbad, just north of San Diego, where the high topped at 75ºF instead of 97ºF. It was such a relief to step out of the car and into a cool afternoon breeze.
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— Matthew Klint – Live And Let's Fly (@LiveandLetsFly) July 3, 2024
The nightly rate was over $700 with tax, so while perhaps not the “best” use of a free night certificate, it wasn’t a bad one. With that high nightly rate came high expectations…some of which fell short.
Check-In (+ Late Checkout)
Let me start with what went well here. We had a very pleasant check-in experience with Jeannette, who was not only kind and gracious to me, but retreated to the back room and came back with a “treasure chest” from which my kids were invited to select a toy. It was a very kind gesture and I also appreciated that she offered me a confirmed 4:00 pm checkout the next day, which is NOT a published Gloabalist benefit at this hotel since it is classified as a resort. Even Globalist members are only guaranteed an 11:00 am check out here.
While the hotel was not full (such that my late checkout request was accommodated), all the suites were taken so we all slept in one room. I could have used a confirmed suite upgrade a few days earlier, but I’m not going to use one for a one-night stay…
Upon check-in, I was presented with a postcard-sized paper outlining Globalist benefits (with apologizes for my daughter’s scribbling on the bottom):
Refurbishment
The hotel common areas and guest rooms have been significantly refurbished since my last visit (as you can see if you compare this review to my old review below).
And yes, the hotel now has a very modern look. It certainly no longer looks like a tired old Four Seasons from the 1990s. But I don’t think it’s a timeless look…I fear that the hotel will look as old in 10-20 years as it did before the latest refurbishment. Don’t get me wrong–the finishes are nice–but I tend to think that light fixtures, carpeting, and furniture will not age gracefully.
The grounds are still well-manicured, though I could not believe the main grass area now has artificial grass. Even the best artificial grass always looks fake (up close)…
Guest Room
Our room, 464, was quite a hike away from the lobby. Out the elevator and left, down a hall, turn right, down a long hall, another right, then a left, down a long hall, then a left…it was quite a hike.
The room was a large room with two massive California king beds (I sleep on a queen-size bed at home and like to spoon Heidi…no need for such a huge bed!)
Beyond the beds was a large round table, two chairs, and end table, and an armoire that contained an illy coffee machine, tea kettle, plenty of coffee and tea, and an empty refrigerator (the minibar was not stocked).
A couple of annoyances. First, the room had only two small aluminum bottles of water. That was nowhere near enough for four people plus two heavy coffee drinkers. In fact, we used both bottles for the coffee machine. I’m sure we could have requested more, but it would have been nice to have the room stocked with 6-8 bottles proactively.
Also, the room was certainly recently refurbished…so recently the Villeroy & Boch stickers were still on the ceramic coffee cups!
The bathroom had two sinks, a large tub, a separate shower, and a separate water closet. Le Labo toiletries were available (with a warning that if the large bottles were taken, the room would be charged $120).
The room had 110-volt power outlets and USB-A ports within reach, though I was surprised the new rooms did not have USB-C ports. A Bose Bluetooth speaker was also present.
Fitness Center
The fitness center and spa are no longer connected. Instead, the fitness center is now on the third floor (lobby level) down the hall from reception and the Pacific Point bar.
The equipment was all brand new (TechnoGym) and yet lacked any abdominal machines. At three different points I was in the gym (to try to get pictures) and there were always people in there…it’s a health-conscious clientele! (no complaints about that).
Miraval Spa
The spa has been refurbished and is now Miraval-branded (after Hyatt’s health-oriented all-inclusive resort chain). A full range of treatments are available and priced at very high levels. For example, an 80-minute deep-tissue massage is…$432. Full menu here.
Big disappointment here: use of the wellness facilities (whirlpool, sauna, steam room) used to be included for guests. Now it’s $65/day. More on that below.
Pools
The primary reason I chose this hotel beyond the cooler weather, was for the pools…my kids love to swim and I am very happy to have them spend hours in the pool rather than hours in front of a screen.
They loved the pool. We spent hours there on both days and they made several friends swimming around. My four-year-old daughter is not a great swimmer yet, but the big pool has a big section that is 1-2 feet deep so she was able to play without me being in the water with her.
There were also water slides that seven-year-old Augustine loved.
Around the corner is an adults-only pool and jacuzzi, which I quite appreciate (not that I used it). It’s nice to have a pool without unnecessary screaming and splashing…
Cabanas and daybeds were available…at additional cost.
Dining
As a full-service resort, there are many dining options on-site.
Ponto Lago
Ponto Lago serves breakfast and dinner with a Baja-inspired cuisine.
Breakfast runs daily from 7:00 am to 11:00 am. On Sundays, there is brunch from 12:00 pm to 2:30 pm. As a Globalist, a buffet breakfast was included for all of us… supposedly including tip.
I say “supposedly” because the tip was not taken off at checkout. I didn’t review the folio because the agent said, “I’ve taken breakfast off…can I email you the receipt?” and I said yes. (It was later rectifed when I reached out)
“Anyway” (to quote President Biden), the buffet was quite good. Nice omelets, fresh berries, delicious croissants, decadent cheese blintzes…all delicious. Heidi and the kids loved it too.
But an epresso or cappuccino? That wasn’t included. A glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice or a smoothie? That also wasn’t included (black coffee, cranberry juice, apple juice, or orange juice in a carton were included…).
So the cappuccino was $11 extra…and it was good (though I prefer the milk foam blended instead of plopped on top), but it just felt cheap to charge extra for that.
Dinner is also served here daily from 5:30 pm – 9:30 pm.
Aviara Market
I quite like the concept of the Aviara Market and appreciated that espresso drinks and fresh-squeezed orange juice were available here too, plus several other perishable and non-perishable goods.
It is open daily from 6:00 am to 10:00 pm.
Water’s Edge
The poolside restaurant is only available to resort guests and open daily from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm.
Pacific Point
The lobby bar has both indoor and outdoor seating and proved to be quite popular. It was packed when we arrived and packed when we left. It opens at 11:30 am with food available till 10:00 pm and drinks till 11:00 pm. It also offers sushi each evening from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm.
Ember & Rye
The hotel steakhouse, curated by chef Richard Blais, recently reopened and offers a high-end grill experience. I certainly would have tried this if it was just Heidi and me, but I don’t take the kids to nice restaurants yet because my daughter struggles to sit still. We are working on it!
Hours:
- Lunch
- 11:30 am – 2:00 pm
- Between Clubs
- 2:00 pm – 5:30 pm
- Dinner
- 5:30 pm – 9:00 pm
Room Service
Finally, 24/7 room service is available.
Top Golf
This is a golf resort with golfing packages available. In the lobby, there’s even a “Top Golf” virtual golf experience (or you can try it for free in the Turkish Airlines lounges in Istanbul).
Lounge
For guests who arrive early or who are not ready to go after vacating their room, there is a small lounge on the lobby level with couches and even a pool table.
Why I Would Not Return
Look, hotels cannot please everyone and I think, on the whole, this is a nice resort that a lot of people will love.
But it just doesn’t work for me because of the things I value. Maybe I’m wrong, but I feel like at a $700/night hotel with Globalist status I should not have to pay extra for a cappuccino and fresh orange juice with breakfast or to sit in the sauna. It is the sort of benefits that I expect at a five-star hotel.
The rooms are nice and the beds are comfortable, but I can stay at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach for half the price, enjoy a similar breakfast buffet with espresso drinks included, get a $25 credit every stay for its market, and use the sauna and steam room for free. It’s just a better value for what I expect out of a hotel.
The customer is not always right…I’m not demanding the hotel change any of its policies based on my preferences…but I will still stay elsewhere because I do not see the value proposition here that justifies its high cost.
CONCLUSION
Overall, we enjoyed a nice stay at the Park Hyatt Aviara and while I would give it a positive overall review, the nickel and diming at an already very expensive resort did not sit well with me. If this hotel can get away with it then more power to them, but I do not plan to return.
My original review, first published on April 16, 2020, is below.
Nestled in a residential neighborhood in Carlsbad, California, the Park Hyatt Aviara is not exactly my style, but a comfortable hotel with good service and ideal for a short getaway from San Diego or Los Angeles.
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Heidi and I enjoy this hotel, but I must admit that it feels very different than the minimalism you find at many Park Hyatt properties. That’s because this hotel used to be a Four Seasons property…and it sill looks like a Four Seasons. That’s not a knock, just an observation.
Anyway, its about a 90-minute drive my house and this review will cover two weekends I spent here, one in a standard room and one in a suite.
Park Hyatt Aviara Common Areas
Think country club. Marble floors, wood paneling, ornate floral arrangements, and plenty of space. Check-in agents are very kind and I was thanked profusely for my World of Hyatt Globalist Status. Outside, you’ll find well-manicured gardens, neatly trimmed grass, and plenty of palm trees. Even the drive in from the street to the resort feels like night and day as you leave the cookie-cutter residential neighborhood the hotel is situated and drive into a sprawling resort and upscale gated community.
Park Hyatt Aviara Guest Room
Our guest room included a king size bed, desk, couch, and a nice patio overlooking lush grounds below. Again, not really my style, but very-well maintained.
The bathroom included a separate bathtub and shower, two sinks with a reddish marble countertop, and separate water closet.
Turn down service is offered each night.
Park Hyatt Aviara King Courtyard Suite
The hotel has 327 rooms, including 43 suites. That said, the hotel is pretty stingy with upgrades. Out of four stays over the years, I have only received one complimentary suite upgrade. For the suite pictures below, I used one of my confirmed suite upgrades.
My King Courtyard suite was 855 square feet and included a queen sofa sleeper in the living room, perfect for my son.
I appreciate the illy espresso machines in each room, which I find very acceptable for machine-made coffee.
The bathroom was very much like the standard room.
Suites also include a large walk-in closet.
Park Hyatt Aviara Dining
As I mentioned, I don’t like leaving the resort once I arrive, meaning we eat at the hotel.
Argyle Steakhouse
Argyle Steakhouse is called “San Diego’s premier steakhouse” (by them of course) and located on 18th green of the resort’s golf course. You can take a golf cart from the hotel to the restaurant or plan on a 7-10 minute walk.
Heidi and I enjoy a very nice steak dinner here with great service (thanks Jesse) and tasty food, though Heidi ordered a hangar steak and should have ordered a filet.
California Bistro
Breakfast is in California Bistro and includes a nice buffet spread or a la carte menu. Cappuccino is extra (annoying, even though still free for Globalist members), but the food is high-quality and tasty, with a nice selection of baked goods, omelet bar, and fresh fruit, and a smoothie of the day.
If you’re not into breakfast, there is free coffee and tea just outside the restaurant.
Ocean Pool Bar & Grill
My only complaint occurred here. Service was not attentive and not very detail-oriented. My wife ordered a breast of chicken from the kid’s menu and they brought her a chicken burger instead (and charged $10 extra for it). My nachos were delicious, though.
Aviara Market
Aviara Market includes freshly-made pastries and coffee. We had coffee here in the afternoon and while good, I’d rather just have an espresso in my room.
Vivace
The only restaurant we have not tried yet is Vivace, the hotel’s Italian restaurant. Next time, we will try it.
Park Hyatt Aviara Pool
I appreciate that the resort has a family pool and adult’s only pool. Both, however, were mostly empty during my stays. If you forget sunscreen, the resort has you covered.
Park Hyatt Aviara Spa
A full service spa is available with a very nice wellness area with whirlpool, sauna, and spa. I quite enjoyed spending a couple afternoons just lounging in here.
Park Hyatt Aviara Fitness
The resort offers a large fitness center with cardiovascular and strength training machines plus free weights.
Park Hyatt Aviara Golf + Tennis
I don’t play golf or tennis, but both are available.
CONCLUSION
Don’t come to this hotel if you want to hang out at the beach or head to San Diego. It’s too far. This is a resort that you come here to stay at. With nice pools, fitness, spa, and several restaurants, when I come here I don’t leave until checkout.
Have you stayed at the Park Hyatt Aviara? How did you like it?
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Have stayed there a few times. Both as Park Hyatt and FS. Most recently this past summer. It feels very California Development and lacks a whole lot of charm. Comfortable and all but a far cry from other Park Hyatt properties….as yes, I do prefer more minimal and something unique.
More interesting is that your wife orders from the kid’s menu. My GF does a well and it’s interesting the reactions you get. Honestly, the food is the same and the portions often pretty exact for a lot less!
We ate at the Italian place and it was fine. Nothing to write home about.
Oh and…
I think your wife should do a post on “Techniques and Strategies on Ordering as an Adult from the Kid’s Menu”
I don’t think it’s cool for adults to order from the kids menu. I would never do that even if I wasn’t that hungry.
Ok, looks like this will be a post tomorrow…
Lukas, what if the item you want is only on the kid’s menu and not the adult menu?
I was astonished one day when we both ordered a cheeseburger at a Four Seasons. Mine from the adult and hers from the kids. It came out exactly the same and I swear she even got more French fries.
I love how you scratch off the price and fixed yourself instead of asking the server to update. I’ve never really thought about that, but if they want the tip you give them, I guess it kind of forces them to fix it without having to wait, explain, etc. Nice 🙂
I even let them keep the extra taxes. 😉
I also got a chuckle out of that!
When did you stay here – during the lockdown?
Fall.
Why the commas as in: 13,64 for $13.64
That’s the German influence. I always use commas instead of periods like they do in Europe.
I noticed you also write 1 and 9 in the European manner. I went to high school in Europe, but elementary school in the States, and aside from an inclination to write my dates as DD/MM/YY, my handwriting was fixed in the American standard by the time I moved to Europe and it hasn’t changed. Interesting!
When the server brought out the wrong food, did you give the restaurant a chance to correct the mistake? Also, did your wife ate only the chicken, or she partook the entire dish? Or did they offer to charge only the kids meal price when you spoke up, but the server did not correct it? This is my number one frustration as a restaurant owner – people don’t speak up about issues when the server do the check-in, and then write a negative review on Yelp. Give them a chance to course-correct, or ask to speak to a manager to provide feedback. Otherwise the same issue will come up over and over again.
I guess curious mind would like to know what was the dollar amount showed up on the room folio.
We did. They said “oops” and then said, oh well, it’s the same chicken. She did not eat the bread, pickles, or onions, not that it should matter since they just would have thrown it out. They promised to correct it on the bill, but did not. I gave them 10 minutes to even return to the table but our server went missing in action. With no one even checking up on us, I just made the correction myself and left. $30.64 was indeed charged to the room.
I’m surprised you tipped so much for bad service. I get that servers rely on tips, but giving them in excess of 20% for bad service seems to reward their behavior.
Also, I’m curious about your Argyle bill. You only had to pay extra for the asparagus side, a sauce, and a drink? The salad and dessert were included?
I hope this shows we don’t order off the kid’s menu to save a few bucks, but to avoid waste.
We’ve gone for about 5 days every summer for the past 10 years. Always have great service. We also go to the beach in Encinitas, Del Mar, or Carlsbad every day. The hotel has beach stuff to borrow. Also usually go into one of these towns for dinner (10-20 min drive).
Certainly isn’t worth 700 a night but in the winter there were rates at 300-400 a night.
I’d rather stay at Seabird or Mission Pacific were I in that area.
Seabird is another example where the price is much cheaper and the sauna and espreso are included.
What’s the story of the self-serve liquor at the breakfast buffet? Is it included or…?
Not included, though I’m not sure anyone would have stopped you.
Funny- I had the same “bottom line” as you did- “nice place, don’t think I’ll come back.”
Second funny thing- you are so California… your heatwave on the weather app is practically a dream compared to the summer heat of the lower midwest or south… with less humidity in California…..
We were there with our two teenagers, over Christmas break; spent a few nights there after visiting family elsewhere in SoCal. Place was pretty darn full of kids… not too bad, but definitely felt “family oriented.” Also lots of DYKWIA people acting upset they couldn’t get the room upgraded and available right when they arrived during a sold- out period.
Nothing wrong with the place; nice pools, decent food, good rooms (we got more water bottles than you though). A little chintzy on the breakfast policy, spa use, and having to “remind” the front staff about policies such as waiving resort fees for globalists. Just like you, though- nothing that wowed me to come back
I also don’t understand cheap, nickel and dime policies at high end properties. Avoiding that stuff is why I usually like such places…
We went over memorial day this year, the place was insanely packed. Pools filled to the brim, nowhere to sit, unable to eat Globalist breakfast because the restaurant had over 2 hour wait for breakfast. And yes, the nickel and diming. They had advertised as part of the “kids events” ice cream by the pool. I assumed it was free since it was an advertised event, instead if was 9 bucks per scoop (!!!) and you were supposed to first buy tokens elsewhere and standing in multiple lines. I wrote a message to the GM saying that I hope he enjoys the extra 9 bucks he made off me, but he lost a customer instead. I am not asking for free stuff, but don’t advertise kids events and then just try to sell me overpriced crap.
The second day we got to have breakfast after waiting 1.5 hours but they refused to comp the 2 adults plus 2 kids free globalist breakfast because my daughter is 13 and that counts as adult. I know that’s a loophole in the Hyatt regulations but no hyatt hotel ever claimed my daughter is an adult and thus they won’t comp the breakfast. This is how you lose customers forever.
I understand not everyone can hop on a plane and fly to Asia, but this review basically exemplifies why spending money on holidays in the United States is a waste.