Background & Location
From my Hilton AMEX Aspire Card, I still had $200 in Hilton Resorts credit to utilize for the latter half of the year so I did a quick trip with friends to the Hilton San Diego Del Mar. I checked the list of hotels that qualify for the resort credit, and this property was on it! Room rates and charges made at the hotel count, which was perfect! The rate was under $200 a night, but adding parking made the total a little over $200, so I used up the credit for essentially one free night.
The Hilton San Diego Del Mar is located in Del Mar, California, an affluent suburb. It is right off the freeway, across the Del Mar Racetrack, and is 20 miles from downtown San Diego. It’s a little over a mile to the beach. You’ll need a car and/or use rideshares as it’s not really walking distance to attractions/shopping plazas.
Takeoff Points
Date of Stay: November 2024
Room Type: 2 Queens Courtyard View With Balcony/Lanai
Pros: Renovated lobby and rooms, with a solid fitness center & friendly staff.
Cons: Parking was pricey for a hotel off the freeway ($33), the exterior of the hotel looks quite shabby.
Arrival and Check-In
We drove and decided to do self-parking. Considering we were in the suburbs, I did find it a little expensive to charge $33 for self self-parking and $38 for valet when the hotel is off the freeway.
The outside facade of the property was quite drab and looked like a roadside motel in all honestly. As we used self-parking, the curb appeal was definitely not on point.
But we walked to the front of the hotel and things instantly got better as the sliding doors opened into the lobby. The lobby was well decorated with Christmas decorations and felt current in a comfortable home feel.
Off to the left of the lobby is a business center with computers & a printer.
To the right is the reception desk, and next to the reception desk is a 24/7 sundries store for snacks and essentials.
I was curious as it seemed that most room types were still available and via the chat function before arrival, I decided to inquire if any suites upgrades were available for Diamond Members. They said they would check and then came back with a no. Oh well, worth a try! They did already upgrade me to a room with a balcony overlooking the courtyard at least.
I was helped by a friendly associate at check-in who also let me know that I’d receive the Hilton Gold & Diamond $15 food and beverage credit a day for up to 2 people ($30 total) and could use it for tonight, or tomorrow before checkout. Service was pretty attentive and the staff was very responsive over chat/text for questions that came along during my stay.
2 Queens Courtyard View With Balcony/Lanai
Our room was on the 3rd floor (top). The hallways were nice and updated.
Bathroom
Immediately after entering the room, I noticed that the foyer was huge and opened up to the space to the right. We had a connecting room door, but to the left was the oversized bathroom.
The bathroom was very large and offered a shower tub combination with Crabtree and Evelyn conditioner, but Zero % Branded Naturally Kind, formulation shampoo, and shower gel. I thought having two different brands was a bit odd.
There was a large sink with plenty of counter space. Here we had Crabtree and Evelyn moisturizing body lotion in a refillable bottle. A gentle cleansing makeup remover was also provided and there was a separate door leading to the water closet. A perfectly large bathroom to share with friends and/or family. I believe the standard room offerings don’t have this large of a bathroom.
Room
As you walk into the room, there are two queen size beds. To the left of one of the beds is a closet, which makes it a little difficult to access because it’s so close to the bed. The closet features some coats, hangers, and iron/board as well as a safe and luggage rack.
There is a large LG television and a desk with a spinning chair next to it. Two bottles of water were provided for Gold and Diamond members. Additionally, they had elevated Avion bottles, but those were eight dollars each.
In the back of the room, there is a nice bay window, with a lounge chair, side table, and lamp. Additionally, there’s a balcony sliding door which has two chairs and a table. Our view overlooked the pool and the hotel doesn’t have the best curb appeal. It looks like we’re in some sort of old apartment complex, but the pool looks decently nice and there was also cornhole set up on the lawn. It was a great room location as one of our friends wanted to read on the balcony and they could watch us swim.
A mini fridge was offered in the room and it was empty so you could use it for personal use which was much appreciated. Additionally, coffee and tea were provided by The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf.
The hotel also offers a dry cleaning service. Same-day service is available 6 days a day (Monday-Saturday). Late pick-up, overnight, express services, repairs, and alterations are available.
Dining
Located in the lobby, there is the Coastal Kitchen which offers lunch and dinner.
There is also outdoor seating overlooking the courtyard and pool.
Then, there is the Coastal Kitchen Dining Room which is where breakfast is served. This dining room can also be transformed at night for private events.
You can order from an a la carte menu, or partake in the breakfast buffet. As a Diamond Member, you can get 50% off the buffet for 2 guests so it becomes $15 rather than $30. So, we decided to do the buffet.
The selections were pretty solid, with hot items like french toast, bacon, sausage, potatoes, scrambled, eggs, and oatmeal. Fruit, pastries, and some cold cuts were also available. A nice touch was that if you didn’t want scrambled eggs, they offered eggs made to order.
Fitness Center
The newly renovated fitness center is located next to the breakfast area through the glass doors. It’s open from 6 am to 11 pm, which I found interesting as most are 24 hours. I was able to get in a workout at night and I was honestly surprised by how nice the gym was.
They even had 1 Peloton, which surprised me. I did some weights and did a Peloton ride. It’s a good-sized gym for a hotel of this size.
Pool
In the center courtyard of the hotel is the swimming pool which is a decent size, and there is a jacuzzi (which was interestingly shaped lol) as well. It’s open from 7 am to 9 pm. I got a swim in the morning and it was clean. It felt like an apartment complex’s pool, but it did the trick.
The Verdict
I had a solid stay at the Hilton San Diego Del Mar. For a three and a half star property, it’s pretty good. While the exterior looks a bit drab, thankfully the updates inside the hotel are better.
Have you stayed at the Hilton San Diego Del Mar before? How was your experience? Comment below!
Cheers,
Ty
Have any questions? I’ve also started working with a travel agency, Fora Travel, and can assist in booking hotel stays or planning trips. Comment below or email me at takeofftotravel@gmail.com. You can also view all my other posts here! Thanks for stopping by!
