Background and Location:
For a short holiday getaway with my parents, we decided to stay at the Park Hyatt Aviara Resort which has been on our radar for a while now since they had a full renovation in 2021. A major selling point of this property is that their standard room either has a King or Two Kings (no Queen beds!). This is great for families, or those who are sharing rooms with friends.
The Park Hyatt Aviara Resort, Golf Club & Spa is located in Carlsbad, California, and opened its doors in 2010. Nearby points of interest include Legoland California (5 miles), La Jolla (24 miles) & San Diego (32 miles).
But its history dates back to 1997 when it was originally established as the Four Seasons Aviara. In 2010, the property underwent a transition and rebranding, becoming the Park Hyatt Aviara Resort. Interestingly enough, there are still Four Seasons Residences onsite.
The Park Hyatt Aviara is perched upon a bluff offering views of the Pacific Ocean and the Batiquitos Lagoon. It has earned the AAA 5 Diamond Award and Forbes 5 Star. The resort has 327 rooms in total, 43 of which are suites.
Park Hyatt Aviara Resort Takeoff Points:
Date of Stay: November 2023
Room Type: Premium Garden Suite
Pros: Newly refreshed common areas and rooms, excellent cleanliness, and a solid breakfast.
Cons: Sounds from the room above.
Overall Takeoff Score: A
Fora Travel Benefits:
I work with a travel agency, Fora Travel, and can assist in booking hotel stays. Fora is partnered with Hyatt Prive and Virtuoso. With this, you can get special perks when booking with me. This specific property features:
- Room upgrade upon availability at booking
- Daily full breakfast, for two guests
- $100 USD equivalent Resort or Hotel credit utilized during the stay
- Early check-in/late check-out, subject to availability
If you are interested in getting these perks and want to stay at the Park Hyatt Aviara, feel free to email me at takeofftotravel@gmail.com if you have any inquiries.
Booking:
On this stay, I was booked as a Guest of Honor in the World of Hyatt loyalty program. A friend of mine who has top-level Globalist status booked a reservation for me and “gifted” me their status for the stay. Cash rates for a standard room at the Park Hyatt Aviara start at $450 before taxes, depending on the date of stay. For points bookings, at the time of posting, the property is a Category 6 hotel, meaning it costs 25,000/30,000/35,000 points per night depending on if it’s off-peak/standard/peak pricing.
World of Hyatt Globalist Benefits:
As a guest of honor, I gained the globalist benefits for my stay.
- Complimentary Breakfast at Ponto Lago ($120 Limit) We had 3 adults booked, so we got $120. Tax and gratuity are included which is nice. Note: the breakfast benefit does not include alcohol.
- Complimentary upgrade to best view room available, up to standard suite based on availability at arrival.
- Complimentary premium internet
- Complimentary 4:00 PM late check-out on Departure Date, based on availability at Resorts. Please contact resort services the day before departure to inquire
- Waived Resort Fee and Parking on eligible nights
Arrival:
The morning of, I messaged in the app to see if there were any Globalist upgrades to standard suites available. There was one accessible suite left, and we were assigned a Pool View Suite on the ground floor.
We checked in around 3 PM, and the valet service was quick. Valet is $65 a night and I found out that self-parking is offered near the tennis courts for $55 if you don’t mind a 10-15 minute walk to the lobby.
Once I entered the resort, I enjoyed how new and refreshed the lobby felt. The high ceilings made the lobby feel airy, and the windows let in the California breeze.
A very friendly associate helped me check in. I asked her if any non-accessible suites became available, and she said that she found a nice larger one for me. We were also provided with reusable aluminum water bottles which I appreciated.
The lobby is on the third floor, so we had to take the elevator down to the 1st floor. Our room was a “Premium Garden Suite”, which is tagged as a Premium Suite which technically makes it ineligible for Globalist upgrades, but based on other guest experiences online, it seems this suite category is used for Globalist upgrades from time to time.
Throughout my stay, I noticed that there were a lot of families, due to the Thanksgiving holiday, and proximity to Legoland California. I would say this hotel is geared towards luxury family experiences.
Premium Garden Suite:
Upon entering the suite, there was a full bath to the right, with a standup shower. It was nicely done with a sleek dark blue wallpaper. And when traveling with family, it’s nice to have an extra bathroom to get ready in the morning. A robe was provided as well.
Living Area:
Then, there is a living room with a TV, and the sofa pulls out into a sofa bed. I think it was certainly interesting to have the sofa in the middle of the room as I feel that having it back up to a wall would make the area feel more spacious. But I’m not an interior designer, so who am I to say?
I slept on the sofabed and it was perfectly comfortable for me when I slept diagonally. It’s a bit short, so it only fits 2 kids or one adult.
There is a cabinet with a mini-fridge for personal use, an Illy Coffee Machine, and a hot water maker.
Close to the patio is a desk with two chairs, as well as another lounge chair next to the bedroom.
The patio has a sliding door that opens up and there is a table and two chairs. It opens out to some green space, and the view is of the golf course from above. There’s also another patio from the bedroom, but that one includes more lounge-style sofa chairs rather than dining chairs.
If I were to be nitpicky, I would say that the exterior of the hotel was a bit plain for my liking, especially when compared to the exterior of the Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach. Not a big issue, just purely a judgment based on the first impression.
The Bedroom:
From the double door entry connecting to the living room, you’ll enter the bedroom that has two chairs, and a large king-sized bed. One great feature of the room is the nightlights on the sides of the bed that are motion-censored. So, when you wake up and your feet go down the side of the bed, it will activate a nightlight. Such a great design!
My parents said that the bedding was up to the five-star level, and I took their word for it.
Continuing down the room, you’ll enter a vanity area with a bench, as well as a walk-in closet. Iron/board and slippers were provided in the closet.
Primary Bathroom:
The primary bathroom is nicely appointed, with two double sinks, a soaking tub, a shower, and a separate W/C area. I found it to be quite nice.
Toiletries are provided by Le Labo, in the Bergamote 22 scent. Makeup wipes and cotton swaps/pads were also provided.
Overall, I found the suite to be quite relaxing and enjoyable. The cleanliness was great, and everything felt luxurious, The only thing was that we could hear noises from the room above, and perhaps it was just loud children sliding on the floors, but it was noisier than I would have liked. Perhaps a room on the top floor would not have this minor annoyance.
Service:
I found the service to be quite good and they were very receptive over text. The valets were also very quick, and when we called from the room that we would be retrieving the car, the car would be ready when we got out to the valet.
The one minor issue faced was when I texted requesting the sofabed to be made during turndown service while we went to dinner. An associate immediately replied that it would be completed, but when we got back to the room, the turndown was done, but the sofa wasn’t made. I called and someone did come over quite quickly which was nice at least.
Resort Fee:
The Park Hyatt Aviara has a daily resort fee of $45.00, which is waived for stays booked with World of Hyatt Points. The resort fee covers a variety of services and amenities, and some highlights include:
- Daily fitness classes
- Use of tennis center, complete with tennis racket and tennis balls
- Access to sand volleyball courts with volleyballs
- Access to recreational center activities including croquet, horseshoes, badminton, bocce ball, and respective equipment
- Beach Amenities: towels, beach chairs, umbrellas, and sand toys
- Access to the driving range and putting greens with range balls provided
- Machine wash & machine dry only for workout gear (Up to 6 items with a 24-hour turnaround)
- Discounted spa access at $65 per day based on availability
- Shuttle service to Carlsbad Premium Outlets
- Access to Command Post Game Room
Fitness Center, Spa, and Golf:
On the lobby level, is a large indoor fitness center that is open 24/7. I did a quick visit, and it looked quite nice and spacious. Also, daily fitness classes are complimentary.
There is a spa on the first floor, the Miraval Life in Balance Spa.
The hotel is also home to the Aviara Golf Club which features a signature Arnold Palmer 18-hole golf course. Plus, the hotel has 5 tennis courts and 4 pickleball courts, which can be reserved by the hour.
Pools:
The property features two pools, the Ocean View Pool Deck which is for those 18 years and older, and the Splash Pool Deck which is for all ages and features waterslides.
Dining:
Ponto Lago is the resort’s main restaurant and it serves a Baja-inspired cuisine. It’s open for breakfast, Sunday Brunch, and dinner daily.
This is where we had our breakfast in the morning, and had a wonderful seat outside. We could choose between the breakfast buffet, or order a la carte. We ended up choosing a la carte, and we were very happy with our entrees.
Also, Pacific Point serves lunch and dinner daily, as well as bar service. They also have live music on Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday evenings.
Additionally, Water’s Edge is a poolside restaurant open from 11 AM to 5 PM serving light bites, snacks, and drinks.
The Aviara Market features freshly made coffee, sandwiches, and snacks, plus an array of apparel and gifts.
And of course, room service is offered 24/7.
Uniquely, the property offers a few Topgolf Swing Suites that feature a large digital screen for golfing, and you and order food as well.
The resort also has a steakhouse called Ember and Rye which is located on the Aviara Golf Course. However, it is temporarily closed as of my November 2023 stay.
Ballroom Space and Grounds:
The ballroom areas looked nice, and I could imagine a lot of weddings in the summer months.
It was also fun to wander around the property a bit and explore the grounds. I found some areas that looked very pretty.
The Verdict:
Overall, I truly enjoyed my stay at the Park Hyatt Aviara Resort. The newly renovated rooms and suites feel fresh, and the cleanliness is top-notch. Additionally, the breakfast was solid, and the common spaces were great for a luxury resort.
Have you stayed at the Park Hyatt Aviara Resort before? How was your stay? Comment below!
Safe travels,
Ty
If you are interested in getting Fora perks and want to stay at the Park Hyatt Aviara, feel free to email me at takeofftotravel@gmail.com or fill out this contact form below. If you have other trips you’d like for me to help plan, feel free to reach out as well!
