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Our Park Hyatt Aviara review is from our recent visit, and includes our impressions of the resort, a Fireside Terrace Suite, Coastal View Room, Ponto Lago restaurant, the new Pickleball courts, and more.
Park Hyatt Aviara Location and Check-In
The resort is located at 7100 Aviara Resort Drive in Carlsbad, California, about a 45 minute drive from San Diego Airport Airport (SAN), and about a 2 hour drive from Los Angeles, depending on traffic. There's no self parking at the resort, so expect to pay a steep $65 nightly valet parking rate.
Although we'd requested early check-in for our suite, it wasn't ready when we arrived, so my husband and son played a few games of pool in the game room off the lobby while waiting, and I explored the resort grounds, including the airy lobby (decked out with holiday decorations), large outdoor courtyard framed with palms and bird of paradise, and fountains.
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Park Hyatt Aviara Fireside Terrace Suite
We first stayed in a Park Hyatt Fireside Terrace Suite, which was a Hyatt Prive confirmed upgrade from a Pool Suite. These suites are 855 sq. ft. and ideal for families, since there's a separate bedroom for parents, as well as a living room with a sofa bed for a kid (or teen, in our case).
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The living room opens out to a furnished terrace, with a firepit for cozy evenings.
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We were pleasantly surprised with how comfortable our king bed was, since usually Park Hyatt beds are uncomfortably hard. I toyed with the idea that perhaps it's because the hotel was originally a Four Seasons, back when it opened, but Hyatt's been managing the property since 2010, and presumably (especially given the $50 million renovation in 2020) all the mattresses have been replaced. Regardless, we wish other Park Hyatt beds were like these ones.
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The bedroom also opens out to a smaller terrace, nice for a bit of al fresco dining.
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The bathroom has everything you need, with double sinks, shower and soaking tub, although is a bit dated, with only a regular showerhead, no rain shower.
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Bath products, fixed to the wall, are Le Labo Bergamote 22.
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Here's our Park Hyatt Aviara video review:
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TravelSort Clients enjoy Hyatt Privé benefits:
- Upgrade confirmed at booking, except for periods of forecasted high occupancy
- Welcome amenity
- Daily breakfast for up to 2 guests per room
- $100 resort credit once during stay
- Priority for early check-in/late check-out
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The Verdict
We enjoyed our stay at the Park Hyatt Aviara, although there were also some challenges. Highlights were the resort grounds, with the open courtyard rimmed with palm trees and bird of paradise flowers and fountains; our Coastal View room with two comfortable king beds (rare both to have two king beds and for Park Hyatt beds to be comfortable); friendly and helpful service at Ponto Lago Restaurant for breakfasts and dinner; and the four new Pickleball courts. Challenges were that our early check-in request wasn't honored, even though it's supposed to be prioritized as a Hyatt Privé client; the lack of Hyatt Privé welcome amenity, which we wouldn't have gotten if we hadn't asked for it; and a very poor experience at the Pacific Point lobby lounge where we waited about an hour for our (very mediocre) sushi. Our teen went back to our room given how long it took, and our server stopped checking in with us, leaving us to hunt down a manager. We also find the resort's $65 nightly parking fee excessive; this is in addition to the daily $45 resort fee. The resort is still worth considering in the context of other options in southern California, but doesn't compare favorably with the best luxury resorts in Hawaii or Mexico.
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