This was an expensive disappointment! After having a wonderful Afternoon tea experience in London, I thought this would be a lovely treat for me to treat my adult daughters. We went for Christmas Eve day, and it was quite disappointing! Sandwiches were either soggy or stale and the service was basically non existent- even though a mandatory 20% gratuity was included for them simply dropping off the tray of goodies (and the bill came with a second option for a tip after 20% was included!) The price was the same (though in London they never add a tip) as he famous Fortnum & Mason but the food and service was not even close! $580 for 3, for tea! Find somewhere else to go or just have a drink in their bar!
Chris S.
Fantastic service. The bartenders are knowledgeable, courteous, and quick. In particular, Daniele is a super star! She's friendly and can suggest interesting variations to classic cocktails as well as the signature ones on the menu. They have an interesting selection of signature cocktails but have also mastered the classics. Cigars are allowed on the balcony. Servers do a great job of bringing cocktails and wine to guests out on the balcony. The staff is wonderful, but the WiFi in the bar is terrible.
deesR4286EG
The best resort in Southern California hands down! The rooms are spacious, the service is top notch, and the grounds are impeccable. Highly recommend a visit if you have not been yet, you will not regret it!
chris2pherpa
Like many of the other posts have mentioned, the staff stands out from other luxury hotels I've stayed. Extremely friendly, and very helpful. They were helpful in ways I wouldn't have anticipated but very much appreciated. I played the Grand Del Mar golf course on property and left my scorecard on the cart. I wanted to keep it as a souvenir so called the pro shop and asked if it was OK if I came back up there to look for it. They said, "no problem, we'll find it and drop it off at the front desk." And they did. Not sure a lot of other resort staffs would have done that. Another example would be Justin, a member of the main lobby wait staff who tipped us to the incredible selection of books in the library bar, gave us some good recs on bars to visit in the SD area and was just overall very pleasant and fun to chat with while dining. Overall, the resort is beautiful, the Carmel valley is beautiful, but the staff is the biggest reason I would not hesitate to recommend this resort. Room Tips: If possible get a room on the first floor facing the adult pool. Really nice to be able to walk out on your private patio and have direct access to the pool. 1st floor rooms are also right next to the spa and gym, both of which are what you would expect from a 5 star resort. General Stay Tips: Use the car service. John is awesome. He'll take care of you.
Adventure31959568876
The pillows were not the greatest, hotel front desk was terrible. Not worth for the money and get terrible service. Restaurant food was not the best and service was not the best. And prices were extremely high not worth it!!
Emilieinest
Everything is just perfection at the Fairmont Grand Del Mar. Every single team member is fantastic and welcoming, professional and friendly. Perfect location fo couples but also for families with kids of all ages. The valet was so kind and helpful, Christian at the front desk was very detailed and informative, the room was perfection… and the bathroom!! Wow gorgeous!! The view from every room is just fantastic and so relaxing. My mother and I went for a 90min massage at the SPA and it was the most relaxing and safe space with all the needed amenities! Sauna, steam room, jacuzzi.. the robes are extremely soft. Brody and Sandy (I was so relax that I am not sure I got the name right, sorry) were so professional and extremely talented. They have two different pools area so you can choose to be at the pool with your kids but also have the option of an “adult pool” to enjoy some relaxing time. A special thank you to Amanda E and Kai who made us feel like home away from home. It was our 4th visit and I can wait to go back again.
CycleGuy49
Beautiful hotel. Lovely staff. Great way to start our road trip! Our first three nights of holiday started here after we arrived from London and we weren’t disappointed. The hotel is everything you would expect from a Fairmont. Staff are discreet and we didn’t ever see a housekeeping cart in the corridor! Staff always stop, stand to one side and say good morning as you pass any of them in the corridor. Can’t fault it on any level.
familyof4SoCal
Despite overcast, drizzly weather, we enjoyed our weekend at the Fairmont tremendously. Our room was very large, with a small balcony that overlooked the back of the property and was very quiet. The other guests seemed to be primarily families with young kids, so we were pleasantly surprised that we did not hear much noise from other rooms. This is a luxury resort and as such, there is superb attention to detail and excellent customer service. We had a great time on their front lawn in the evening playing bocce ball, listening to live music, and enjoying drinks from the outdoor bar. We ate breakfast at the restaurant and we disappointed in the quality, quantity, and price. We chose to eat the rest of our meals offsite.
FindingValue
The grounds are beautiful! However, I wished they used an electric garden blower. The noise from the blower was annoying. It didn’t run long but it doesn’t take much to distract a quite moment. The staff were as kind and professional as expected. The room was comfortable and quite except for the lack of a soft close toilet seat. Lol I enjoyed my stay and would stay again.
johnkN5265IR
Magnificent luxury resort with every possible amenity. Customer service is beyond expectation. We were a large family group with many children. Every hotel employee we encountered was so friendly & happy to help. There are many, many activities, bubbles at the children's pool, ( there are several pools all gorgeous especially the adult pool)horseback riding, an amazing spa, archery & more. On weekend nights the front lawn is a party venue with a real live band and dancing, smores toasting over fire pits, yummy food & drinks! Food is good at Amaya, we were there daily challenging the eternally patient wait staff with the demands of 4 children under age 6, the club house Grill has a good Bloody Mary (not as great as the Carosel Bar in New Orleans I still dream about that Bloody Mary) but good. Rooms are huge, magnificent and silent, you will sleep well. Great family luxury vacation!
Fairmont Grand Del Mar sets the standard for customer service. We were a multi-generation group with 4 children under the age of 6 celebrating Grandma's 70th birthday. Everyone at this beautiful hotel went out of their way to help. When we arrived there was a treasure chest of toys offered to my grandchildren. Ofcourse, all wanted the red toy. The kind desk person went to the back to retrieve red toys. Everyone employed at the Fairmont GDM, from restaurant waitstaff, room service, pool helpers, valet etc are happy to work there, always say hello, eager to help and have an exemplary attitude! We had such a good time-lots to do- from bubbles to horse back riding to archery and more! Kids and infants pools, excellent spa, great bloody marys! Large rooms, lovely landscaping, everything shining clean, great food, all perfect. We ate at Amaya for most meals, very good. Outstanding, we will return!
Astrid Kennedy
They were quick to seat us. The service started out great but then when it was pointed out to the waitress that there was hair in the tea cub and hair on the springroll she simply said ok i'll tell the kitchen and walked off. Then later she came and pulled a pillow out from one of the quest and gave to another table. No one ever appologized for the hair and because we brought it to the waitress attention she became rude and brought us our bill with an automatic 20% tip. I would not return!!
Niran A.
Service was good but they only have valet parking and before it was a choice of self park and prices are incredibly higher then before.. glass of the lowest priced red wine $24, small bowl of olives $12, cup of tea $10... there are many other venues around the area where parking is free and food is great..
Jessica J.
Highly highly HIGHLY recommend The Lobby Lounge @ The Fairmont Grand Del Mar. I was staying at the hotel for a long weekend with my husband and another couple. We ended 2 of the 3 nights in the lobby lounge bellied up to the bar. All of the employees were so friendly! The bartenders concocted fun drinks to fit our preferences and had great conversation with us. On the last night, the Manager of the Lobby Lounge, Carl and I were talking. I mentioned how I had ordered late night room service the last two nights and the food was so good. He suggested I try the chocolate cake on my last nights room service order. My husband and I continued drinking wine while conversing with Marc, Barclay and Garrett. It was nearing closing time when Carl said, "hey - do you want me to call into room service to place your order, so it's there when you get back to your room?" This is just one small example of how they go ABOVE AND BEYOND. It was so fun to be able to exchange book recommendations with Barclay, poke fun at Garrett for being the newbie and gain a new friend in Marc. If you stay here, or live in the area, I recommend checking it out!
SD16
Excellent and friendly service, excellent tea and well- prepared food. The view was beautiful and the harpist set a nice scene. I've been to several afternoon teas in other US cities and this was the first that rose to the expected level of service and food quality that I've experienced in San Diego. While on the pricier side (especially the champagne markup), it is on par with afternoon tea at other luxury properties in big cities. A lovely treat and lovely afternoon gathering with friends. ( The scones were fantastic!). We will be back.
This was an expensive disappointment! After having a wonderful Afternoon tea experience in London, I thought this would be a lovely treat for me to treat my adult daughters. We went for Christmas Eve day, and it was quite disappointing! Sandwiches were either soggy or stale and the service was basically non existent- even though a mandatory 20% gratuity was included for them simply dropping off the tray of goodies (and the bill came with a second option for a tip after 20% was included!) The price was the same (though in London they never add a tip) as he famous Fortnum & Mason but the food and service was not even close! $580 for 3, for tea! Find somewhere else to go or just have a drink in their bar!
Fantastic service. The bartenders are knowledgeable, courteous, and quick. In particular, Daniele is a super star! She's friendly and can suggest interesting variations to classic cocktails as well as the signature ones on the menu. They have an interesting selection of signature cocktails but have also mastered the classics. Cigars are allowed on the balcony. Servers do a great job of bringing cocktails and wine to guests out on the balcony. The staff is wonderful, but the WiFi in the bar is terrible.
The best resort in Southern California hands down! The rooms are spacious, the service is top notch, and the grounds are impeccable. Highly recommend a visit if you have not been yet, you will not regret it!
Like many of the other posts have mentioned, the staff stands out from other luxury hotels I've stayed. Extremely friendly, and very helpful. They were helpful in ways I wouldn't have anticipated but very much appreciated. I played the Grand Del Mar golf course on property and left my scorecard on the cart. I wanted to keep it as a souvenir so called the pro shop and asked if it was OK if I came back up there to look for it. They said, "no problem, we'll find it and drop it off at the front desk." And they did. Not sure a lot of other resort staffs would have done that. Another example would be Justin, a member of the main lobby wait staff who tipped us to the incredible selection of books in the library bar, gave us some good recs on bars to visit in the SD area and was just overall very pleasant and fun to chat with while dining. Overall, the resort is beautiful, the Carmel valley is beautiful, but the staff is the biggest reason I would not hesitate to recommend this resort. Room Tips: If possible get a room on the first floor facing the adult pool. Really nice to be able to walk out on your private patio and have direct access to the pool. 1st floor rooms are also right next to the spa and gym, both of which are what you would expect from a 5 star resort. General Stay Tips: Use the car service. John is awesome. He'll take care of you.
The pillows were not the greatest, hotel front desk was terrible. Not worth for the money and get terrible service. Restaurant food was not the best and service was not the best. And prices were extremely high not worth it!!
Everything is just perfection at the Fairmont Grand Del Mar. Every single team member is fantastic and welcoming, professional and friendly. Perfect location fo couples but also for families with kids of all ages. The valet was so kind and helpful, Christian at the front desk was very detailed and informative, the room was perfection… and the bathroom!! Wow gorgeous!! The view from every room is just fantastic and so relaxing. My mother and I went for a 90min massage at the SPA and it was the most relaxing and safe space with all the needed amenities! Sauna, steam room, jacuzzi.. the robes are extremely soft. Brody and Sandy (I was so relax that I am not sure I got the name right, sorry) were so professional and extremely talented. They have two different pools area so you can choose to be at the pool with your kids but also have the option of an “adult pool” to enjoy some relaxing time. A special thank you to Amanda E and Kai who made us feel like home away from home. It was our 4th visit and I can wait to go back again.
Beautiful hotel. Lovely staff. Great way to start our road trip! Our first three nights of holiday started here after we arrived from London and we weren’t disappointed. The hotel is everything you would expect from a Fairmont. Staff are discreet and we didn’t ever see a housekeeping cart in the corridor! Staff always stop, stand to one side and say good morning as you pass any of them in the corridor. Can’t fault it on any level.
Despite overcast, drizzly weather, we enjoyed our weekend at the Fairmont tremendously. Our room was very large, with a small balcony that overlooked the back of the property and was very quiet. The other guests seemed to be primarily families with young kids, so we were pleasantly surprised that we did not hear much noise from other rooms. This is a luxury resort and as such, there is superb attention to detail and excellent customer service. We had a great time on their front lawn in the evening playing bocce ball, listening to live music, and enjoying drinks from the outdoor bar. We ate breakfast at the restaurant and we disappointed in the quality, quantity, and price. We chose to eat the rest of our meals offsite.
The grounds are beautiful! However, I wished they used an electric garden blower. The noise from the blower was annoying. It didn’t run long but it doesn’t take much to distract a quite moment. The staff were as kind and professional as expected. The room was comfortable and quite except for the lack of a soft close toilet seat. Lol I enjoyed my stay and would stay again.
Magnificent luxury resort with every possible amenity. Customer service is beyond expectation. We were a large family group with many children. Every hotel employee we encountered was so friendly & happy to help. There are many, many activities, bubbles at the children's pool, ( there are several pools all gorgeous especially the adult pool)horseback riding, an amazing spa, archery & more. On weekend nights the front lawn is a party venue with a real live band and dancing, smores toasting over fire pits, yummy food & drinks! Food is good at Amaya, we were there daily challenging the eternally patient wait staff with the demands of 4 children under age 6, the club house Grill has a good Bloody Mary (not as great as the Carosel Bar in New Orleans I still dream about that Bloody Mary) but good. Rooms are huge, magnificent and silent, you will sleep well. Great family luxury vacation!
Restaurantji Recommends
Fairmont Grand Del Mar sets the standard for customer service. We were a multi-generation group with 4 children under the age of 6 celebrating Grandma's 70th birthday. Everyone at this beautiful hotel went out of their way to help. When we arrived there was a treasure chest of toys offered to my grandchildren. Ofcourse, all wanted the red toy. The kind desk person went to the back to retrieve red toys. Everyone employed at the Fairmont GDM, from restaurant waitstaff, room service, pool helpers, valet etc are happy to work there, always say hello, eager to help and have an exemplary attitude! We had such a good time-lots to do- from bubbles to horse back riding to archery and more! Kids and infants pools, excellent spa, great bloody marys! Large rooms, lovely landscaping, everything shining clean, great food, all perfect. We ate at Amaya for most meals, very good. Outstanding, we will return!
They were quick to seat us. The service started out great but then when it was pointed out to the waitress that there was hair in the tea cub and hair on the springroll she simply said ok i'll tell the kitchen and walked off. Then later she came and pulled a pillow out from one of the quest and gave to another table. No one ever appologized for the hair and because we brought it to the waitress attention she became rude and brought us our bill with an automatic 20% tip. I would not return!!
Service was good but they only have valet parking and before it was a choice of self park and prices are incredibly higher then before.. glass of the lowest priced red wine $24, small bowl of olives $12, cup of tea $10... there are many other venues around the area where parking is free and food is great..
Highly highly HIGHLY recommend The Lobby Lounge @ The Fairmont Grand Del Mar. I was staying at the hotel for a long weekend with my husband and another couple. We ended 2 of the 3 nights in the lobby lounge bellied up to the bar. All of the employees were so friendly! The bartenders concocted fun drinks to fit our preferences and had great conversation with us. On the last night, the Manager of the Lobby Lounge, Carl and I were talking. I mentioned how I had ordered late night room service the last two nights and the food was so good. He suggested I try the chocolate cake on my last nights room service order. My husband and I continued drinking wine while conversing with Marc, Barclay and Garrett. It was nearing closing time when Carl said, "hey - do you want me to call into room service to place your order, so it's there when you get back to your room?" This is just one small example of how they go ABOVE AND BEYOND. It was so fun to be able to exchange book recommendations with Barclay, poke fun at Garrett for being the newbie and gain a new friend in Marc. If you stay here, or live in the area, I recommend checking it out!
Excellent and friendly service, excellent tea and well- prepared food. The view was beautiful and the harpist set a nice scene. I've been to several afternoon teas in other US cities and this was the first that rose to the expected level of service and food quality that I've experienced in San Diego. While on the pricier side (especially the champagne markup), it is on par with afternoon tea at other luxury properties in big cities. A lovely treat and lovely afternoon gathering with friends. ( The scones were fantastic!). We will be back.