Special Feature: Products Sally Recommends

the grand del mar in san diego, california

by Sally Bernstein

If you are looking for an upscale, flamboyant, deluxe travel experience, The Grand Del Mar resort should be your next stop.  It is located near San Diego, Del Mar, Carmel Valley and Los Angeles, California.

Located in northern San Diego County, The Grand Del Mar resort offers 249 luxury guestrooms and suites; 4 swimming pools; two outdoor, lighted tennis courts; a challenging 18-hole championship Tom Fazio-designed golf course; a full-service spa and restaurants that do not disappoint.  This $300-million resort and golf club occupies an isolated setting, one that makes you feel you are truly on vacation.  Serenely nestled amidst Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve, The Grand Del Mar seamlessly combines the old-world charm of a Mediterranean estate with the modern luxury of an elegant resort.

Old–world grandeur, exemplary service with attention to detail and the feeling that you are far from home, help make your stay special.  The Grand Del Mar opened in October of 2007 and has just been getting better ever since.

All 249 guest rooms and suites feature a golf course or canyon panorama.  The 218 standard rooms are an expansive 600 square feet while the suites are 1,010-square-feet to 2,840-square-feet.  Flat-screen TVs, plush bathrobes, wireless high-speed Internet access, three dual-line phones, in-room safes, love seats, and 100% cotton woven towels are just a few of the amenities.

Let’s talk restaurants!  You have several choices on the property from which to choose but for a VERY special dining experience (dinner only), make a reservation at Addison, Southern California's only Five-Star and Five Diamond restaurant.  Chef William Bradley knows his way around a kitchen.  His attention to detail is not to be surpassed.  An evening at Addison is for locals celebrating a special occasion or for travelers who require the very best in food and wine.

Addison is not located in the hotel but a few blocks away.  A car from the hotel will take you to the restaurant and drive you back after dinner.

This $15 million restaurant is named after Florida architect Addison Mizner and has a distinct Mediterranean feel.  Think Venetian plastered walls, stone flooring, archways, a sexy bar area, and a dining room that overlooks the golf course and the Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve.

Bradley offers a 4 course pre-fix Contemporary French menu that changes seasonally.  Each course has 4 selections from which to choose.  Bradley’s cooking has both balance and grace as he presents dishes whose ingredients always seem to work well together.  Addison’s wine cellar garnered the Wine Spectator’s  “Best of Award of Excellence,” an honor currently held by only 76 restaurants in the world.  Head Sommelier Jesse Rodriquez, of French Laundry fame, is quite knowledgeable and has amassed a list of over 3,000 selections and more than 20,000 bottles, with 350 half-bottles and more than 60 wines offered nightly by the glass.

For a complete review of Addison, click here.

Afternoon Tea is another step back in time.  Offered Friday, Saturday and Sunday afternoons in the Library, you will enjoy a perfect pot of fine tea, bite-size delights and beautiful music.  Relax and enjoy this experience.

Amaya restaurant boasts American cuisine with Mediterranean influences, such as Spanish, Italian and French.  Enjoy breakfast, lunch or dinner on the cozily shaded terrace or in the dining room.

 

And no visit to The Grand Del Mar would be complete without being pampered at The Spa.  This 21,000-square-foot space is refreshingly New World.  The walls are lined with framed Hermes scarves, a very feminine touch.  My indulgence was the Signature Renaissance treatment (90 minutes).  For this body ritual, mineral-rich mud was combined with warmed aromatic oils and rubbed on my skin. I was then wrapped in heat blankets.  Then the table beneath me filled with bubbling warm water for a half hour of womblike suspension similar to a free-floating bed.  And invigorating rosemary-infused Swiss shower followed.  And then came the best part—a relaxing, stretching massage.

There are many other services and classes at The Spa such as yoga, zumba, mat pilates, pi-yo, and spin.  And, of course, manicures, pedicures, facials, and a wide range of massages make many guests quite happy.

Bocce and croquet on the Aria lawn at the resort; horseback riding in the Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve; self-guided walking or jogging routes along the resort’s perimeter; and monthly cooking classes are other activities offered.  Suffice it to say, there is much to do here.

And if a wedding is in your future, you can reserve the Chapel, called the “Elizabeth Capella.”  This resort centerpiece can accommodate 280 guests for a wedding ceremony, 240 for a seated dinner or 350 guests for a reception.  You must see this ornate stained glass windowed, marble accented room to believe it.

And did I mention the residential Villas?  Or the 20,000 square feet of indoor/outdoor meeting space? I could go on and on.

Come and enjoy your stay.  Sit around the lobby fireplace after dinner, enjoy the live music and sip a brandy or port and think about the fact that you are able to take pleasure from the finer things in life.

 

The Grand Del Mar
5300 Grand Del Mar Court
San Diego, CA 92130
(858) 314-2000
thegranddelmar.com

Addison
5200 Grand Del Mar Way
San Diego, CA 92130
(858) 314-1900
addisondelmar.com
Tuesday-Saturday (dinner only)

 

 

 



Note: This information was accurate when it was published. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the businesses in question before making your plans.

Share this article with a friend:

Free eNewsletter SignUp

Sally's Place on Facebook    Sally Bernstein on Instagram    Sally Bernstein at Linked In




Global Resources

Handmade Chocolates, Lillie Belle Farms

Food411 Food Directory