On a recent trip to the San Diego area to attend the La Jolla Fashion Film Awards, I actually thought I had taken a wrong turn and was transported to Italy. I discovered the award-winning, luxury hotel, the Fairmont Grand Del Mar.
From my room with a view, I immediately felt like I was immersed in the magical landscape of Tuscany, as I overlooked from my balcony the Mediterranean-inspired grounds that also have a unique Southern California elegance and flair.
The hotel’s exterior and interior were created by San Francisco-based interior design firm Warren Sheets Design, who paid homage to architectural visionary of Addison Mizner, known for his signature design of the resort communities of Palm Beach and Boca Raton in the 1920s. Inspired by the rich decorative arts of Europe and Morocco, Mizner’s exotic style is evoked throughout the property, with its colorful palette, arched doorways, rotundas, vibrant tiles, wood-beamed ceilings, ornate stone and wrought-iron accents, dec
orative columns, parquet flooring and verandas, all while seamlessly integrating the buildings, décor and landscaping.
The hotel, which opened its doors in 2007, features 249 beautifully appointed spacious guestrooms, including 31 luxurious suites, including a pair of opulent two-bedroom presidential suites, five one-bedroom specialty suites, 12 luxury one-bedroom suites and 12 executive suites, all with private balconies.
The property features four heated swimming pools with private cabanas, including an adults-only spa pool and children’s pool, health spa and fitness facility, two tennis courts, plus hiking and jogging trails that wind throughout the scenic valleys of the Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve. The Grand Golf Club offers the rolling greens of the Tom Fazio-designed course, providing one of the region’s most dramatic and challenging 18-hole courses.
Fairmont Grand Del Mar boasts six dining venues, including fine dining at Addison, The Clubhouse Grill and Club M, and the stunning indoor/outdoor space of Amaya Restaurant. Amaya offers breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner and features California cuisine with Italian influences, gorgeous views from the shaded terrace and an incredible international service team. You’ll truly feel you are dining in Europe.
The hotel has received the AAA Five Diamond Award, 2009-2018, Forbes Five-Star Awards, 2012-2018, TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice #1 Luxury Hotel in San Diego 2018, #1 Luxury Hotel in the United States 2017 and #1 Luxury Hotel in California 2015-2016, and was named one the Best Hotels in the U.S. by U.S. News & World Report, 2012-2018.
For more information, visit the Fairmont Grand Del Mar.