Our Verdict

Be prepared to live the “Grand Life” if you are visiting the Fairmont Grand Del Mar. The Fairmont Grand Del Mar is located in Del Mar, California just about 20 mins from the San Diego Airport. It is a nice short, and easy drive to get to this luxurious resort. And from the moment you turn off the main road and head back the long private drive to the resort, you know you are about to encounter something very exclusive. The Fairmont Grand Del Mar is a Forbes Five-Star and AAA Five-Diamond luxury destination. While the resort is pretty isolated from nearby shopping and off property dining, it is still close enough to the beach and to popular restaurants and shopping in the cute beach town of Del Mar.

The Fairmont Grand Del Mar Golf Resort & Spa

Looking for the perfect weekend getaway? Well look no further than the Fairmont Grand Del Mar! But, let us be the first to warn you that you will be surrounded by ultimate luxury. No matter if you are looking to play a round of golf at the Grand Del Mar’s world-class golf course, take a yoga class, go for a swim in the beautiful sparkling pools or play a round of tennis, there is something for everyone. There are also five restaurants to choose from on property plus in-room dining, so you won’t have a hard time finding somewhere to enjoy a delicious breakfast, casual lunch or an exquisite dinner.

Let’s talk about the architecture and attention to detail that the Fairmont Grand Del Mar showcases. From the massive front driveway to the luxurious lobby and then on to the guest rooms, no detail was forgotten. The beautiful purple marble that is featured in the lobby was imported directly from Italy. This Italian inspired resort truly feels like a home away from home.

Upon our arrival at the Fairmont Grand Del Mar, we were quickly greeted by several bell-men and assisted with our luggage and we were shown directly into the lobby.

Our Room

The resort appears to be massive when you drive up to the front, but it actually only has about 249 luxurious guest rooms. The main building which houses the guest rooms is very easy to get around. But we will admit that some of the hallways can seem quite long.

For our stay at the Fairmont Grand Del Mar, we booked ourselves in a Prado Suite. Talk about 1,000 square feet of ultimate luxury. From the separate living room to the dual luxurious marble bathrooms, this room offered the perfect escape.

The rooms are very old-world Italian-luxury inspired and featured gold fixtures, dark solid wood furniture and lots of attention to detail through texture with the use of various fabrics.

The Fairmont Grand Del Mar was built from the ground up as a brand new resort in 2007. And with 12 years of age it is very hard to tell as much of the property still feels brand new. The resort features tons of old-world character you would expect in an older property but it was built to be that way.

The Prado suite gave us views of the resort grounds but the large picturesque windows and small balcony offered plenty of natural light.

Typically Fairmont Hotels and Resort feature Le Labo toiletries. However the Fairmont Grand Del Mar features Red Flower, also from New York City. We might have been a little disappointed at the lack of Le Labo, as it is our favorite brand of hotel toiletries.

Dining

The Fairmont Grand Del Mar features 5 restaurants on property plus 24-hour room-service. During our stay we had the opportunity to eat at 3 of the restaurants. Amaya, which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner is the perfect place to surround yourself with Mediterranean architecture and forget you are even in Southern California. We ate breakfast at Amaya and it was absolutely delicious. The food and the spectacular ambiance make this the perfect place for brunch on the weekend or an Italian inspired dinner.

For dinner we dined at the Lobby Lounge which has a really nice cozy atmosphere with great drinks and casual fare. When dining out we rarely order a burger. But the burger at the Lobby Lounge is a must! The burger was perfectly cooked, and on the brioche bun, it just melts in your mouth.

Another great spot to grab a bite to eat is at The Clubhouse Grill. The Clubhouse Grill is just a short walk or golf cart ride away from the main building. They have a spectacular patio with heaters so you can dine outside, even when it is chilly. We had breakfast here one morning and the service and food was incredible. And here’s a Two Gays and a Puppy insider tip. If you go here for breakfast, order the Banana Bread to start with! You’ll thank us!

Amenities

The Fairmont Grand Del Mar Golf Resort & Spa has tons of things to do for everyone. And if you can’t find it at the resort, it’s probably just a short drive away. At the resort you’ll find everything from a fitness center to four sparkling outdoor pools, the luxurious spa and a world-class golf course.

One of our favorite things about this resort are the pools. They are so iconic with their sparkling blue water and red and white lounge chairs. The main pool area features 2 large pools and a smaller third pool. This main pool area is located toward the back of the resort and is very quiet and secluded.

The Spa at Fairmont Grand Del Mar is one of only 60 Forbes Five-Star Spas in the world. The Spa features both a women’s lounge, a men’s lounge and a co-ed lounge. Both the women’s and men’s areas feature an indoor whirlpool, a dry sauna and a steam room as well as a locker room and shower facilities. During our stay we didn’t have any treatments done, but we enjoyed the spa facilities including the beautiful outdoor relaxation pool.

The fitness center at the Grand Del Mar is well…..Grand. There was plenty of cardio equipment, lots of machines including several cable machines and a squat rack.

Service

For a luxury five-star resort, let alone San Diego’s best luxury five-star resort, you would expect a certain level of service. And the service at the Fairmont Grand Del Mar was just that. Everyone we encountered from the bell-men to the front desk, to the wait staff, to the spa concierge, everyone truly seems like they enjoy their job in providing outstanding customer service.

Overall Impression

The Fairmont Grand Del Mar is a home away from home that surrounds you in luxury from the moment you step foot in the door. If you are looking for a weekend getaway, a place to bring your family or a stop on a business trip, this is the place. There are plenty of things to do close by from the beach to shopping and all that San Diego has to offer but when you return to the resort you are able to relax and forget about everything else.

Oh…..and the resort is very pet friendly!

And when you book with Virtual Travel Gurus, you’ll get complimentary extras like a $100 activity credit, daily breakfast for two and a room upgrade. Plus the Grand Del Mar is offering a third night free promotion through the end of 2019! For more information just email us at Booking@VirtualTravelGurus.com.