My recent trip to San Diego took me through three different Hyatt Properties, each with their own unique niche. First on the list was the Hyatt Regency Mission Bay, situated only a couple miles down the road from both Sea World and Mission Beach.
While my girlfriend concluded her business portion of our 6 day getaway, I drove over to the hotel from the Doubletree Mission Valley (where her job was conducting presentations) to see if I could check in early.
I arrived at just past noon, and was happy to find out they had a room ready for me on the 17th floor of their tower building.
I had considered using a Diamond suite upgrade (or two, or three) for this trip, but since each stay was only for a single night, I decided it would not be worth it and instead booked a King Garden View Room using my Hyatt Visa card annual free night. I did inquire as to what the suites were like (knowing already there was only availability for two queens and not a king as I prefer). I was informed that most of the suites were waterfront suites in a separate building facing the marina, and were only two stories tall. It was an easy call for me not to request an upgrade, since I generally prefer a better view over larger room size. I mentioned seeing a rather large balcony on the top floor of the tower building, and asked if there were other suites in that building. The agent told me there were other corner suites with living rooms. She didn’t expand on her description, and because I got the feeling I may have scored one of these corner suites, I didn’t press the issue.
I parked the car in the nearby lot. The Regency Mission bay offers both Valet and Self Parking for $35. I decided to save myself the tip money I’d be doling out by self-parking instead. The distance to my spot was no further than the distance to the valet, anyway.
I hauled our luggage across the sidewalk as I meandered through plenty of tropical foliage, then entered the tower building.
I entered the elevator, noting that the 17th floor was the top floor. I was anxious to see my room. Arriving on the 17th floor, I found my room, #1716, a couple doors down from what I figured would be the corner suite. I was bummed, but certainly not upset. I entered the room….
The room was spacious and clean, and had a fantastic view of the Ocean beyond Mission Beach. It was far from lavish, but not uncomfortable by any means. It was also a decent upgrade from my booked King Garden View Room.
After dropping off the bags, I went in search of the Regency Club, which I found…. just a couple doors down. The front desk agent had told me that the lounge was closed to guests from 1-3, and when I entered it was 12:30. Someone immediately greeted me, and told me that the lounge wasn’t quite open yet. Not deterred, I asked if I could grab some cookies (which were on display). She told me to help myself, and advised me that Hors D’Oeuvres would be served at 4.
I was somewhat put off, as she made it seem like I shouldn’t be in the lounge, but I still grabbed some chocolate chip cookies and fruit water.
I went back to the room and took a seat on the balcony, only to be disturbed by significant base by a concert that was setting up between the hotel and Mission Beach (on what I found out later was Mariner’s Point). I managed to distract myself from the noise and relax for a bit, but I finally had to retreat to the room after it got just a bit too breezy to be comfortable.
I took a trip over to the front desk to inquire about the noise, and the concierge advised me that it was not a Hyatt event, nor typical.
Finally, it was time to pick up my girlfriend from the Doubletree.
Upon our return, we went back to the Regency club for Hors D’oeuvres. On our way up the elevator, I discovered the reason why I thought there was another floor above us… there was a button for the Penthouse Suite on floor 18 (only accessible through the one elevator).
At the Regency club, I found the selection of food to be mediocre at best, with subpar asparagus and a tomato and mozzarella skewer being the highlights for me.
After finishing at the club and then spending some time at Mission Beach, we returned to the tower building. When we entered the elevator, another guest hit a button to the Penthouse, and after a short conversation, we were invited to tour it.
The Penthouse of the Hyatt Regency Mission Bay takes up the entirety of the 18th floor. Balconies on either side span from the living room over to the two bedrooms and feature views of either downtown San Diego or the Ocean. The master bedroom features a king bed and a shower and tub while the guest bedroom has two double beds and a shower in the bathroom. A large flat screen TV hangs in the living room.
I didn’t press to stay long, as our host was part of a larger gathering, and I didn’t want to impede more than I already had. This room was easily the nicest of the rooms we stayed and toured in San Diego, and the price tag was shockingly reasonable (though perhaps not ordinary).
On check-out, I noticed I had not been charged for parking either through mistake or with compliments of the hotel.
As I discovered over the following two nights, the three Hyatt hotels I stayed in during my trip all had their own pros and cons. This hotel easily had the best views of the three, and the heated pools with Waterslides definitely would appeal most to the family crowd. Its close proximity to Sea World was also a perk, and even the San Diego Zoo was relatively close (though Andaz was only 3 miles away).
The Regency Club experience was Sub-Par, though our breakfast the following morning was much more appealing than the Hors D’oeuvres offerings.
I definitely wouldn’t recommend using a Diamond Suite Upgrade, as you may easily end up in a larger room with no decent view.
Ultimately, this hotel met my expectations for the price I paid.