Today we are visiting the Fairmont Grand Del Mar. The Grand del Mar is located about a 20 miles north of a half hour drive from the San Diego international airport. This is one of three Forbes 5-star rated hotels in the San Diego region. It’s also one of four AAA five diamond rated hotels in the San Diego region. It should be noted that this resort. It should be noted this report is about and 8-mile drive from the alternative golf resort option the Lodge at Torrey Pines. Although similar, it’s worth mentioning some differentiating factors. The Grand Del Mar is not as close to the beach which gives the property a more expansive and spacious feeling. Torrey Pines is perched above the Pacific, so it’s a bit more confined.  It also has a bit more of a busy feel whereas the Grand Del Mar feels calmer and more secluded. One last thing worth mentioning, given the distance to the beach the Grand del mar may get more sun and sooner in the day as the marine layer lasts longer the closer you get to the water. That said, we’ll begin our tour at the portico and valet area.

This is the main entrance.

You will enter here and valet your car.

This is the lobby where you will check in.

We are walking down the hall in the main building and find a bar adjacent to the great room.

Now, we could walk straight to the great room, but we take the scenic way back through the hallway and enter the great room. There is also outdoor seating on the balcony which overlooks a fountain.

They were setting up for a Halloween event. Even some of the employees are in costume, that is why this guy looks like Cry Baby, but I heard him tell someone he was Travolta’s character from Grease.

Opposite of the great room is the lobby.

We’ll head to the other side of the main building and visit the pool below. If you don’t feel like taking the elevator, the stairway is very charming lighted alcoves and ornate handrails.

Each floor has leads to the guest rooms.

At the bottom is a hallway that leads to the spa, and then a doorway to outside.

We’ll head back upstairs to a corridor of shops.

There are shop on the left and a view of the pool on the right with a café at the end.

The café had a very nice selection of beverages and light fare.

It was busy which made it tricky to film the selection and not customers ordering their oat milk lattes.

We arrived back at the lobby and exited to the valet.

Finally, outside of the building are walking paths that explore the perimeter.

And that concludes today’s visit.