Hotel Reviews – Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego
One of the benefits of my Hyatt Diamond status is my Hyatt Concierge. She is the bombdiggity. I feel that I owe this entire stay at the Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego to her so it’s worth mentioning that upfront.
I was headed to a conference and the hotel was sold out so reservations could only be made via the third-party booking site for the group. This became a problem when a colleague of mine needed to attend the conference at the last minute and couldn’t obtain a reservation. It was also the largest conference week of the year so it was going to be necessary to add her to my room so she wouldn’t be stuck 30 minutes away.
Yet the hotel was not budging. They were sold out and could not move my king room to two queens. The conference booking site was no help either My concierge came to the rescue, confirming us in a two queen room. But that was just the beginning.
Arrival
We arrived at the property via Uber around 10:30 am, having taken the early Sunday morning flight from DFW to SAN. The hotel lobby was bustling – they were turning over major conferences that day so one group was checking out as our group was arriving.
Check In
The room was not yet available at the early hour that we arrived however the friendly Hyatt Gold Passport desk agent noted that we had been preblocked into a nice two queen room on a high floor in the Harbor Tower. He gave us vouchers to store our luggage and key cards to access the Club Lounge. He also took my cell phone number to call me when the room was ready.
We dropped our bags and went to the exhibit hall to set up our booth space. When we were done, we went up to the Grand Club to check email and grab some caffeine before heading to lunch. While we were at lunch, they called to let us know the room was ready.
The Room
We were given room 3238 in the Harbor Tower. (This is a two tower property.) This turned out to be one of the best rooms in the house. Not only were we a quick elevator ride away from the lounge, but we also had a stunning unrestricted view of the harbor.
I found the room to be spacious and bright, two things I want when I’m sharing a room with a colleague for several nights.
We had plenty of room to spread out and ample working space.
The shower/tub space was pretty standard but the water pressure and temperature were good, an important factor for me.
Our view was stunning.
Like MUCH better than the Grand Club, as we did not have a building obscuring our sight line.
I even got to watch the Grand Princess come into the harbor one morning, four days before I sailed on her out of Los Angeles.
Other Considerations
The Grand Club is lovely at the property. They have a breakfast spread in the mornings, all day snacks, evening appetizers, and dessert. Our favorite offering was the white chocolate bark offered during the snacks. Evening appetizers with honor bar were also nice. I was less impressed by the morning breakfast spread as it was largely wheat-based and I don’t eat wheat. I did sneak up early each morning to get some work done and enjoyed a couple of hard boiled eggs with a plate of fruit.
The countertop areas were filled during the breakfast and appetizer spreads.
The coffee bar was out all day, every day.
The seating was nice and offered several variations (including solo stools overlooking the harbor).
The harbor view in the lounge was not as nice as what we had in our room! For starters, there was a building in the way!
Check Out
Our checkout process was totally painless. We had a late checkout so we were able to stay at sessions all morning the last day, then walk to lunch, then come back to change clothing and collect our bags. I loved that luxury which made the day seem so much calmer.
Summary
I would definitely stay at this property again when in San Diego. I’ve only ever been able to visit the city during conferences but this would make a lovely home base for a weekend leisure stay. I’d recommend this property highly, not only for anyone in town for business but also to leisure travelers wanting a comfortable experience. I’d say this property holds particular value for Hyatt Gold Passport elite members as the added benefits of status make this a memorable property for any stay reason.
Think I was staying here the same time you were! Agree with your review – the hotel (and view) is absolutely stunning.
The only recommendation I would make for your next stay would be to request a corner room next time. I was luckily upgraded to one in the Seaport Tower for my stay this year. Imagine another whole wall of windows (tripling the number) overlooking Coronado Island. Didn’t want to leave!
Were you there for a conference (did you also see Magic Johnson?!) or just enjoying the property?
I am sure a corner room would be amazing! I think my limitation on anything better was the need for two beds – I draw the line at spooning with colleagues.