We have stayed at the Manchester Grand Hyatt at least a dozen times in the last few years and have enjoyed every stay. The location of the Hyatt is in the heart of Seaport Village, a fun place to walk right outside the backdoor of the hotel with small shops and tasty treats. The views of the bay from the hotel are panoramic and interesting. Looking south toward the city, Coronado bridge and Mexico; or north toward the military base, the aircraft carrier and cruise ships, and Point Loma.
Depending on the time of the year that you visit, the area activities can vary and do impact the experience. The weekend of a game at Petco Stadium can be a crowded time, but also holidays and certain conferences. This is a popular conference hotel with large meeting facilities and adjacency to the San Diego Convention Center a few yards down the path. Events vary so ask the hotel staff what is going on when you are booking your trip. We have stayed during several conferences including a bridge tournament, a financial advisors meeting and a religious youth conference: all very different. Ask about hotel and local events before you book.
The hotel is also walking distance to the parks around the boat harbor. On this trip, there was a concert at the park with fireworks afterwards. On the same night, there was a game at Petco stadium that ended with fireworks. We saw two fireworks shows from our room in the same night (think: LOUD, but fun). Also loud are the trains that run in front of the hotel, including the alarm clanging at the crossings when the trollies pass. Fortunately, the trains and alarms do not run all night, but they would prevent you from taking an afternoon nap if you were a light sleeper. If you are looking for a quiet getaway, it would be difficult to find in downtown San Diego with its big city sounds. Try the Hotel Del Coronado for a beachfront experience.
The main pool is on a very large deck with outdoor areas for families with children. There is also an adult pool, Kin Oasis, for guests who are 21 years or older. The adult pool is next to the spa. The spa is a great place for a massage, hair or nail service, but you may want to ask about any booked events at the Kin Oasis pool if you want a quiet spa experience. The adult pool is no longer part of the spa and operates as a bar with food service. There are two cabanas available for rent as sitting areas for cocktails, not for typical relaxing by the pool in a chaise lounge chair. The lack of sun protection options for the adult pool is a disappointment. The family pool on the main deck has several cabanas for relaxing by the pool.
We book a AAA package to include full breakfast at Lael's, a significant value. The buffet is large and includes fruits, nuts, pastries, traditional hot breakfast items, waffles and an omelet station. Eat all you want and then go for a walk along the water to work off the calories.
One major change was the sale of the property in March, 2011. The Manchester family sold the hotel to a group of investors. We observed no significant differences during our stay. There was live jazz in the hotel's lounge area on Friday night. We had never seen this before and may be something new (but not sure).
The hotel does sell out and does overbook rooms. If you are the victim of overbooking, we were told that the Hyatt pays for your accommodations at another hotel. This has never happened to us, but we usually arrive early in the afternoon. The hotel has two large towers and we have stayed in both. No significant differences except maybe the content of the views. The newer tower has end rooms with windows facing Coronado island. We stayed in one of these rooms one weekend and it was a nice feature, but not a necessity.
The hotel is also walking distance to the Gaslamp district with great restaurant and night life choices. Ask the concierge for recommendations and bring good walking shoes. There are also pedi-cabs that will offer you a ride. The pedal pumpers charge about $12-15 for a distance that you could walk in about 10-15 minutes. We rode one once because it was warmer than walking on a cold night. The night temps do cool down in San Diego, even in the summer, so bring a light jacket or sweater for evenings.
Our room was a bit musty on this stay, but the air conditioning worked well and we opened the room's window for some fresh air. The Hyatt now offers a room category for people who have allergies: hypoallergenic bedding and an air filtration system.
We stay at the Hyatt for a getaway from work, so we have never used internet services.
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