After passing through a security gate and following a long tree-lined path, the Fairmont Grand Del Mar emerges with a large, tiered Romanesque fountain, a stone-laid driveway and stately, pink terracotta washed walls like a palace. It’s so expansive that I was handed a map of its meticulously manicured grounds at check in.
Originally opened in 2007 as The Grand Del Mar, the resort became a part of the Fairmont portfolio in 2025. Set within San Diego’s inland Carmel Valley, its numerous recreational options, anticipatory service and excellent spa and restaurants set travelers up for an array of escapes.
Why stay at Fairmont Grand Del Mar?
Whether you call it a palace or an estate, this resort is indeed grand from the inside out. Marble-traced archways, elegant colonnades, copper accents and embellished wrought-iron beams are all a nod to 20th-century architect Addison Mizner. He was known for marrying Iberian, North African and Venetian styles in what design circles refer to as Mediterranean Revival design, and Addison by William Bradley, its heavily awarded fine dining restaurant, is named after Mizner.
When my partner and I took a warm morning stroll around the property after procuring coffees from Cent’Anni, its grab-and-go cafe, we lost count of the number of lush courtyards peppered with water features and slender Italian cypress, palm, and olive trees.
What are the rooms like at Fairmont Grand Del Mar?
Our Deluxe Fireside King Room came with all of the essentials and then some. A huge bed perched high on a four-post wooden frame. Sconces, operated by dimmers, illuminated a separate bathroom. Within that you’ll find rose-scented Le Labo toiletries, a deep soaking tub, marble shower, and a changing area with additional storage and full-length mirror. A steamer banished wrinkles from the dress I packed for dinner.
There’s also a wet bar with Nespresso coffee maker, tea, and a lineup of liquors, ready-to-drink cocktails, and sweets for purchase via QR code. From our ground level room, French doors glided open to a private patio ready for al fresco lounging: an umbrella, bistro table with padded seating, and separate seating around the fire pit. Unfortunately, ours puckered out of propane five minutes after igniting it.
Of the 249 rooms and 31 suites, the poolside adults only rooms feature private tiled terraces, fire pits and direct access to the adults only Relaxation Pool. Suites sleep up to seven people, and depending on the configuration, they might come with a dining table, kitchenette, living room and/or extended balconies. Of its villas, the 4,500-square-foot Villa Brisa has three master bedrooms between its two stories, four and a half bathrooms, a full kitchen, jacuzzi, grill and outdoor dining area.
What are the best things to eat at Fairmont Grand Del Mar?
For dinner, Amaya is a cavernous restaurant for Golden State riffs on classic dishes, like juicy California orange wedges in its duck à l’orange. Definitely start with its freshly baked brioche topped with salty, crunchy everything seasoning and served with a cloud of butter. A covered patio is inviting for breakfast and lunch, and looks out onto a grassy lawn with a striking pavilion of Moorish-style arches and a sloped red-tiled roof. Kids under 5 dine complimentary while older kids eat for 50 percent off when accompanied by an adult.
The cozy Lobby Bar’s plush red leather bar stools and crackling stone fireplace serves delightful specialty cocktails like the Blue Agave, a smooth concoction of tequila, grapefruit liqueur, coconut water, and garnished with tingle-inducing Buzz Button dust. It, along with the adjoining Lounge and Library, got a refresh in 2024.
Fairmont Grand Del Mar is also home to Addison by William Bradley, a three-Michelin starred restaurant. Reservations are required for its 10-course tasting menu ($385 per person), and its bar is open for walk-ins. A refresh of the restaurant is also planned for 2026.
What is the service like at The Fairmont Grand Del Mar?
Fairmont Grand Del Mar is the kind of place where the front desk will escort you to the appropriate elevator after check in, and will ask if they can help book you an appointment when you mention you’re headed to the spa later. That same spa includes a host of sorts, who will help you navigate all of its amenities.
The concierge can arrange a ride to nearby points of interest in the courtesy car, and room service will ask you how many people will be dining when you place a phone order. Valet will offer bottled water when you leave. Multilingual staff are available by request and bell and door service runs around the clock. In short, it’s outstanding.
What are the facilities like at The Fairmont Grand Del Mar?
Several pools are primed for family time, including one that’s ankle-deep for the littlest guests. The Equestrian Center nearby offers all ages trail rides, lessons, and meet-the-horses opportunities. Travelers can also limber up on its Tom Fazio-designed golf course, racquet sports courts (tennis, pickleball, padel) and archery range. In 2026, the resort will introduce its renovated Racquet Sports Center. Reservations for its kids club are available hourly and up to a full day, including evening bookings.
A wellness weekend might look like a yoga class in the movement studio or solo sweat session in the fitness center, followed by a spa treatment and some quiet time at the adults only, phone call free relaxation pool, as long as the other guests play along.
My customized, full-body massage in the updated spa began and ended with resonant sound bowl vibrations, and luxuriously fluid strokes on a cushy, heated bed. Before my treatment, I nibbled on floral shaped lavender shortbread cookies from a cream colored chaise in the carpeted Women’s Lounge, and padded through its French doors to admire a private, outdoor relaxation area punctuated with potted plants and loungers.
Along a corridor overlooking the relaxation pool is a shop selling luxury clothing and accessories, including vintage Chanel purses. Next door, an art gallery shows and sells paintings, sculptures, and mixed-media works.
What’s the area like around Fairmont Grand Del Mar?
Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve and suburban residential communities surround the thoroughly landscaped resort. The Preserve’s rocky slopes, grassy hills, and a stream that flows year-round makes it a popular spot for hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding.
Head west two miles to the beach (perhaps via the resort’s e-bikes), the Del Mar Racetrack and 2025 home of the Breeders Cup, and several outdoor shopping malls for more restaurants and boutique shops.
Why stay at The Fairmont Grand Del Mar?
Sometimes bigger isn’t better, but Fairmont Grand Del Mar says otherwise. As a universe unto itself, families, couples and groups of all types have the option to do everything or nothing within its gorgeous, sprawling grounds.
DETAILS
Address: 5300 Grand Del Mar Ct, San Diego, CA 92130
Price per night: Starting from $450
Closest transport: San Diego International Airport is a 30 minute drive.
Book now: via Booking.com
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