Review: Park Hyatt Aviara Resort, Golf Club & Spa

What we loved: Base rooms are spacious, featuring up to two king beds. Waterslides, separate adult and family pools, Topgolf Swing Suites, pickleball courts, and Miraval Experiences are unique features of the resort that ensure there is something for everyone.

What we didn’t love: Unlike some other hotels in Carlsbad that are along the coast, this property is a little further removed from it and doesn’t have direct beach access.

How to book on points: This hotel is part of Hyatt’s World of Hyatt program as a Category 7 property. You can expect to redeem 30,000 points per night during standard periods, 25,000 points during off-peak periods, and 35,000 points during peak periods.

Park Hyatt Aviara Resort, Golf Club & Spa – About the Property

The AAA Five Diamond-rated Park Hyatt Aviara Resort, Golf Club & Spa opened in the 1990s as a Four Seasons property before Hyatt took over management in 2010. In 2020, it underwent an extensive renovation to modernize the property and its rooms.

The property participates in Hyatt Privé, a preferred partner program that you can access through our in-house travel agency, Prince Collection.

By booking through us, you’ll pay exactly what you’d otherwise pay (and sometimes even less), plus you’ll get access to a handful of exclusive benefits, such as a $100 (USD) property credit, complimentary breakfast for two in the hotel’s restaurant, one-category room upgrade, early check-in, and late check-out (subject to availability), plus a welcome gift and letter.

Location

In terms of location, the Park Hyatt Aviara is perched on a hilltop in Carlsbad, California, overlooking the Batiquitos Lagoon and Pacific Ocean.

The closest airport is San Diego International Airport, which is 45 minutes by car, and the hotel is well located near attractions like the beach, Carlsbad Village (15 minutes by car), Legoland (10 minutes by car), and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park (40 minutes by car).

If you don’t feel like driving to see the sights, you can take advantage of Good Ride, Carlsbad’s free visitor transportation program designed to get visitors from their lodging to key attractions within the city. If you need to head further out, Uber and Lyft are also available.

If you’re driving to the hotel, note that valet parking is $65 (USD) per night (though this is waived on point redemption stays made by World of Hyatt Globalist members).

Booking

I visited this property at the beginning of the summer with my family as part of a larger California adventure. We booked our stay at the Park Hyatt Aviara directly into a Premium Garden Suite on an Upgrade Premium Suites points plus cash rate of 9,000 Hyatt points plus $370 (USD), which was an outstanding deal!

A standard room during our visit was going for 35,000 Hyatt points or a cash rate of $550 (USD). At Prince of Travel, we generally value Hyatt points at 2 cents/point (CAD) or 1.5 cents/point (USD), so comparing the standard room points rate versus the cash rate, we see that it would be a better value to pay the cash rate in this case.

Comparatively, based on the same valuation, the 9,000 points spent on our stay is equivalent to $135 (USD), so our redemption value was similar to me paying a total of $505 (USD) for a premium suite, which, as we saw just above, is less than the cost of their standard room.

In the months since our stay, cash rates have increased, so if you’re looking to book, it’s worth doing the math to determine whether redeeming points is more cost effective than paying cash.

I charged our stay to my Chase World of Hyatt credit card to earn 4 World of Hyatt points per US dollar spent on our booking.

If you don’t have any US credit cards yet, then you could use the American Express® Gold Rewards Card or the American Express Platinum Card® to earn 2 Membership Rewards points per Canadian dollar spent on travel, or consider using a credit card without foreign transaction fees like the Scotiabank Passport® Visa Infinite* Card or the Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card.

If you’re interested in getting a US credit card to open up new Miles & Points opportunities, check out our in-depth guide about getting US credit cards for Canadians to learn more.

Park Hyatt Aviara Resort, Golf Club & Spa – The Check-In Experience

Driving up the roundabout driveway to the hotel, you’re greeted by a massive building built in Spanish colonial style, with beige walls and a terracotta roof.

Once you step inside, however, it feels like you’ve been transported decades forward. The lobby is modern and bright, opening up into the gardens below and ocean beyond.

Decorated in soft shades of beige and grey with dark accents, the most eye-catching piece in this area is the massive chandelier overhead, comprised of glass birds in simulated flight.

Together, all the lobby elements convey a luxurious yet relaxed coastal vibe.

Check-in at the Park Hyatt Aviara was seamless. The staff were courteous and greeted me as a Globalist member, giving me an orientation of the property, the resort offerings for the month, and a schedule of activities that I had registered for.

An email had been sent out two weeks prior to our check-in requesting guest and arrival information and providing extensive information about the property, including links to register for activities available during our stay. The elite benefits for my Globalist status were also outlined in the email, and at check-in, these benefits were once again clearly presented on a handout.

When we arrived, our Premium Garden Suite was upgraded to a Premium Coastal Suite. Unfortunately, on the day of our departure from the hotel we had an early flight to catch so we didn’t get to take advantage of the available late check-out benefit.

Entering our suite for the first time, we had three happy kids, as each of them had been given a personalized welcome gift. There was a Lego set for my son, stuffed dolphins wearing sweaters with my daughters’ names embroidered on them, and a welcome note for our family.

These special gifts are curated by a dedicated onsite VIP manager who organizes this benefit for all their VIP guests, including Lifetime Globalists and those who book through Hyatt Privé. This was a simple yet thoughtful touch that made our stay much more memorable for the kids.

Park Hyatt Aviara Resort, Golf Club & Spa – Premium Coastal Suite

One thing I loved about this hotel was how spacious the rooms and suites were. Standard rooms come with either one or two (!) king beds. Having two king beds as a standard offering that is bookable on points is rare, but it’s definitely a great feature for families.

During our time at the Park Hyatt Aviara, we stayed in a Premium Coastal Suite. Suites are designated by their location and view, but the room layouts and features are all the same. Our Premium Coastal Suite is supposed to overlook Batiquitos Lagoon and the southern Californian coast, although in reality, it was more of a pool view with the lagoon and coastline in the far distance.

The suite’s décor was simple but warm, and it emanated a feeling of coziness – like a home away from home. It was also immaculately clean.

The living room had a large sectional sofa with a chaise converted into a king-sized sofa bed that was large enough to accommodate all three of our kids every night.

Adjacent to the sofa was a small dinette with wooden shelving and cabinetry, evoking the charm of having a compact dining room right in your suite.

The bedroom was massive, with a king bed and small seating area.

Both the bedroom and the living room had balconies with seating to enjoy the view of the pool below and the ocean view beyond.

The bathroom was also spacious, with a shower and tub ensuite, and featuring Le Labo toiletries.

It’s worth noting that the hotel has no rollaway cots, but they did accommodate our stay as a family of five as long as we were okay with the existing bedding arrangements available in the suite.

Park Hyatt Aviara Resort, Golf Club & Spa – Food and Drink

Breakfast is served at Ponto Lago, the resort’s Baja-inspired restaurant which recently achieved a Forbes’ 4-star ranking for 2024. The venue has a relaxed yet sophisticated coastal vibe and features an open kitchen and bar.

The breakfast buffet offerings weren’t the most extensive I’ve seen, but it was a decent spread and of good quality. The selection varied daily, but there was consistently a variety of breads, pastries, and fruits; a selection of warm dishes that included pancakes, potatoes, bacon, sausage, frittata; and an omelette station.

As an alternative to the buffet, you could also order from their à-la-carte menu, which includes wellness juices and regionally inspired dishes like baked huevos rancheros and kurobuta pork chili verde benedict.

We ended up returning here for dinner and were not disappointed. The seafood paella and Iberico pork trio were done particularly well, and the churros were a kid-favourite and a delightful way to end our meal.

On another of our evenings, my husband and I dined at celebrity chef Richard Blais’ newly reopened steakhouse, Ember & Rye. The venue is located at the hotel’s golf clubhouse overlooking the 18th hole. The wagyu steak was incredible, but what I maybe enjoyed the most were the flakey butter croissants that were served to kick off the meal.

In addition to Ponto Lago and Ember & Rye, the resort features two other restaurants that offer both food and bar service. Kids menus are available at most venues and offer both classic favorites and healthy choices.

If you need a coffee or prefer a quick grab-and-go option during your stay, you can visit the Aviara Market, and the resort also has in-room dining available 24/7.

If you love seafood and don’t mind venturing a little further out (a 25-minute drive), check out The Boiling Crab, which serves casual Cajun seafood cooked in a flavourful, buttery lemongrass broth. This restaurant came highly recommended by Rohin, a fellow Prince of Travel team member, and it did not disappoint.

Park Hyatt Aviara Resort, Golf Club & Spa – Other Facilities

The Park Hyatt Aviara has numerous on-site amenities to suit guests of all ages.

Families will appreciate the large zero-entry family pool that features two water slides that are lifeguard-monitored. For kids under the height requirement, arm floats are provided so that they can still go down the slides. I can also personally vouch that the slides were a big hit for adults as well.

Plus, although there’s no beach, there’s a recreational sand area near the pool so kids can still build their castles.

Food and drinks can conveniently be ordered poolside, and during our visit, the resort brought in a local vendor that sold shave ice which the kids were ecstatic about.

Cabanas around the pool can be rented for a fee, and there’s an adult-only pool area for guests aged 18+ that offers an awesome ocean view.

You may recognize the spa’s name – Miraval Spa – from the renowned all-inclusive Miraval Resorts, known for their focus on health and wellness. Since taking ownership of the Miraval brand in 2017, Hyatt has been incorporating their spa and wellness concepts into some of their other properties.

Aside from traditional spa treatments, Miraval offers a variety of wellness activities, including yoga and fitness classes, morning hikes, mixology classes, and cooking classes. Some activities are complimentary, while others have a fee of up to $65 (USD) per person.

Space in the activities is limited so pre-registering is recommended.

During our stay, we tried out a few of the classes being offered, including a fitness class with a personal trainer and a cooking class with one of the hotel’s chefs. The instructors were fabulous, and we appreciated the smaller, more intimate nature of the sessions. If you’ve never tried aerial yoga, then definitely give this activity a try when you visit, as it’s a fun one!

Some of the activities are also kid-friendly, like the cooking class where you make energy snack balls.

The resort features a renowned 18-hole golf course designed by Arnold Palmer. If you need to practice before your game (or want to try some other virtual sports games), you can reserve one of two Topgolf swing suites or visit the resort’s driving range.

For those looking to keep active, the resort also has an indoor fitness centre offering some fitness machines and free weights, and there’s outdoor tennis and pickleball courts that can be reserved on a complimentary basis. Racquets are provided free of charge, but you do need to pay for the balls. A beach volleyball court is also available.

If that’s not enough to keep your family entertained, then hit up the large outdoor garden courtyard where kids have space to run around, throw a ball, or roast marshmallows around one of the outdoor firepits (s’mores kits are available from the marketplace, but they are pricey, so consider buying your own off-site). For even more activities, the Batiquitos Lagoon Trail and various water sports are on offer off-site but close by.

There are also plenty of seating areas both outdoors and indoors around the resort for people to just chill, chat, and enjoy each other’s company.

Conclusion

We had an absolutely fabulous stay at the Park Hyatt Aviara. If you want a relaxing vacation with the comforts of a home and a bit of added luxury, this is the place to stay. With spacious accommodation options and activities for everyone, plus a variety of dining options, it makes for the perfect family retreat.

In fact, during our two-night stay, we found it hard to leave the resort to explore Carlsbad. The kids just wanted to stay by the pool and enjoy their shave ice (which I can’t really fault them for).

When it comes to booking your stay here, make sure to compare the value you get from your points versus the cash rate. If a points redemption makes sense, but you don’t have quite enough points, you can look out for Hyatt promotions for purchasing points, otherwise consider booking a cash rate through Prince Collection to enjoy some extra benefits during your stay at no extra cost.