Park Hyatt Aviara Resort ready to debut anew

Reopening this fall after a $50 million resort-wide renovation is Carlsbad’s Park Hyatt Aviara Resort, Golf Club & Spa, a Forbes Five-Star and AAA Five Diamond property. The expansive redesign of the lobby, guest rooms, restaurants, pools, and meeting and event spaces on the sprawling 200-acre estate takes inspiration from the resort’s coastal setting with panoramic Pacific views. The updates meld Mediterranean influences with modern design for a “warm coastal vibe,” says General Manager Geoff Gray, making the most of its natural setting.

Changes are especially apparent in the reimagined lobby, centered with a striking sculptural chandelier inspired by the migration of birds found at the Batiquitos Lagoon, a nature reserve with hiking trails adjacent to the resort. Pacific Perch, formerly the Lobby Bar, opens to outside terrace seating, among the best spots to take in sunset views. Here, guests can quaff Batiquitos Lager (a dollar per brew benefits lagoon preservation) and sample Pacific Rim cuisine. Across the lobby from Pacific Perch, the Living Room offers flexible seating and continental dining. The resort has replaced boutiques just off the lobby with The Command Room, a nod to San Diego County’s military roots, offering a simulator golf experience from Top Golf, billiards, and other activities. 

Vivace, the resort’s former signature restaurant, is getting a new name, Ponto Lago, as well as a new look and culinary vision. The restaurant will feature a show kitchen, a tequila-style bar, and cuisine inspired by Alta and Baja California cuisine. Pierre Albaladejo continues as executive chef. 

The former California Bistro is being converted to the California Salon, a spacious room opening onto an ocean view terrace for formal dinners, small wedding ceremonies, teas, and Sunday brunches. The ballroom, which seats up to 700, has been refreshed in a palette of beige and blue, with coastal-themed art. Altogether, the resort is adding 10,000 square feet of meeting space, according to Sales Director Troy Wood. 

The most spectacular venue is the resort’s “backyard,” a four-acre multi-functional event lawn inspired by grand estates in Rancho Santa Fe, Santa Barbara, and Montecito. The space, lined with palm trees and landscaped in a coastal garden palette of olives, agave, and birds of paradise, can seat up to 1,000 guests for special events, galas, and weddings. The resort is adding  a covered terrace and grand staircase where brides can descend to the event area below. Wood wants to make the Park Hyatt Aviara “home” for San Diego County’s biggest soirees and fundraisers.

All of the resort’s 327 guestrooms and suites have been modernized in soothing neutral hues, with bronze art depicting the Great Blue Heron in flight. The California casual interior design offers an apartment-style feel with design ledges, round tables for working or dining, cabinets with mini bars and coffee service, and balconies to bring the outside in. Guests will love the swimming pools that include a family pool with a waterslide tower and tide pool splash, and a serene adult pool with cabanas. Carlsbad beaches are just minutes away.

The resort, now owned by Xenia Hotels & Resorts, was redesigned by California-based WATG and its interior design studio, Wimberly Interiors. To celebrate the resort’s reopening, Park Hyatt Aviara is offering a $100 resort credit with complimentary full American breakfast for two, resort fee, and valet parking. 760.448.1234, parkhyattaviara.com