My Stay At The Fairmont Grand Del Mar

The past few months seem like a blur. Both Ray and I have been swamped with work and haven’t really stopped to relax, breathe and enjoy our surroundings. Not to mention that I went to London for 9 days without him. So we decided that a romantic getaway was necessary, stat. It's kind of strange but sometimes you need to force yourself to take a getaway. I can imagine that when you have kids this is particularly difficult.  However, even when you don't, it can sometimes be a challenge. I won't lie...Ray and I considered just staying home, snuggling in bed and catching up on shows (I mean, how bad can that be?!). But truth be told there is something important about getting out of your usual setting and getting into the mindset of a vacation. You focus on the two of you, limit your time on the phone/social media, try and limit work, get dressed up and just have fun. Do you guys know what I mean? I can’t stress enough the importance of prioritizing your relationship, getting away (even if it’s for a day), and reconnecting.

People ask us all the time if we travel around California. I hate to admit it but we don’t do it nearly enough. We’ve been to Palm Springs a handful of times and have made it to Santa Barbara, Ojai and Napa Valley. San Diego was on our list for a while so we decided to head there for our romantic weekend.

Saturday morning we packed up the car, grabbed a Starbucks and made our way there. We stayed at the Fairmont Grand Del Mar and wow! The service was incredible and the hotel was upscale and charming. Since we knew we were going to arrive by noon, we requested an early check-in. Our room was ready when we got there.

We had the most luxurious and spacious room. I should preface this by saying that I have been known to play musical rooms (cue Ray’s eye roll). Generally, I’m not pleased with the first room I’m given and politely request to change rooms until I’m satisfied. I won’t lie, I was ready to do it as per usual…until I walked into our room. The bathroom had a long double sink (with ample room for all my makeup and hair products…as if it was designed for me). Not to mention the most beautiful marble (yes, I took a million Instagram pics in there). There was a huge tub with Le Labo rose bath salts on the side (I mean…dreams).  There was a large king bed, sitting area and office space, which was perfect for Ray since he had to work. Our room opened up to a large terrace overlooking the adult pool. All of that is impressive but what really got to me was the dog bed and bowls they had ready for Luca (they really know the way to my heart).

Once we were settled in we made our way to Amaya for a late lunch. I had a glass of champagne while Ray chose a bloody maria (bloody mary made with tequila) and we shared something to eat. We then walked around the grounds, which are so picturesque. In the late afternoon, I got a therapeutic massage and Ray used the spa facilities. My massage was amazing, obviously. I love when spas pay attention to the little details, like heating your robe during the massage so that it’s warm and cozy when you’re done.  It takes the massage from great to unforgettable, if you know what I mean.

Saturday night we had a few cocktails at the bar before heading to town for dinner and a walk on the beach.  On Sunday we slept in (until 8…yup, we’re that old). We ordered room service, tried (but failed) to get Ray to take cute Instagram pics of me (it’s not easy to be an Instagram Hubby), and just stayed in our robes until we were ready to venture out. I won’t lie, I was mega sad to check out. While it was a short trip, I left feeling relaxed and recharged. Can’t wait to go back.