We stayed here for the first time on December 21 for a one night pit stop on our drive from Marin County to the LA Area.

This is a very nice property, and there was not the slightest fault. Diamond status clearly recognized: we were upgraded to a Monterey Suite connecting to a deluxe room (604 and 606, the building right next to the lobby, facing the golf course). Rooms were newly refurbished and showed no wear. Very clean. Donald at the front desk was especially helpful and deserves praise for helping us out, in the midst of a flock of not so quiet children we had in tow.

One very big highlight of the stay was our dinner at Tusca. We had the Monterey Calamari to start, it was extremely fresh - possibly the best calamari I have ever had, and I eat it frequently. Then on the server's suggestion, we each had the white bean soup. Excellent. I had the wild boar as my main, which was perfectly cooked medium as requested and absolutely delicious. Paired with a nice Cab again on server's recommendation. My wife had the butternut squash ravioli which she reported as A+. All in all, this was a memorable meal, especially nice since we were never expecting it. We returned to Tusca for a full breakfast the next morning, which was also very good. Ms. Nguyen deserves special credit, for helping us with our young ones and just being generally very nice. We even got some advice from her on the Park Hyatt in Vietnam where we have been considering a stay.

Another thing which was very nice, the diamond amenity I guess in their book was not really "prompt" (it came about 1 hour after check in). I was fine with the delay. Anyway, the gentleman delivering it apologized for how busy he was and said he had upgraded our wine. Yow - a full 750ml of a 2000 Napa reserve cab. It was great! We are wine lovers, so this was really appreciated.

I took a walk around the golf course and the property. It was very cold when we were there but it looks beautiful and in better weather would be a great place for outdoor activities. There are tennis courts. The new spa was still under major construction (must be a little delayed, since the signs said "opening December 2008" and it was December 21). Will add a nice touch when completed. BTW, some posters have mentioned highway noise. As long as you are facing the golf course, I can unequivocally say this is a non-issue.

This was an excellent stay, with many nice Hyatt people and a beautiful, well maintained property. Absolutely no service failures of any kind. We recommend this place. ^