A little bit more information about my recent stay at the Andaz San Diego, along with an array of photos can be found
on my blog
The last couple of times I had been in San Diego, I had stayed at the W Hotel, and have been really impressed with the service and upgrades I have received there. So why would I choose to stay at a new hotel, which is a part of a new brand, and is a part of a loyalty program I don't have status with our have points saved up with yet?
Simple, the ANdAZ San Diego had a great promotion they were running, the ANdAZ brand is new and in direct competition with W Hotels, and the Loyalty program, Hyatt Gold Passport, currently has a fast-track to Platinum promotion that I couldn't pass up!
After arriving in San Diego, I made a stop inthe Red Carpet Club, hooked up the the airport's free wi-fi and I signed up for a Hyatt Gold Passport account, using the signup form which is a part of the promotion page for the fast-track to diamond status and seconds later, I had a new Hyatt Gold Passport account number and was already a Platinum Member, and would have some added benefits with my very first stay, which I was about to book!
I booked a one night stay at the ANdAZ San Diego, using the promo code ANDAZ5, which in addition to 5000 bonus Hyatt Gold Passport points (enough for a free night at a category 1 hotel) also gave me a $50 credit to spend at the hotel!
I called the hotel, to ask if they had an airport shuttle, just in case, but as I expected they did not. So I hopped in a cab, for the short 10 minute drive the ANdAZ San Diego which is located in the Gaslamp District of Downtown San Diego, which to start is a much better location than the W Hotel.
Although the ANdAZ is a new hotel in San Diego, it is a rebranding of the Ivy Hotel, which has made quite a name for itself in the areas of night-life and happy hour since its opening a few years ago. The ANdAZ brand took over about a month before my stay, and according to staff on site, except for specific ANdAZ branded ammenities around the hotel, not much had changed from the former Ivy Hotel. A couple of days earlier, the software used at check-in and in food and beverage had just been changed, so there were still a technical glitches that had to be worked through during my visit, but nothing a couple minutes of patience didn't take care of!
The lobby still has a check-in desk, which is supposed to be removed shortly to match the ANdAZ brand policy of having roaming front desk agents, rather than a check-in desk that guests line up at. The laptops were facing outwards at the desk though, so you stood beside the check-in agent, rather than facing him. This actually allows you to see the rate etc you are paying, and although different, was an interesting experience. This also allows the check-in agent to serve you a glass of wine, and other refreshments during check-in although this was not offered to me, although they were at the end of the desk, but I will chalk this up to a new staff member, who was working his way through new software.
The check-in agents also preform a couple of rolls, and are officially titled, Hosts. They are bellman, concierges, front desk clerks, and I am sure a few more things as well, but it does make for a one-stop shop when checking in, and is an interesting concept. Unfortunately I didn't have too many questions or need any specials services, and didn't need any special attention. But everyone I saw milling about the lobby was friendly and ready to help!
As I was checking in at about 12:30 a mere 15 minutes after making my reservation, my room was not ready. But I had some work to do, so the offer to head up to the rooftop bar / lounge / pool area where there was free wi-fi sounded even better than working in my hotel room!
The view from the roof was outstanding, and the sun felt good, although it was a little hard to deal with the glare from my screen, but I managed some how! The wifi signal up on the roof was a little weak, in fact I couldn't find anything that resembled what it might be in my computer's wireless network settings, and when I asked the bartender what the network name I was looking for should be, he responded that he wasn't sure... but a lot of people used there laptops up here, so it has to be there... I asked if he could perhaps call down and find out for me... but his phone wasn't working... said the internet not working probably had something to do with that... umm sure... whatever you say!
I was kind of disappointed that he offered no other solution to my request, so did as much work as I could without the internet connection, and then went down to the lobby to connect up, and wait for my room. I did end up getting a week signal up on the roof, but never strong enough to stay connected for more than a minute, and where I was originally sitting did not have service at all. I guess something wasn't working right up there, but again, I was kind of disappointed that the bartender didn't have the capacity to resolve it for me.
After working down in the lobby for another 10 minutes, I was told my room was ready, and the check-in process was finished. I was told about a few features of the hotel, certain mini bar items are free (consult the mini bar menu in the room I was told), and wireless internet in the room was complimentary as well. I retrieved my bag from storage, and went up to my room, which had been upgraded from the Queen Bed I booked to a King bed, so my Platinum benefits were indeed already kicking in!
The room was #327 and although not overly spacious, did contain a fair sized desk with a comfortable chair (which backed into the corner of the bed as there wasn't much space), a small couch and coffee table, and a large Sony Flatscreen TV which had some funky tunes playing when I entered the room! The only downside other than the somewhat cramped feel to the room, was the view into the centre courtyard of the hotel. Although you can't really call it a courtyard, as the view is only of a gravel roof, and some equipment. But the windows did let in a lot of light, and the people in the other rooms were for the most part not there, so my privacy wasn't too hampered on this stay!
The Bathroom was a rather large size, with the sink separated from the toilet and shower by a half wall. The dark tile and copious amounts of glass in the vanity and the shower made for a very rich looking space! I also really liked the fact that the glass shower enclosure had a hole cut in it, so one can turn on the tap in the shower, without entering the shower and being hit by cold water. This is something I first saw at the W hotel in San Diego, and think every shower should have!
The bathroom amenities were a Greek Brand I have never heard of before, called Korres. A wide array of items were on display, including 50 mL bottles of Aloe & Soapwort Shampoo, Achillea Conditioner, Basil Lemon Showergel and Basil Lemon Body Milk. There was also a small case with two bars of soap, Milk Soap for Stressed Skin, and Calendula Softening Soap. There was a second case containing little 2 mL packets of Wild Rose Cream, Thyme Honey Cream, Evening Primrose Eye Cream (all spf 6), White Teas Facial Fluid Gel Cleanser and a 9 mL packet of Body Butter Guava.Those cases will be handy when packing for future trips!
The towels, although not the softest I have seen, and this was not because they were old but rather just the weave, were the heaviest towels I have ever seen in my life. If my grandmother were alive, handing her one of the bath towels would surely have thrown her balance off knocking her to the ground!
After finishing a little more work, I took a refreshing shower and then set out in search of dinner and a beer! The wonderful thing about this hotel is there are literally hundreds if not thousands of great restaurants and pubs within walking distance in the Gaslamp District of San Diego. Tonight my choice was Italian, with some beer afterwards at the Yard House, a bar and restaurant with a couple of hundred beer on tap! They may want to consider a name change... Heaven!
I went up to the rooftop bar for a nightcap and to use up some of my $50 credit. The two Mojito styled drinks I had were fantastic, and well made. The evening bartender was more friendly and capable, and we struck up quite an enjoyable conversation after a couple of entertaining drunk Norwegians finally figured out how to sign their bill, and asked about local tipping policies! Although I didn't take advantage of the happy hour earlier, the $15 drinks I had at the bar would have been $5 during happy hour, so a great price on a great poolside rooftop venue. Surprisingly with the low prices, the bartender stated it is isn't as busy as you'd think up there, but he has witnessed some pretty great nights of partying in his couple of years working there!
After heading back down to the room for bed, I was greatly impressed to find the Sony speaker dock on the desk would indeed charge and play music from my iPhone, something lots of iPod dock connector speaker systems don't do. So I set my alarm, and called down for a wakeup call, and crawled into the very comfy bed, between some very soft sheets, and had a great nights sleep!
In the morning after a very refreshing shower, I made my way down to the restaurant, Quarter Kitchen, to use up the rest of my stay credit, and had a fantastic breakfast while reading the paper.
The server on that morning, wasn't a man of many words, and wasn't all that friendly, however the female manager (i'm guessing) was cheery enough for both of them, and made the stay pleasant. Although the coffee was a little weak for my liking, the Orange Juice if not freshly squeezed, did a good job of tasting so. I had the SoCal Huevos Rancheros off the breakfast menu, for if I recall correctly $11, and was very satisfied with the flavour and portion size. It consisted of three corn tortillas a couple of semi-runny eggs, and a plethora of cheese, onions, peppers and flavour! It was served with fresh dry salsa and sour cream. I would head back there for that item alone the next time I am in San Diego!
So what are my overall thoughts about the ANdAZ San Diego? I wasn't wowed by the room as much as the Suite Upgrades I get at the W, but it was a nice hotel, and had many of the same amenities and services available. I think it will be good competition for the W, and I look forward to visiting again or at other ANdAZ hotels (there are only three others at this time, in LA, NYC and London) in the coming years!
I was also pretty impressed with the amenities they throw in for free. So much so, that I have switched a few planned stays in the next couple of months from Starwood to Hyatt properties. It will be interesting to compare the benefits of the two programs, and will be nice to have some different options when travelling!
Another thing which impressed me, was after sending out a tweet that I was at the hotel, the GM sent me a personal message on Twitter thanking me for staying at the ANdAZ, and asking me how my stay was, along with providing me his name and email address... A nice touch, and showing they cater to a clientele that is always connected!
Overall I am a big fan of the ANdAZ brand, and will be staying in a number of Hyatt Hotels over the next few months because of the experience of this stay!