4 night SoCal, 2 Hyatt 2 HHonors, suggestions?
 

Going to do a 4-night trip in late winter. Timing is flexible...we can work around airline/hotel availability.

We will stay 2 weekend nights in any HHonors hotel plus 2 nights (before or after) in any Hyatt hotel. We can fly into and out of any Southern California airports...do not need to arrive/depart same airport. We have Hertz points if we need them for a one-way car rental.

We are HH Gold and HY Platinum, so elite benefits aren't a primary driver here. Just would prefer good hotels that treat the mid-tiers okay and are convenient for whatever we decide to do. Since we aren't limited by award category, they can be *good* hotels.

Our past experience to Southern California is limited. A few days in LA in '08, a few days in Orange County in '11, and a weekend in San Diego. I think we'd like to spend another day in Balboa Park, maybe a day out in Catalina, and beyond that...??? We like good food and good wine... :)

Our thinking started in the SNA-to-SAN region, but I'd be open to ideas up in LA or to the north as well. I just know less about those areas... I figured this board was a better place to start than the Hyatt/HHonors boards, where it'd be all about elite benefits at the hotels...

Ideas?? :)

I live locally and only know hotels from their location and others' opinions on FlyerTalk. For me, a special location is a hotel on water. Let me give you some names and you can research further in the respective hotel forums.

Hilton Torrey Pines - on bluffs above ocean between UCSD campus and Del Mar

Cape Rey Carlsbad, on the southern end of the charming town of Carlsbad, across the road from the water.

Hyatt Huntington Beach - I have seen praise for this property over and over, but again, have no personal experience.

In San Diego, I'd consider Hyatt Mission Bay (near Sea World) and Park Hyatt Aviara in La Costa. I've stayed at the Andaz San Diego and don't like it. It's too noisy and on the weekends is a nightclub that happens to have some hotel rooms. Manchester Grand is massive, on the water by the convention center. It's easy walking to the Gaslamp District with its myriad of restaurants and Seaport Village.

Torrey Pines...that means I'd *have* to bring golf clubs and play the South course. @:-) Do you know if hotel guests get any preference on tee times? I'd be a solo (wife would happily enjoy the spa while I play golf), so figure it can't be too hard to get on either way...

Huntington Beach also looks nice.

As for the Andaz, we still find ourselves going clubbing once or twice a year, but only with a particular group of friends. On this trip with just the two of us, a good wine bar or martini bar would take much higher priority over a nightclub. :)

Thanks for the advice!!

Coastal California in Orange and San Diego Counties is generally nice that time of year. You've been there before, though. Have you visited Palm Springs? The weather should be good out in the desert in late February/early March. Flights into tiny PSP airport are limited though it's reasonable to fly via ONT, SNA, LGB, or even LAX and drive the rest.

Never done Palm Springs before. Perhaps the La Quinta Waldorf Astoria? @:-) Same question would apply as to Torrey Pines: do guests at this hotel have any preference for tee times at PGA West?

2 nights beach and 2 nights desert could be fun. But so could 4 nights beach...

Should you go to Palm Springs, I recommend a day trip to Joshua Tree National Park. It's about an hour drive from Palm Springs. We were there last week and loved the amazing rock outcroppings. Late winter would be an ideal time to visit.

In terms of bang for the buck on Hyatt stays, the two I'd suggest are Park Hyatt Aviara and the Andaz West Hollywood. Note that at both you are forced to pay for valet parking.

I have stayed at both hotels multiple times but I don't play golf so can't answer your questions. You will probably get quicker answers if you post it in the HHonors forum in those 2 hotels' threads.

Right now, I have reservations made for the Huntington Beach Hyatt and La Quinta Waldorf Astoria. I was somewhat influenced by the fact that flight times make a trip in/out of SNA somewhat easier...although I haven't totally ruled out that Park Hyatt yet. :)

I'm in a temporary dip to HH Gold status, so this is also a decent time for me to sample the W=A where Diamond status, or lack thereof, doesn't matter much. By April 2016 I'll be back at Diamond, thus making a future trip down to Torrey Pines (a regular Hilton) a better idea.