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While in San Diego recently to run that city's marathon, I had the pleasure of staying at the swank Grand Del Mar, a brand-new hotel located in the Los Peñasquitos Canyon Reserve, twenty minutes north of downtown. The property was developed at a cost of $270 million (more than $1 million per room), making it one of the priciest California hotels ever erected.
That staggering investment is evident in every nook of the hotel, from the detailing to the doorknobs. Deriving inspiration from the Mediterranean style popularized by architect Addison Meizner in Florida during the 1920s, architects Altevers and Associates have built a resort that feels even more suited to its surroundings than Meizner's homes in Palm Beach and Boca Raton. Flanked by a Tom Fazio-designed golf course and the highly rated fine-dining establishment Addison (one of Esquire magazine's Best New Restaurants in 2007), the hotel offers a soup-to-nuts resort experience, one that will be particularly enticing for residents of Los Angeles, which is a mere 110 miles to the north.
After running twenty-six miles through the streets of San Diego -- goaded by rock bands at each mile (this was the Rock 'n' Roll marathon after all) -- I was a very willing candidate for a treatment in the hotel's sumptuous spa. Following my ninety-minute athlete's massage, I was nearly ready to run another marathon. Nearly. Instead, I lounged by the adults-only pool and sat for a spell in one of the largest hot tubs I've had the good fortune to experience.
And for that alone, I'd run the marathon over again.
Grand Del Mar
5300 Grand Del Mar Court; San Diego
858-314-2000
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