Hyatt Regency Mission Bay Spa and Marina

Being able to bring my dog is a big reason I’d return. I always travel with her, so a pet-friendly place that feels easy and comfortable is a real plus. I’d happily come back with family, as a couple, or with friends, and would recommend it to first-time San Diego visitors and people coming from abroad. This was my second visit, and I enjoyed it even more than the first. The heated pool and waterslide in winter were much more fun than I expected. The property is laid out well, with buildings close enough together that it’s easy to get around. The sunset views are beautiful, and I especially liked exercising in the oceanfront gym and having a coffee shop with a view of the ocean. The restaurant choices were a little disappointing next to everything else, but that wouldn’t put me off returning.

We had a great stay, and there’s plenty to keep kids busy: three pools, slides, a hot tub, and a well-equipped fitness center. Mission Beach is about a 20-minute walk, and Sea World, Belmont Park, and downtown are conveniently close. The hotel is beautiful and well appointed, and the staff were friendly and accommodating. The one recurring frustration was room cleaning. Housekeeping often didn’t get to us until after 3 p.m., sometimes as late as 5, and several times we returned from sightseeing to find the room still messy. Aside from that, it was a perfect stay.

The pools were one of the few bright spots: they’re heated, though the floors seemed a bit dirty, the water is only about 3.5 feet deep, and the slides run at random times. Sea World is close, and the room-service staff were nice. The rest of our stay was among my worst hotel experiences. I checked out on 2/12/25, then saw a $25 charge on 02/14/25. The only thing I could think of was the pool towels, but I made sure to return them all. Charging $25 for a towel not left in the bin seems silly. Our corner suite online looked nothing like the listing. From the patio, with spiderwebs around the two chairs, we saw a tree and the side of a building. My wife was understandably upset and went downstairs. We moved from the fourth floor to a second-floor marina-view room, which was much better, though still not the view we’d hoped for. Avoid Pelicans on the Bay in the pool area. Nobody greeted us or explained the seating process, so we picked up menus and sat ourselves, though apparently they usually seat guests. The food seemed frozen and was awful. The chicken tenders were bland and hard to bite; I was hungry after the road trip, so I finished them. My wife took one bite of her terrible chicken sandwich and left the rest. The waffle fries were the only good part. One alcoholic drink and mediocre food cost $68. At the Starbucks store cafe by the marina, I was charged twice for one order. I told the cashier, who said the system would spot the duplicate and void it automatically. It didn’t, so I had to dispute the charge with my bank. Parking was another problem: it says $50 a day for hotel guests, but it seemed to cost $60 every time I drove my own car out. Paying that each time I wanted to explore San Diego is ridiculous. 2/10, would not recommend.

The setting is beautiful, but the property didn’t meet what I expect from a Regency. The gym was especially disappointing for a Hyatt stay. It sits in a small, detached building near the marina, with one bench and so little room that just a few people made it feel crowded. There’s a Peloton, but the WiFi barely reached and the settings wouldn’t let me use my phone’s hotspot, so I couldn’t really use it. Our room also felt dated. Most of the lighting came from table lamps, and the bathroom was awkwardly arranged, with the toilet and tub squeezed into a small separate space. It had very little light and no exhaust fan. Our view faced a large temporary tent for a conference, blocking the Mission Bay views mentioned in many reviews and bringing noise and lots of foot traffic. Check-in was rough too. The hotel systems were down when we arrived, so staff couldn’t check guests in. Once they came back online, we got just one key card, which stopped working the next morning. We’re World of Hyatt members and were told upgrades were available, but we didn’t get one. That was disappointing on top of the check-in problems.