The Seabird Resort – Destination by Hyatt, the Hotel Review

Recently we took a short weekend trip to Southern California and stayed at one of the beachfront Hyatt properties, The Seabird Resort. This hotel is located in Oceanside, right by the historic Oceanside Pier. In addition to its prime location, The Seabird Resort is a relatively new property and welcomed its first guests in 2021.

After hearing glowing reviews in the last two years, we were excited to stay at this new Hyatt property and see for ourselves what this hotel had to offer. Join us as we take a closer look at The Seabird Resort and its amenities.

Booking

The Seabird Resort is now a Category 6 Destination by Hyatt Hotel, with 25k Hyatt Points per night on a Standard Night.

💡 Good to Know

Hyatt recently updated its annual chart and bumped up some hotels in their categories. This means the number of points required for a free night at select hotels has changed. So if you have a certain stay in mind, be sure to check hotel’s category first since your stay might require more points than you anticipated.

When we learned that Hyatt properties were undergoing a point system devaluation, we decided to add a few bookings to our existing stays. So we booked a Standard Two Queen Beds with City View Room at The Seabird Resort for a two-night stay, redeeming 20k and 23k (for the peak night). You can read more about booking Hyatt hotels with points here.

A couple of weeks prior to our stay, while checking the rates, we noticed that the cash rate per night had decreased from the initial amount, which meant we were redeeming Hyatt Points for only 1.3 cents per point. We thought we could find a far better redemption for the 46k Hyatt Points we used, so we canceled our points reservation and rebooked our stay, paying cash.

Check-in

A day before our stay, we were automatically upgraded to 2 Queen Beds with Ocean View Room.

When checking in at the hotel late in the evening, we asked if a Suite upgrade was available, and the concierge informed us they could only offer the Grand Ocean Suite for an additional $675 per night, which we kindly declined 🤷🏻‍♀️.

The concierge also offered our girls to pick a small gift from a little wagon, and they went with the glow-in-the-dark balls.

Globalist Upgrade

We got a top-floor 397 sq. ft. room that featured two queen beds, a dedicated seating area, and a balcony. As requested, the crib was already in the room and even had a complimentary little box with baby toiletries.

When we arrived late in the evening, we didn’t have a chance to check out the view. However, when we stepped outside the next morning, the supposed ocean view was different from what we expected, oh well.

The room had two plush robes, two pairs of comfortable slippers, and two stainless steel reusable water bottles that you may keep. Water filling stations were available on every floor of the hotel, except for the first floor, for some reason. Also, please keep in mind that access to the room with the water-filling station requires a key.

Bathroom

The bathroom had a shower cabin equipped with a rain showerhead.

Globalist perks

Besides the usual Globalist perks, such as complimentary parking on Award stays, waived resort fees, and a late 4 pm checkout, The Seabird Resort offered a daily $40 breakfast credit per person (up to 2 adults and 2 kids). This might have been a piece of old information or a misprint since the buffet breakfast cost $42 per adult 🫢.

Dining

Piper Restaurant

The onsite restaurant called Piper is open daily for breakfast, dinner, and brunch on weekends.

Breakfast at Piper

The buffet-style breakfast at Piper restaurant was served at $42 per adult and $25 per child.

We didn’t realize breakfast reservations were necessary beforehand and ended up dining outside, but thankfully the restaurant had heaters available. Although the buffet offered a decent selection of options, the buffet area was quite busy and felt cramped, with just one staff member multitasking by making waffles, cooking eggs, and running the toaster.

The Shelter Club

The Shelter Club is a pool bar and restaurant located behind the outdoor pool. Note it is only open on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

We were a bit let down by the pool service; our drinks took more than 30 minutes to arrive. When we ordered lunch, the kids’ food order was incorrect; in the end, they never even brought the item we ordered, yet still included it on the bill.

Valle Restaurant

If you’re looking for a great dining experience, you should definitely check out Valle with Chef Roberto Alcocer. This restaurant is located at the Mission Pacific Hotel (a next-door sister property) and has received recognition in California’s MICHELIN Guide.

You can choose between a seasonal four-course prix-fixe dinner and the eight-course tasting menu and pair it with the wines from Valle’s collection.

We opted for the four-course prix-fixe dinner, one for each adult. Surprisingly, the portions were generous enough to share with our daughters (okay, we may or may not have also asked for extra bread and tortillas 😅).

Amenities

Parking

The Seabird Resort offered valet parking which cost $44 per night.

Pool

The outdoor heated pool and a hot tub at The Seabird Resort are located on the third floor and overlook the beach.

By 10:30 a.m., we were lucky enough to find two chairs that were still available. With so many people around the pool, it was a bit of a challenge to find a spot to sit, and some guests even ended up sitting on the floor 🫢.

I guess you could also use the pool at the sister property across the street – Mission Pacific, but we did not feel like walking there with two young kids.

Spa

You can enjoy some pampering at Sunny’s Spa! They offer various beauty body treatments, facials, manicures, and dry saunas.

Dive-in Movie by the Pool

In the evening, we went to the pool area to enjoy a Dive-In movie night. While you could “dive” into the pool, we decided to just relax on the chairs, and the hotel even provided complimentary popcorn.

I have included below the list of upcoming Spring events held at the hotel.

Oceanside Area Attractions

Oceanside Pier

Oceanside’s historic wooden Pier is located right by The Seabird Resort. This pier, measuring 1,954 feet (596 m), holds the record for being the longest wooden pier on the western coast of the United States.

Interestingly enough, initially built in 1888, Oceanside Pier was destroyed by heavy storms and rebuilt several times. The pier we see today was opened in 1987.

Top Gun House

One of the most cherished landmarks in Oceanside is the “Top Gun” House. Located on North Pacific Street, this is indeed the house used in some scenes of the famous 1986 Top Gun movie, where Tom Cruise would visit Kelly McGillis at her beachfront home.

Although the house has been fully restored, it still has an exceptionally well-preserved Victorian style. In front of the house, you can even find the exact replica of the Kawasaki Ninja ZX900, the motorcycle that Maverick (Tom Cruise) used to ride in the movie.

These days, the famous house has become a handmade pie shop, so you can even go inside and treat yourself to some delicious pies while checking out the landmark.

LEGOLAND Resort Califronia

If you’re looking for a family-friendly activity, we recommend visiting LEGOLAND California Resort, located only within a 15-minute drive from The Seabird Resort.

With over 60 million LEGO bricks throughout this theme park, it’s sure to delight visitors of all ages. You can read more about visiting LEGOLAND California Resort here.

The Bottom Line

The Seabird Resort is a recent addition to Hyatt’s beachfront properties in Southern California, boasting an excellent location and modern facilities. However, it is worth noting that the staff, at times, appeared overwhelmed, which resulted in some service shortcomings. Regardless, the resort remains an attractive option for families visiting Southern California.