Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills in Beverly Hills, CA

The Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills has been a hotel I’ve wanted to visit for a while now. Usually there’s limited availability for free night certificates (of which I had thanks to my American Express Hilton Surpass credit card), but the pandemic changed all that. With Beverly Hills being an easy drive from Phoenix, I decided to book a weekend trip with nothing planned other than enjoying milder weather than Phoenix from my room's balcony.

While things were a bit different (only the rooftop restaurant open and closures of the spa, salon, and gym as well as many of the lobby stores), the hotel itself was still impressive. I was greeted warmly and, having arrived before check-in, escorted (the elevator operates by keycard) to the rooftop restaurant to have lunch while I waited for my room.

Just as I finished eating, I received a text that my room was ready and that I should respond with my location so a staff member could show me to the room.

It was a quick process and I was soon relaxing in my third floor room. Hilton Gold status didn’t get me an upgrade this time, so the balcony view was of the street below, but I enjoyed it all the same.

I was also impressed to find a welcome chocolate cupcake waiting for me.

The room had pretty much everything one could ask for with robes, slippers, and even an umbrella.

The front door had a chain lock and privacy notification done electronically rather than with a door sign. The massive bathroom had the standard toiletries along with extras like a loofah, bath salts, and a Dyson hair dryer although there was no lock on the bathroom door.

In-room coffee (but no tea) was ready to go and the small fridge was fully accessible as all the minibar products had been removed (they could be ordered via an iPad).

The lights and window blinds were all controlled with a convenient touch of a button. The room also featured one large screen TV across from the two queen beds.

Every piece of furniture from the beds to the balcony chairs was splendidly comfortable and so my plans to spend the weekend relaxing went beautifully. Pleny of outlets including for USB cables were in the room too, so I didn't have to worry about charging any of my electronics.

Hilton Gold status gives guests a $25/day dining credit at the hotel restaurants, so I ate a few times at The Rooftop by JG. The view was always gorgeous, but service varied widely. Most times the staff was attentive, but on Friday night (a little busy, but not crowded due to social distancing guidelines) I sat for so long without ordering and without even being given a glass of water (when I finally did get water, there was no ice) that I contemplated leaving and ordering room service. I timed it at over 30 minutes. If I hadn’t been marveling at the sunset, I wouldn’t have waited that long. When the waiter did arrive, there was no acknowledgement of the wait. The food was good, but for the price (though it Beverly Hills, so it was all relatively affordable), I expected top-notch service each time.

The pool and hot tub are next to the rooftop restaurant, so the view from twelve stories up can also be taken in while swimming or lounging on one of the many recliners.

The Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills is pet friendly though there is a fee. Parking is valet only at the steep price of $65/day.

DoubleTree Suites Doheny Beach in Dana Point, CA

Christmas found me heading to Dana Point, CA just like I did a few years ago although this time I chose a different hotel. The DoubleTree Suites Doheny Beach is right across from the beach as the name implies. It was too cold to wade into the water, but the view from the rooftop was great. Unfortunately the rooftop bar wasn’t open for service during my visit. So I ordered a martini from the downstairs restaurant and carried it up to the rooftop bar which was right next to my fourth floor room. In some ways I’m grateful the bar wasn’t open as it may have made for noise outside my room.

I booked the standard king suite, which is the room I got when I arrived early to a lobby decorated for Christmas. The woman working at the front desk implied that an upgraded room with an ocean view might be available later in the day, but I was in need of a nap and asked for the first available. The cutely decorated fourth floor room suited me fine. In addition to the comfortable king bed which was flanked by nightstands with lamps, there was a pull-out sofa bed in a separate living area that also featured a desk and TV.

There was another TV above a dressing bench in the bedroom portion of the room. In the closet was extra bedding if someone was going to be sleeping on the pull-out as well as a safe and an iron and ironing board. I appreciated having a mini-fridge and plenty of outlets, some of which included USB ports. A coffeemaker was also in the room.

The tiny bathroom was unfortunately a bit dark with a small vanity. Along with the standards of shampoo, conditioner, lotion, and soap, there was also a hair dryer, shower cap, and sewing kit.

The view from my room was of the freeway and there wasn’t a balcony (although there was a sliding glass door) as the rooms with an ocean view have, but I was only a few steps from the Longboard Rooftop Lounge that did feature an excellent view and had cozy seating too.

As a Hilton Gold member, the cold buffet at the Doheny Surf restaurant located just off the lobby was included in my stay. There was a good selection including fresh fruit, cereal, yogurt, and pastries. Much to my surprise and appreciation, I was able to take my food to go. The restaurant is open daily for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Room service is also available.

Along with it's next to the beach location, the pet-friendly hotel has plenty to offer. There’s a gym, pool, and bicycles are available to rent on-site from a third party.

The lobby also has a small business center with computers for use.

Parking is $29/day whether valet or self-park.

Flagship Cruises Harbor Tour in San Diego, CA

On my previous San Diego trip, I saw that there were short sightseeing ship tours of the harbor. I didn’t have time on my last trip, but this time I went on the two-hour Full Bay Tour put on by Flagship Cruises. Flagship Cruises also operates the ferry that runs between Coronado and San Diego. If one doesn’t have time for a full cruise, the ferry ride offers great views of the harbor that’s much more cost- and-time-effective. I took the ferry across to San Diego to get on the yacht for the cruise. The ferry doesn’t have bathrooms or other amenities, but the ships used for the tours have food and beverages along with bathrooms. For both, there’s indoor and outdoor seating.

Departing from the San Diego Broadway Pier, my cruise started with the North Harbor, then docked to let people on and off before continuing on to the South Harbor. Both trips provided beautiful views of the water (and sometimes sea lions!), but it’s the South Harbor portion that heads over to the Coronado Bridge which is pretty impressive from underneath.

Those interested in military history will also enjoy the south portion as the cruise goes past the naval base and the many ships docked there. The narration provided was fun and informative. When some people got a little rowdy during the tour, the tour guide thankfully gave a strong reminder that others wanted to enjoy the cruise peacefully. If there’s time to do some relaxing sightseeing, the harbor tour (especially the south tour) is a nice experience.

History and Haunted Happenings Tours at Hotel del Coronado in Coronado, CA

A number of tours are offered on the island of Coronado, so I decided to experience a few during my trip. My favorites ended up being the ones offered by the Hotel del Coronado Heritage Department. The daily tours are available to all, not just guests of the hotel.

The History tour runs every day at 10am and 2pm while the Haunted Happenings tour is at 7pm with a 9pm option on Fridays and Saturdays. Both tours start near the tree that Hotel del Coronado says was the first to be electrically lit outdoors for Christmas.

The History tour guide had clearly done a lot of research. She dispelled a lot of misinformation (some of which was given on the other tours I took) about the hotel. For example, some believe Wallis Simpson and Prince Edward met on the grounds, but the guide said records indicate Simpson was not there during the Prince’s 1920 visit. The guide went into detail about the construction of the resort and how a change in plans for the railroad was very nearly a disaster for Coronado. She revealed that the fifth floor had been for the staff of guests (people traveled with their own maids) which is why the ceilings are lower and hallways are narrower. Although the tour doesn’t go to the floors with guest rooms, I had access as a guest, so I went to the fifth floor on my own. The view is amazing, but the halls are claustrophobic and the rooms are definitely smaller.

She also explained why some of the rooms (like mine) have a slightly unusual layout—the original floorplan didn’t have a bathroom for every room, so there was a redesign that converted some closets and hallways into bathrooms. And while this tour doesn’t take attendees into the guest room areas, it does grant access to areas guests wouldn’t normally get to see. Some highlights were the former hotel laundry building, the Ballroom with amazing views, and the famed Crown room (usually only open during a pricy Sunday brunch or group event) with light fixtures designed by L. Frank Baum who was a Coronado resident. The 90-minute tour also included information about the movies partially filmed there and the changes made to the hotel over the decades.

The Haunted Happenings tour is a must for anyone who likes ghost stories. Although the History tour touched on ghosts (mentioning that the fifth floor is said to be the most haunted at the resort), the Haunted tour goes in depth. Once again the guide was extremely knowledgeable and thoroughly enjoyed her subject matter. I’ve been on a few haunted tours in other cities and this one was the best so far. The guide stayed grounded in facts, but also shared accounts of paranormal activity that she and her colleagues have witnessed. As she pointed out features of the Victorian building (here there’s some repetition of the History tour), the guide shared the story of Kate Morgan and a few others who have met their end at Hotel del Coronado. During the hour tour, the sun set (I took a 7pm tour) and perfectly changed the atmosphere as the guide shifted from more of a historic overview to diving deep into the mystery that surrounds Kate Morgan.

I highly recommend both tours.

Hotel del Coronado in Coronado, CA

Back in 2017 I took the Old Town Trolley Tour around San Diego and hopped off to check out the Hotel del Coronado, which I found to be absolutely gorgeous. I decided at once that I needed to make a return trip and stay right there on the beach. While the summer rates would typically be out of my price range, as luck would have it, the property joined Hilton making it possible for me to use the points I earn from having a Hilton credit card.

I arrived early Thursday morning to a stunning lobby not expecting to be able to access the Victorian King Resort View that I booked, but I received the happy news that a room was indeed ready though it wasn't the room I booked but an upgrade to one of the studio suites. My very minor annoyance at check-in was being told that, although I would keep the same room, I needed to check out/check in the next morning because I booked with a combination of points and a free night certificate. Fortunately, there wasn't a line Friday morning and the process was simple.

After receiving a map of the property, a bell desk attendant showed me to my room on the third floor. Normally I'd find this totally unnecessary as I travel light, but while the hotel hallways had fun wallpaper they weren't well-marked (I got lost a lot trying to get to the elevator) so I was glad to have someone show me the way.

The elevator is original to the 1888 building and operated by an attendant. It's cool-looking, but moves slowly so I took the stairs almost every time.

The first thing I noticed about my resort view suite (other than the security chain and low door handle) was how small the bathroom was in comparison to the walk-in closet that even had a window. I later learned on the History Tour that the original resort didn't have a bathroom for every room, so an extensive remodel was done that turned what had once been closets or hallways into bathrooms; I'm pretty sure my room's bathroom had originally been the closet. I'm a fairly small female, but I had little room between the toilet and bathtub and also found that I kept bumping my elbow against the grab bar when I took a shower. At least the hot water and pressure were impressive, especially for being an historic property. The small vanity didn't have much room for toiletries (the hotel provides two kinds of bar soap plus body wash, shampoo, conditioner, and lotion along with a shower cap and package of cotton balls and q-tips) and the sink drain didn't fully close. There was also a hair dryer provided.

The king size bed had a nightstand with a lamp on either side as well as a small reading light. One nightstand had a clock and the other had a phone along with earplugs in the drawer. I was a bit surprised to find earplugs, but discovered that the rooms don't have much soundproofing (or maybe the guests are just a bit loud). The nightstands also have outlets built in which was handy, especially since there were no USB outlets in the room. Hotel del Coronado is undergoing an extensive renovation (which thankfully didn't disrupt my stay at all), so hopefully this will be changing soon. The bed was comfortable, but the pillows quickly went flat.

In the corner of the bedroom was the TV (on a swivel stand) on the top of the dresser which had a couple of drawers and a mini-fridge.

The bedroom had a ceiling fan/light combo that I really liked. It had a pretty design and I'm used to sleeping with a fan circulating.

Just beyond the bed was the sitting area which had a table, chair, and sofa that pulled out to a queen bed. A few magazines about the hotel and San Diego were arranged on the table.

To the side of this area was a desk/chair combo where there was bottled water and a Keurig with four pods (one tea, one decaf, and two medium roast). As I don't drink coffee, I requested more tea pods. I was told housekeeping would bring some, but I only received a single replacement the next morning.

The closet in this room was astonishingly large (I think a crib would fit) and had an iron/board, safe, and two robes. I probably would've been really excited about the terrycloth robe if I hadn't just stayed at a Kimpton with a much plusher robe. The closet had extra pillows, but no additional bedding.

As a Hilton Gold member, I received a $15 dining credit for each day of my stay. Normally this is a breakfast credit and I haven't decided which I prefer. I'm not much of a breakfast person, but I did have the brunch buffet at Sheerwater one morning and discovered that the credit wasn't enough to cover the cost. So for people who do like a large breakfast, I'm sure this change would be a disappointment.

And speaking of disappointment and Sheerwater, I ate there twice and found the service lacking each time. My water glass was filled during brunch, but that was about it. I had to flag someone and ask for the check twice before finally receiving it long after I finished eating. I also went there for dessert and the waiter forgot to bring my drink. The food and drink were good, but I couldn't understand the poor service at a 4-star resort especially since the restaurant didn't appear to be busy either time.

Fortunately, I had a much better experience at Eno, one of the other restaurants at the hotel.

I also enjoyed sorbet from Sundae's.

With the restaurants and beach, Hotel del Coronado already makes it so you wouldn't have to leave the property, but there's so much more. If your intent is shopping, there's plenty of that to be found. There's clothing, Del-themed souvenirs, and even the room toiletries available to purchase. The hotel features three pools (one is adults only and another is exclusively for spa guests), a fitness center (featuring a number of classes), and a spa/salon.

I decided that my feet needed a break, so I booked the Deep Sea Pedicure. In addition to the regular soak and polish, the Deep Sea Pedicure has a foot/leg massage and a sea weed wrap. It was already a great experience, but then I found out the pedicure is done in a massage chair.

And that's not all there is to do on site! At night there's a roast where you can make s'mores and enjoy other selected food items at your own bonfire right on the beach.

On select nights movies are shown on the beach. Tours are also available daily with one focusing on the history and the other being all about the hotel's supposed haunted happenings. I highly recommend both tours.

One thing to note is the pet-friendly property is valet only at a cost of $50/night, but does have charging stations for electric cars. There's also a $35/day resort fee that I was able to avoid by booking with points and a certificate. The hotel also gets very busy on weekends. My first day (Thursday) had crowds that I expected for a summer beach vacation, but that number exploded for the weekend. I was glad I had a room because the lines for the public bathrooms often extended into the hallways.