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    The Blue Whale - Oceanside

    3.1 (19 reviews)
    Closed 8:00 am - 4:30 pm

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    FERNANDO D.

    I spent 4 days here with the family and we all had a blast. The ladie that check us in was real sweet. Her name is Marcia and she makes you feel at home. She always has a warm smile and quick to help you with whatever you need. Even the housekeeping staff was real good. Nice and friendly also. But there was one guy working the desk he was a little uptight. That was kind of a downer :( The Blue Whale provides beach towels,chairs,sand toys,board games, and movies (vhs & dvd). All rooms have cable and they do provide internet. The room we had was a one bed room. It came with a roll-away bed and a fold out couch. A one bedroom here could sleep 5 persons. There is also a small kitchen that comes with a frig and a stove. Also it's just steps away from the beach. You can here the waves crashing at night.....oh they also have two bbq's. Heads up: They only provide one parking space for you. So if you bring more then one car you will have to park a few blocks away from the resort. They will give you a parking pass so you can park on the street. Also the city will only let you park in the same spot no more then 72 hr.

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    11 months ago

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    8 months ago

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    1 year ago

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    2 years ago

    So relaxing and perfectly placed on the strand. My stress level reduced by half withthe sound of the waves. Tasteful decor and restful.

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    7 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    17 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    Ask the Community - The Blue Whale - Oceanside

    Can I rent the room for only three days?

    You may rent from an owner. They may or may not offer a split week.

    Do you guys have AC?

    Only unit 9 which is a studio.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    Review Highlights - The Blue Whale - Oceanside

    Still great, sweet BBQ area lounge chairs eating tables beach 20 feet away We got lucky on getting a timeshare here.

    Mentioned in 4 reviews

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    The Seabird Resort - Piper Restaurant

    The Seabird Resort

    (298 reviews)

    My wife and I stayed here in May for 5 nights. The hotel is beautiful, everything was super clean…read more The onsite food was amazing! The absolute BEST customer service from every employee we encountered! We upgraded to a full ocean front view room and the view was epic! A+++ customer service!

    We stayed at the Seabird Hyatt for three summers in a row and booked a fourth time in February 2026…read morefor July. The first summer was partial ocean view with a balcony and the second, third, and fourth booking we paid an upgrade for an ocean view with a balcony. After checking in this July at 11:30 am, we got into our room at 2:30 pm. We discovered that we didn't have a balcony like the other 3 visits. Instead, we had a Juliet or faux balcony. We could only step outside, not move around, nor sit. The balcony was essentially a giant window looking at their sister property Mission Pacific and the street. We had no balcony to sit and look at the ocean view we booked and PREPAID for as an upgrade 5 months prior to the stay. I called the front desk. They claimed we booked a room with a Juliet balcony and had no other availability. This is untrue, per the listing image I have included in this review. They offered us a balcony with city view or a room with a king-sized bed. We were a family of 4 traveling with 2 teenagers. They offered no other help or compensation. At Costco's suggestion, I asked about their sister property next door and I asked them to include the reduced valet and our food credits that were part of the February package we already paid for. When I checked in next door at Mission Pacific, I discovered our reservation hadn't been transferred. It had only been re-booked and we needed to pay the market rate for the next 4 nights even though we pre-paid $2300+ for Seabird back in February. I spent at least a half-hour at the front desk trying to negotiate and get a room resembling what we had paid for 5 months ago. MP's management was great and was able to accommodate our requests. After THREE HOURS of stressing and trying to solve this issue, we finally had some type of resolution. We stayed at MP from July 6-10. At about 4pm July 10, Seabird Hyatt emailed me to remind me that they arranged for our move to Mission Pacific, and provided a $300 resort credit along with discounted valet parking as a gesture of goodwill. ABSOLUTELY NOT! They made us a reservation only, and the resort credit and discounted valet parking was part of the package we paid for back in February! Absolutely NOTHING was provided as a gesture of goodwill. Furthermore, our Costco package included a rental car that we had no intention of using, but the price was cheaper. We ended up losing about $36 for the stress of booking at Seabird Hyatt, with an upgraded room with ocean view that was downgraded upon arrival. Seabird had the entire week of our stay to contact us and attempt to make things right. We are quite disappointed in the way this hotel treats their return guests. I do not recommend Seabird Hyatt in Oceanside, California at all.

    Park Hyatt Aviara

    Park Hyatt Aviara

    (635 reviews)

    The service was amazing. The food was great. You get validated parking if you dine here and I would…read moredine here again. The chef gave us so many complimentary dishes which made me realize we should have ordered less dishes. And dare I say it, the kids menu dishes were kind of fire too.

    On May 15, 2026, what should have been a relaxing dinner at Ember & Rye at Park Hyatt Aviara became…read morean incredibly upsetting experience. My husband had just finished working six consecutive shifts at the fire department, and we were simply looking forward to a nice evening together. As we entered the parking lot, two men in a golf cart crossed in front of our vehicle. My husband honked, and there was later a brief verbal exchange about what had happened. There were no threats or physical confrontation from us, and we believed the matter was over. Later, while we were still seated at our dinner table, a woman we had never met approached us and began questioning us about the parking-lot interaction. She told us that she and her husband were club members, repeatedly referenced their membership, said she had never seen us there before, and told us she "didn't want any problems in the future." I cannot speak to what she intended, but the encounter made both of us feel intimidated, unwelcome, and extremely uncomfortable. We later learned that an Aviara Country Club member event was being held at the restaurant that evening. After dinner, we discovered that our vehicle had been extensively damaged while parked on the property. Carlsbad Police investigated, and surveillance footage from the property documented what occurred. An individual associated with the earlier parking-lot encounter became the alleged suspect during the investigation. Our vehicle ultimately sustained nearly $15,000 in repair costs. I am intentionally not identifying anyone or making any statement about guilt. I am simply describing what my husband and I experienced that evening. What has disappointed us most is Park Hyatt Aviara's response afterward. I personally contacted hotel management and was told that Hyatt was cooperating with police, which we appreciated. We were also told that someone from Aviara Golf Club management would contact us to discuss what happened. That call never came. I understand that a hotel cannot control the actions of every person on its property, and I am not assigning legal responsibility to Hyatt. My concern is how we were treated as guests after such a serious and disturbing experience. We experienced an uncomfortable confrontation during dinner, left to discover nearly $15,000 in damage to our vehicle, and had to involve law enforcement. Yet we never felt the level of concern, communication, or follow-through we expected from a five-star property. That is what has been most disappointing. We chose Park Hyatt Aviara because we expected exceptional hospitality and guest care consistent with the Park Hyatt name. Instead, we left feeling uncomfortable, unsupported, and profoundly disappointed. I sincerely hope Park Hyatt Aviara considers how guests are cared for when something goes seriously wrong during their visit.

    Mission Pacific Beach Resort - View from floor 4 studio

    Mission Pacific Beach Resort

    (161 reviews)

    Mission Pacific is genuinely one of the most beautiful beachfront properties I've stayed at. The…read morelocation is unmatched. Having access to both Mission Pacific and The Seabird across the street made the experience feel even more expansive and luxurious. The property itself is gorgeous and the aesthetic is immaculate. However, the service during our stay fell significantly short of what a property of this caliber should deliver. I traveled with a 4-month-old infant and requested a pack & play multiple times over three weeks and it wasn't in my room upon arrival despite repeated confirmations. The front desk was consistently unreachable by phone throughout our stay, which made accessing the resort fee amenities we paid for nearly impossible. I genuinely believe this may have been a staffing issue specific to our visit rather than a reflection of the property's standard. I would absolutely return, the location and property alone make it worth it. I just hope the service matches the beauty of the space next time.

    Beautiful hotel, but quite pricey. We were upgraded to an ocean front room due to our Hyatt status…read more The room itself was very nice. However, warning- if you are in the middle ocean front rooms (i.e. room 530), they are located outside and there is a train behind the property that runs all night. The manager offered to switch our room but it would have been a downgrade to an ocean view room so we decided to deal with the noise. Note that you also can't see the sunset from those rooms as it is blocked by the rooms on the west side. The front desk service was great. They offered us some wine and champagne and provided us with water bottles. The rooftop pool is wonderful. It's a nice place to lounge. The pool is heated so didn't feel too cold, but we were also there during a heat advisory 75+ degrees). There is a live dj playing lounge music. The food and drinks are expensive so we didn't really order anything. Overall a nice stay, but if we ever go back I would make sure we don't get one of the outside rooms.

    Beach Terrace - our view at night

    Beach Terrace

    (331 reviews)

    $$$

    Overall, we had a nice stay, but there were definitely some areas that need improvement…read more The positives first: check-in was quick and easy, the room was spacious, and I really appreciated that there was no carpet. We appreciated the complementary breakfast. The towels and bedding were clean, and the hotel staff kept providing fresh, clean towels throughout the day, which was a nice touch. The beach attendants were friendly, the hotel provides sand toys for kids, and we really enjoyed the live music in the evenings. The location is excellent and made it easy to enjoy the beach. Unfortunately, the cleanliness of our room upon arrival was disappointing. The toilet seat had what appeared to be blood or feces on it, there was urine around the base of the toilet, which made it seem like the bathroom floor hadn't even been mopped, and there were crumbs and bits of food, along with a few dead bugs, around the beds. Thankfully, I had hand sanitizer with me and cleaned the bathroom before my children used it. A few other things to note: the balcony door was difficult to open, there was no screen door, and the complimentary beach chairs are quite small and may not be comfortable for larger adults. The sheets also seemed too small for the mattresses and kept coming off the corners during the night, which made sleeping less comfortable, no mattress covers. The beach itself is beautiful but fairly small, so it becomes crowded quickly. One suggestion for future guests: please rinse the sand off before you are getting into the pool, I witnessed people rinsing off im the pool after beach then after 2-3 minutes they came out and went upstairs. The pool is not a shower and the sand on the bottom of the pool hurt. Also, once you're finished using the beach loungers, remove your towels instead of leaving them behind. It was difficult to tell which chairs were actually occupied and which were available because many loungers had towels left on them. Overall, this hotel has a fantastic location and several nice amenities, but better attention to room cleanliness and a few small improvements would make a big difference. * also bring water shoes, the rocks at the beach are very painful*

    Came here for my partner's birthday - he wanted the beach and I found this gem!…read more The room was incredibly spacious and our balcony had a perfect view of the beach and ocean. The bed was so comfy and there was a large sitting area with a TV. We got room service and every food we chose was delicious! We rented chairs and an umbrella for our beach day and we spent so much time on our balcony watching wildlife, surfers, people fishing, the waves. The pool also was heated and so lovely to jump in after a day in the ocean. They had live music around the pool Saturday night! It was walking distance from so many stores and restaurants. We picked up pizza and enjoyed dinner on our balcony, while watching the sunset. It was truly a magical beach getaway!

    Cape Rey Carlsbad Beach, a Hilton Resort and Spa - Winter Sunset at Cape Rey Resort Pool

    Cape Rey Carlsbad Beach, a Hilton Resort and Spa

    (509 reviews)

    $$$

    We absolutely loved our stay at Cape Rey! We booked a little family getaway before the hustle and…read morebustle of the school year started, and it was exactly what we were hoping for. From the moment we arrived, the staff was incredibly friendly and welcoming. A special shoutout to Chase-- excellent customer service. He was even able to get us checked into our room early so we could settle in and head straight down to the pool. Thanks Chase! The kids had the best time splashing around while my husband and I enjoyed piña coladas with an ocean view. The hotel also offers complimentary bikes to check out, so we took a family bike ride along the coast, which ended up being a true highlight for our girls. From the amazing food at the restaurant to the beautiful setting and genuinely wonderful staff, Cape Rey really stands out. It was the perfect little family escape, and we can't wait for our next stay!

    AVOID this hotel at all costs. We had to move out of it after 2 nights because the hallways reak…read morelike pet urine, the hotel is disgustingly dirty, the rooms are not cleaned (e.g., showers have mold).... It nearly ruined our trip because we had to move. We went to the solea which is 100x better. You don't want to be smelling PET urine in the hallway which is carpet and not being cleaned. Owner is going to do a $50M remodel but has chosen that this is acceptable in the interim. See photos for quality standards.

    Lakehouse Resort - Kid pool

    Lakehouse Resort

    (840 reviews)

    $$

    I give this place more of a 3.8. We arrived early Saturday hoping to maybe check in a little early…read morethe very nice young lady at the counter was accommodating but said room wasn't ready but for a $50.00 up charge she will put our room at top of cleaning list with house keeping.. Fantastic let's do that. In the mean time feel free to use the pool, bathroom on the left to change. Went the pool. Two pools, not huge but has a little bar. The pool wasn't crowded but we struggled to find a chair that wasn't reserved with a towel; we spotted 1 empty chair under an umbrell, as we approached a young gentleman grabbed the chair at took it across the pool to the umbrella his family was under. Lol. Okay. We just sat our things on the concrete under the umbrella hoping it wouldn't be long and enjoyed the pool. After checking a couple times and our encounter with the OTHER, older front desk lady; our room was ready at 4. That's check in time. The room was large and pretty nice; we did notice the floors were a bit "damp". The little patio with the chairs and view, very nice. We were able to hear the live music coming from marina bar as we were sitting outside of our room taking in the view. We took out a paddle boat that was complimentary at check in. The lake itself is very nice, pretty peaceful considering it sits smack-dab in the middle of a neighborhood. What makes my review a 3.8 isnt the accommodation. Recommended. Its front desk staff, in particular the second one i mentioned. She should enjoy her job more.

    We stayed in room 7103. Clean room, 7/10. Stains on carpet and couch. Towels too rough. Bed was too…read morefirm, I couldn't sleep well. Temps not so great, definitely have to lower yourself. Makes the room musty when not cool. 7/10. You are close to the pool so you can hear a lot of noise. Thankfully the curtains are sun and noise blocking if needed. We didn't request an ADA room but got one anyway. Shower head was Kohler, 10/10 but water is so easy to flow into the bathroom floor with the ADA set up. Walls too thin, had to complain about neighbor screaming loud sporadically, playing a game with his kids. They took care of it right away. Parking is fcfs. Coming back after 7pm is a pain. Amenities are wonderful. Coffee place was great, but sometimes the door is locked during hours of operation - you have to check the front desk for service. I would stay here again for the amenities.

    Alila Marea Beach - Guest Room

    Alila Marea Beach

    (238 reviews)

    Book this beautiful resort via Amex site…read more Located in Encinitas by coast hey 101. 30miles from San Diego. The hotel is sort of the middle of nowhere. The point is for relax and enjoy. Parking: Valet only $60 overnight Concierge and receptionist table is very simple and 1 person helping only, she is Super duper sweet and helpful. She checked us in, and since we booked via Amex, we received complimentary: - Suite upgrades - early check in - guarantee 4pm check out - daily breakfast for 2 - In room wifi - and $150 resort credit apply for restaurant, spa etc. This place has a e-bike, paddle board an surf board for guests to use anytime complimentary. If you happened to stay in 2nd floor, which they only have 3 floors, where Vaga restaurant is, to find your room is kinda tricky. Look at the signage and the room are through the double door, on your left when you face the restaurant. It requires your keycard access to enter through the double door. The room is so relaxing,the vibe is comforting. It has complimentary coffee, nespresso tea and bottle water. You can ask for more water at concierge. Look at the real life I believe eucalyptus stem on top of the shower head, love it. There's also a gym and spa in 1st floor, also access to beach. We asked for recommended restaurant around the area, she gave a 4 pages list of restaurant and little shops 2nd floor - has venue area with spacious gathering area and balcony overlooking the beach. Evening: you can enjoy cocktails on VAGA restaurant overlooking the beach with outdoor fireplace and patio. Fyi: the room has thin walls. We can hear ppl talking, walking, running on hall way every moment. So on our final bill: They comp all our daily breakfast including tips and room service delivery. They automatically deduct $150 resort credit regardless you spend under. It will apply to any other fees. Like it because they don't Knicks pick every single expenses, that shows their reputation and their hotel guests matter over little charges. Overall, love this place. Will definitely come back. Highly recommended.

    My wife and I recently took a trip to San Diego, and for one night, we stayed at the Alila Maria…read moreBeach Resort Encinitas. While we loved the resort room we were assigned, the water and the sunset, and the VAGA restaurant, we had some challenges with checking in that impacted our stay and made us question whether it was worth our visit. As a Hyatt Globalist, I took advantage of a Suite Upgrade Award in advance to get upgraded to a one-bedroom suite with a nice balcony. Also, as we were needing to depart first thing in the morning, we only had the day of arrival to enjoy the resort, so we also requested an early check-in, which we were told would likely be able to be offered (when we called 24 hours in advance). We requested a noon check-in as we made the reservation using American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts, which offered this as a benefit based on availability. Not only were we not offered an early check-in of noon, the room was not available until 4 PM. As such, we ended up being unable to use the resort amenities as we had dinner reservations and then after watching the sunset, had a low-key evening after it was dark out. When we finally got keys to our room, which was a long walk from the front desk, our keys were not even programmed correctly. We were glad that some staff found us in front of our room unsuccessfully trying to get in. They went to the front desk for us to exchange our room keys with ones that worked. The suite itself was wonderful with a nice living room and a spacious bathroom and bedroom. It had a lovely balcony that we watched the sunset on. It was also near the pool and easy viewing of the water and area. Also, we received four chocolate truffles as guests within the American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts program. While we were also celebrating a birthday, Alila Marea Beach Resort doesn't provide additional amenities for the occasion; however, they acknowledged the birthday at check-in, and during our dinner reservation at VAGA Restaurant, they did provide a birthday dessert. We absolutely loved the VAGA Restaurant and the manager and staff there along with the delicious food and drinks. I wrote a separate 5-star review for the VAGA Restaurant on Yelp. We booked a Fine Hotels + Resorts offer that included early (noon) check-in when available and late (4 PM) checkout guaranteed, room upgrade when available, daily breakfast, $150 credit which we used for a nice dinner, and welcome amenity. We were unable to receive an upgrade the day of our arrival nor an early check-in, and we were unable to take advantage of the late check-out. Thanks to my Hyatt Globalist benefits, complimentary breakfast and other benefits like complimentary dishes at VAGA for dinner and breakfast, the breakfast from Fine Hotel & Resorts was not needed. The Globalist access also waived the $55 daily resort fee, which included 2 welcome beverages, 2 water bottles, access to the fitness center, beach access with chairs, umbrella, and towels, a weekly sound bath experience (not while we were there), and local transportation within 3 miles of property. Again, if we only could have enjoyed some of the resort's amenities, this would have included so many ways to spend our time. All in all, this seemed like a wonderful resort, though my wife and I were unable to experience that. I would strongly advise anyone planning to go to Alila Maria Beach Resort for only one night to find another hotel to stay at. On the other hand, if you plan a full weekend or several days, it sounds like this resort could offer a lot. We simply didn't feel it was a place for a "special occasion" or that we were valued as customers, even as Hyatt Globalists and AMEX Fine Hotels & Resorts customers.

    The Blue Whale - Oceanside - hotels - Updated September 2026

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