The Grand Del Mar Thriving Even in Tough Times

 

“We have a lot of San Diegans and residents from Carmel Valley staying here–they may just live a mile away,” said Tom Voss, President of The Grand Del Mar.

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Tucked away in the hills of San Diego’s North County…this hidden gem lets you experience a Mediterranean-style luxury resort–that’s oh, so close to home.

The Grand Del Mar is nestled amidst the Los Penasquitos Canyon Preserve and close to the Pacific Ocean and its famous beaches from Torrey Pines Reserve to Del Mar.

“It was a zoned area in the Los Penasquitos Canyon Preserve which is a nature preserve. It had a zoning for a hotel and the golf course existed which was designed by Tom Fazio [who] is a great designer [who designed the course] specifically in these canyons which is unusual. It’s very, very unique. It was available and we built the resort with 249 rooms and villas as well. We built eight villas so far and we’re going to build a total of 39,” said Voss.

That was just four years ago and The Grand Del Mar is literally a success case model for the adage “build it and they will come”. But why hotel guests choose this resort has everything to do with the resort’s business mentality and hospitality that permeate the entire staff at The Grand Del Mar.

“The reason they come here [is] because its very unique, they get away from home and they think when [they] look out the window that [they’re] in Tuscany. So there is a little bit of that Italian cache. The design of the resort is Addison Mizner-inspired, who was an architect in the 1920s. He was famous for building villas at Boca Raton or West Palm Beach. The hotel Boca, for example, he was the designer of,” said Voss.

But how does a luxury hotel survive in recessionary times?

“Through recession or not, we stuck to our plan. We want to be a five-star five diamond hotel, which we are going to achieve this year, I am certain. We are already a Five Diamond but the Five Star–we need that fifth star–you need to earn that. It’s harder to get than the Five Diamonds,” said Voss.

The Grand Del Mar is well on its way using its consistent desire to provide superior service in a luxury setting.

“We have really the nicest people. They are really friendly and service-oriented. We have a wonderful training department and that takes it to another level. What you build and what you see is wonderful but what really happens in this hotel, in this resort is more important,” said Voss.

From golf to pool relaxation to spa time, you’ll be swept away in bliss with a satisfying combination of everything and nothing to do.

“Hiking, biking. We have an equestrian center with eight horses… four of them are retired race horses, which is really neat,” said Voss.

Phoebe Chongchua, is an award-winning journalist and a former ABC affiliate News Reporter/Newscaster. In 2004 after recognizing how the journalism industry was rapidly moving online, she founded Live Fit Magazine. Live Fit Magazine takes an innovative approach to covering news. She brings you articles, videos, and blog posts in high quality, journalistic style. Live Fit Films is currently in production on a film on social media and communication. Visit LiveFitFilms.com for more details. In addition, Phoebe has a passion for living fit. She earned a certification in Plant-Based nutrition from Cornell University. In 2010, she launched ThePlantBasedDiet.com, a website that helps people learn more about eating healthy and keeping fit. Phoebe covers stories on the Carmel Valley community and also reports on healthy living, fitness, travel, philanthropy, and real estate. She profiles celebrities and  local and worldwide businesses in her Phoebe’s Pick Video News Story segments. Stay tuned!