My son and I took a road trip adventure along the Southern California coast, starting in Hollywood and Pasadena and ending in San Diego. En-route to San Diego (and our whale watching experience) we stopped in Huntington Beach, one of my favourite coastal cities, and the Regency Hyatt.
Located on the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) you can’t mis the expansive Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort and Spa. The valet parking entrance is on the backside, leaving the front oceanside view for guests and pedestrians. Having stayed in areas like Waikiki where resorts are built right on the beach, I actually like that the Huntington Beach park is hotel free with development located across the Pacific Coast Highway.
Of course having our oceanfront room made enjoying the view even nicer, watching the waves and sunset from our little balcony. You could even catch the pier in the distance. Along with the view outside, I loved the space inside especially the bathroom. If may sound minor but having a large bathroom space is a nice luxury when traveling with kids. It’s great to have the space for everyone doing their morning or nighttime routine but the room also comes in handy for mom to escape from everyone into the deep jacuzzi tub.
Don’t take my word for it, checkout our quick little room tour:
With the expansive Huntington Beach right across the street, the kids will love jumping waves, looking for shells and building sand castles. Hyatt guests can cross the PCH via an overpass that takes them right to the beach. If you’re up for a little adventure you can rent a bike to pedal along the boardwalk and even take a surf lesson right from Toes on the Nose located right on site at the resort.
Looking for something a little calmer (or maybe with drink service), the Hyatt Regency has a number of pools. The Slyders Water Playground will be high on the kids’ list with its three waterslides, splash pool for little ones and a heated ribbon-shaped pool for the family. There’s even an oversized hot tub, fire pits for roasting marshmallows and poolside snacks and drinks from Shubee’s poolside cafe. For a quieter experience you can visit the secluded spa outdoor hot tubs.
I enjoyed the pathways that crisscrossed over the hotel property and the impromptu seating areas we found in corners and alcoves. These invited guests to enjoy the lovely California weather, even if they didn’t want to venture off the grounds. The open courtyard with access to shops and on-site dining had a little village feel a generic hotel courtyard. The resort’s location outside of the busy main strip gives a relaxed secluded feeling too.
However, if you did decide to venture out, the beach boardwalk is the perfect avenue. A leisurely 15 to 20-minute walk will take you down to the Huntington Pier and main street with shops, entertainment, and dining. Even closer to the Hyatt you’ll find the always bustle Pacific City complex.
I was surprised to find how close Huntington Beach and the Hyatt Regency can be to Hollywood and Universal to the north and San Diego to the south, giving you a break from the city and time along the shore. Our visit was brief so we didn’t get a chance to experience everything the Hyatt Regency has to offer but what we did see would encourage us to plan a return visit.
Discover more from our 7-day adventure in the video below or checkout our family travel playlist within our Youtube channel:
Thanks to the folks at Visit California and Visit Huntington Beach for their hospitality during this visit.