Grand Pacific Palisades Resort — Hotel in Carlsbad

I have never had a worse experience at a nicer resort, a true shame. As a Hilton Grand Vacations Club owner, you know what level of quality to expect from "resorts".

Let's start with what's good about the resort before covering the problems. This resort is a great spot for families, offering multiple pools, splash around kids area/pool, grills and daily activities. The rooms are spacious and comfortable. The ocean views are fantastic. The internet is also good even for light gaming, as long as you use the locked network. There is plenty of parking in the underground parking garage. All the housekeeping, maintenance, barkeepers & most of the front desk team members. Except a few...

Ok, now this is were the problems start. There's no washer/dryer in the rooms, so I had to use the wifi connected washers/dryers in the separate area of the 3rd floor. Unfortunately after following the instructions the first washer didn't work, I tried multiple times but it wouldn't accept my credit card. I proceeded to move my wet/soapy/dirty laundry to the second washer, that washer again didn't accept my credit card or my other credit card & using cash, room credit or crypto isn't supported. So I had to contact the front desk and have maintenance come to attempt to fix the machines. That didn't work so we tried the 3rd washer and I had the same experience, this time triggering a fraud alert on my credit card. At this point the washer machine room closed because it was now after 11pm, so I had to take my wet,dirty,soapy laundry around the building back to my room, then proceeded to try and rinse all the soap out of my clothes in the bathtub however by then it was too late and the soap had removed the color from spots on my brand new tack pants, that I needed for Twitchcon2024. I had to try the washer machines on the first floor in the morning and after an hour of trying and getting maintenance involved I finally got to wash and dry my clothes. As compensation for this ridiculous event I was offered a $100 room credit, keep in mind there isn't much you can use a room credit for other then the bar & on site restaurant. So I proceeded to order some food at the bar/restaurant at about 5:45pm then had to make a business phone call that lasted the entire time I was waiting for my order, over an hour and a half. Despite asking staff multiple times what was going on and being told things like I will check or maybe another 5 minutes. During this time my dad started to feel unwell as he is a diabetic (yes he did eat breakfast, lunch and had a healthy snack before we ordered dinner). At this point the evening front desk lady was extremely kind and got my dad a small fruit cup, so he could eat something while we still waited for our dinner. Upon finally receiving our order my dad wanted to just eat back at the room, so we returned to the room to find the food ad cooled off a lot, that not that big a deal the room has a microwave. However Upon looking at my burger I found a slice of some kind of plastic/paper melted into my burger, talking about disgusting and a chocking Hazzard. I attempted to call the front desk but no answer, so I had to go back to the front desk/bar/restaurant in person to report the problem.

I met a team member that told me I should be responsible and carry food, drinks and snacks with me for my dad, "if he really is a diabetic".... excuse me WTF. I had to nicely inform the team member to get a different more respectful team member to help, and that I did carry glucose tablets with me in case of emergency. Upon talking to the new team member she was much nicer and agreed a cheese burger shouldn't have a slice of plastic in it. She told me they would remake the burger & the bartender told me do to the long wait and burger problem the meal would be comped. This is nice, however I am supposed to be checking out the next morning, how am I supposed to use the original credit. I reported this to the front desk team member and she told me she would inform the manager. More problems then I can list. Waiting on a...

I have been quite ill, and wanted a relaxing week, with my adult kids, that I haven't seen in awhile, to hang out and rejuvenate. I saw different prices listed, different by small amounts and didn't know what to pick. I called to make reservations. She said the price difference, was location and I told her room type and location I wanted, it was mid to upper range 2 bed, 2 bath.

In my email written request and then again, at check in I asked for quiet room not by: laundry, maids room, under stairs, kids activity. Supposedly not a problem as I did not pick the lower price range.

We got there late afternoon, as stipulated, and our room was ready. At the desk, when I saw the map, the room was.literally: Under the stairs, about 20 ft across to kids play area and pool and on main path.The front bedroom has continual foot traffic night and day. A class was taught directly behind our patio

I asked about another room/quiet location. It turns out that actually shared a wall with the kids arcade room, directly across from the laundry with big dirty laundry and dirty towel trolleys parked on either side of the door, gross. She said we should have come sooner, all other rooms were gone, should have come earlier. We came when we were told to and this was off season, but supposedly no other room at 5pm.

It was as if someone looked at what I wanted (needed), and was just mean, finding the sole room under the stairs by the play area and only room by the laundry with dirty laundry carts on either side of the door, and insisting they were my only options.

Our room was condo style, 2 bed 2 bath, kitchen, dining, living and patio, very nicely equipped and decorated really very nice, but not well insulated. The front bedroom next to main walkway is noisy at all hours and back bedroom you can hear your upstairs neighbor flush and take a shower. They only dump trash once a week, so a family of 4, it's good to bring your own bags so you can carry it out sooner if need be.

On a day I couldn't get up and about, I stayed behind, ordered lunch, and went to the rooms patio to eat, enjoy the view, and quiet by myself and there was literally instruction with a class led by someone with a blow horn there.

Also the quiet pool is only a suggestion, When the kids pool breaks, or needs cleaning, the quiet pool is a free for all. Lol.

About an hour after confirming we were paid, and phone check out, as asked, we got an additional charge of $175. We called, they confirmed no additional charges, they didn't know why. They said they'd fix it. A manager called a couple days later said he'd refund it. The manager who called was quite unpleasant and unapologetic stating that there were NO rooms not next to the playground or laundry. The place is huge and we stayed there, so we know there's only one playground and laundry on that side of the complex and it extends beyond the kids area. The place is huge with 3 stories, They never refunded the over charge.

This is a beautiful place, with a beautiful kids area for young kids. I can't really recommend it to adults travelling without little ones, who prefer a quiet vacation or want to sleep in. Customer service misinforms their guests, manager we spoke to was rude, minimal housekeeping and trash service, and over billing that they never fixed though they agreed it was their mistake. Don't be fooled by it's appearance....

Rating: ★☆☆☆☆

I recently stayed at the Grand Pacific Palisades after a decade, choosing it again for its proximity to Legoland. Unfortunately, this stay was far from the pleasant experience I remembered.

We reserved two rooms to accommodate family visiting from out of town and were told over the phone that check-in was at 5 PM, with the possibility of getting our rooms by 4-ish—important because we had dinner reservations and four young children, including two under the age of 2.

Upon arrival, we encountered a chaotic scene: cars were lined up with no staff present to direct traffic or assist with luggage. A car blocked the front entrance for over 30 minutes, preventing any movement in the line. There was a kiosk for an attendant but remained empty. Not a great start, but we remained patient.

When we tried to check in at 4:00 PM, we were informed that our rooms were not ready, contrary to what we were told. One room wasn’t available until 5:15 PM, and the other wasn’t ready until 6:01 PM (1 HOUR AFTER the 5:00pm Check-in) —making us late for dinner with our out-of-state guests.

One of the two rooms we reserved was room 381 on the 3rd floor—DO NOT STAY IN THIS ROOM. The AC condensers above caused the room to vibrate so much that it was impossible to get any sleep. When we called maintenance, the staff admitted they wouldn’t have their own family stay in such a room. Despite multiple complaints, no alternative room was offered until I had to escalate the issue with the Hotel General Manager, who finally gave us 50% off one night for room 381 AFTER WE CHECKED OUT.

To top it off, on the morning of our departure, the elevators went out, and we were given a $100 breakfast credit—not as compensation for the room issues, but because of the elevator malfunction.

While the overall experience was disappointing, I do want to acknowledge the staff who provided excellent service during our stay. I’m always willing to tip for great service, and I made sure to tip the bar and breakfast staff well. Aaron at the bar was particularly great, and the Cassara staff were extremely helpful. One night, I even tipped a staff member on the Cassara side $50 because he went out of his way to find bottles water for me. The Cassara and the Grand Pacific Palisades are run by Hilton but two different entities. Very odd set up but they Cassara folks are the only ones that really tried to help remedy a frustrating experience.

In summary, this stay was a major disappointment, marred by poor service, lack of organization, and uncomfortable accommodations. The compensation offered did little to make up for the significant inconvenience and discomfort we endured, but the efforts of a few dedicated Cassara staff members did not go unnoticed.

The location is what...