Photos courtesy of The Grand Del MarJust two weeks ago, I traveled to The Grand Del Mar, in Del Mar, California, this time to interview Warren Sheets, the architectural and interior designer of the Grand del Mar, The Villas At The Grand Del Mar and Addison, The Grand Del Mar’s restaurant.  The article on Mr. Sheets dealt with his design vision of elegant permanence and authenticity, as he selected the most significant materials and furnishings for this project. His work has become an award-winning articulation of diverse design elements, and his visionary expertise also appears to be a major reason The Grand Del Marhas become the elite benchmark for exceptional lodging, dining and spa experiences in the San Diego area — especially with its most recent award acquisition.The Grand Del Mar, given its multiple awards in 2009, 2010 and 2011 has again raised the bar for the Southern California hospitality industry, as it is the only hotel in San Diego to achieve a Forbes Travel Guide Five Star award. It is also the only property in California to earn three 2012 Five-Star awards of Lodging, Spa and Dining — all the spaces that Mr. Sheets designed. The Five-Star Lodging award places The Grand Del Mar in the rarified company of only 57 high-end hotels and resorts throughout the world to hold this designation.  The Grand Del Mar is one of five properties in the nation with three Forbes Five-Star awards, garnered by the Forbes Travel Guide (formerly The Mobil Travel Guide). Other U.S. properties include The Cloister at Sea Island in Georgia; Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas; The Umstead Hotel & Spa in North Carolina; and The Broadmoor in Colorado.
The 2012 Forbes Five-Star recognition marks the second year that The Spa at The Grand Del Mar, a 21,000-square-foot, Renaissance-inspired resort space, has received the award; and it is the third year that its highly acclaimed signature dining venue, Addison, has earned the coveted Five-Star accolade.
This award is in part due to the culinary expertise of Relais & Châteaux Grand Chef William Bradley’s artisanal approach to cooking, combining unique local ingredients and tastes with contemporary French influences. Seasonal menus are available.
When we dined there, we chose from selections on the fall menu that included among others in the first course, Langoustine with golden Ostera caviar and scampi, a Sea Bass Ceviche with cucumber, coriander and Thai green curry; for a second course, a Fois Gras Pot De Crème with Port wine and garlic bread, a coddled farm egg, risotto with preserved lemon and prosciutto; and the third course included Duck A L’Orange with licorice, leeks and red beets, and Salmon sur la late, with radish, green apples and dashi. The subtlety and unusual nature of the different tastes left a substantial impression.
The Wine Room, strategically located in the center of the main dining room, punctuates the importance of Addison’s world-class wine tasting environment, with over 35,000 bottles of wine to choose from.
There are just 30 spas and 25 restaurants in the U.S. with these ratings. Additionally, The Grand Del Mar retained its AAA Five Diamond hotel rating for the third straight year, while Addison has earned the AAA Five Diamond distinction for the fourth consecutive year. To see more, visit TheGrandDelMar.com. |
