Mermaid Magic at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach

Our thanks to the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach for hosting our stay so we could write this detailed review of our experience. This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. For an explanation of our Advertising Disclosure, visit this page.

Greetings from Huntington Beach, California! Saturday, March 29 was National Mermaid Day, and the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach kindly invited my daughter to partake in the festivities, which included a Mermaid Meet & Greet, a Mini Mermaid Parent & Me class from the Hyatt’s ‘ProFishional’ Mermaid RedCross Swim-Fin Instructor, a mermaid-themed craft table, and sampling their mermaid-themed menu. Highlights included a Seashell Cheeseboard, Shark Fin Nachos, Mermaid Cupcakes and S’mores Starfish. As you can imagine, my five-year-old loved it, as did everyone else.

Surprisingly, I had never been to this hotel before and even more shockingly, I don’t think my kids have ever been to Huntington Beach, despite it being just 37 miles from LAX (near where we live), 18 miles from Long Beach Airport (LGB) and 10 miles from John Wayne Airport (SNA). It’s also only 21 miles from Disneyland, with a shuttle available in the summer. Although Huntington Beach is close, it feels completely different.

Here’s what we loved about our one-night hotel stay.

Mermaid Magic

As I mentioned above, we were at the hotel to check out the hotel’s Mermaid Magic program. It was a special experience our daughter just loved and is a unique experience.

She got to swim with a mermaid tail and got a certificate of participation when she was finished. Afterwards, she got to enjoy mermaid- and underwater-themed treats …

… and mermaid-themed arts and crafts.

The hotel is huge

I wasn’t expecting the hotel to be so large.

Not only does it have 517 rooms …

… but there are also five restaurants, bars and a few shops and lots of public spaces to explore and enjoy.

Friendly staff

I thought the valet, who was the first to greet us, was an anomaly due to how friendly he was. However, the theme of friendliness carried through our stay, from bellhops and front desk staff to mermaids, waiters, bartenders and housekeepers. Everyone genuinely seemed to love their job, and the guests.

Well-oiled operation

The hotel is a well-oiled machine, which is impressive given its size. Everything flowed seamlessly. One example is valet service, where they had an army of workers, so there were no traffic jams or long waits.

Technology plays a key role—guests can text or scan their valet ticket number at machines throughout the property. When I realized I’d forgotten my sweatshirt in the car, I called down from my room, they picked up on the first ring and had the shirt waiting for me in the office within five minutes.

Pools

The resort has three pools and you don’t even have to stay at the hotel to enjoy them. You can buy a day pass via Resort Pass.

Towels and SPF sunscreen

One small but appreciated touch—especially since I had Mohs surgery to remove a cancerous growth on my lip—was the free 30 SPF sunscreen offered to guests. The dispenser was next to the towel tent, which also had plenty of towels available.

Bridge

When I learned the hotel was across the street from Pacific Coast Highway and guests had to cross it to get to the beach, I assumed it would be a hassle, especially with little kids. However, thanks to a bridge over the busy intersection, it was easy to get to the beach via stairs or an elevator.

Beach

The hotel offers rentals like classic beach cruisers, e-bikes, surfboards, body boards, wetsuits and sand toys so you can enjoy a true California experience and live like a local.

Shor

Our timing was perfect as the hotel had just opened a new beachfront restaurant, Shor, located directly on the strand, with the sand only 20 steps away. The restaurant’s vibe is so laidback that a teenager walking by with his father looked in and said, “Whoa… this place is [expletive] chill.”

The restaurant had great food and friendly, attentive staff, serving surf-inspired favorites, including cheeseburgers, salads ($15) and street corn French fries.

Note: My wife met a lovely mother from Chicago who stays at this hotel with her family multiple times a year because her son goes to the world-famous Food Allergy Institute. She shared that many families of patients stay here due to the hotel’s proximity to the institute and the allergy-friendly environment. She raved about the hotel’s care for guests with food allergies and said it’s the only place she’s really been able to relax when it comes to food for her son, who has to cope with multiple food allergies. (She also raved about the Food Allergy Institute and said that her son is almost free from most of his food allergies thanks to their innovative treatments.)

S’mores

The hotel offers three firepits (one near each pool and one in their square with restaurants and shops). One shop sells a S’mores kit for $12, which includes two Hershey bars, four packets of two Graham crackers, and eight marshmallows. It’s not outrageous compared to other hotels. They also provide sticks and offer a bonfire on the beach. You must pre-book for $300, up to 10 guests. This includes a private fire pit, firewood, beach chairs, blankets, hot cocoa, bottled water, and, of course, S’mores.

Overall, we loved the hotel and the only downside was the noise from the hallway and balcony, which is a common complaint at hotels. But once I popped in my earplugs, I slept great. We didn’t get to experience most of what the hotel offers in just one night, including the pool with slides (the weather was cool the following day). But our short visit was fun and memorable and we hope to return in the summer to experience more of the hotel.

KEEP READING:

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–Our first family trip to Legoland and The Castle Hotel

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