Spring Break at The Seabird Resort

The Seabird is a Hyatt Prive property (along with its next-door neighbor The Mission Pacific), that was unveiled in 2021. The Seabird Hotel and The Mission Pacific are two distinct yet interconnected luxury destinations–the former, more family-friendly, and the latter, more contemporary–with a vibrant rooftop terrace and bar that is +21 in the evenings.

Thanks to the Hyatt Prive program, stays at both hotels include perks ($80 per day breakfast credit, $100 one-time resort(s) credit, early check in and late check-out). And double perk–they were running a third-night free promotion with Prive perks!

The Seabird Hotel embodies seaside elegance with its impeccable design and really wins with its proximity to the beach. From the moment you arrive, you're greeted with a sense of elevated sophistication (along with a glass of bubbly!) with every detail and corner of the lobby/common areas are carefully curated.

I could not look in any direction without being captivated by the unique, luxury, beach house design and adorable touches (like rattan monkeys hanging from a bespoke chandelier, or charming gold, bird foot-prints inlaid in the front tile as you cross over the threshold. While it is a new hotel, the design team also did such a great job of incorporating found items and vintage furniture.

While it doesn’t have a kids’ club per se–they do have a great stand-in. When they aren’t using their convention center area, a large room is transformed into a huge kids room with a Pac Man console, ping pong, oversized beer pong (but with a volleyball and no beer), cornhole, portable climbing towers and a movie playing in the corner. And there are plenty of organized activities on the premises, and the beach, to keep little ones entertained.

And for the grown-ups, check out “The Library” on the second floor that has (books, of course) and seating areas for groups to play chess, cards, or just hang out. And their Shore Room has a daily happy hour from 3 – 6 pm.

ROOMS

Three of the families in our party were booked in a double room, and two booked in a King with City view. All of the rooms were upgraded to either Pool/Ocean View or Ocean View, and the sunset was stunning from our balcony.

Rooms are ample in size, but not over-the-top large. The modern marble bathroom has a couple of unique things we enjoyed–a rainfall shower head, “Drybar” brand blow dryer, signature scented “Apotha” toiletries and my favorite — a motion-activated floor light that turns on when someone in the middle of the night needs to use the bathroom and turns off automatically (which is so nice for people with young children).

LOCATION & BEACH

The hotel is located right at Oceanside Pier, and while the beach is public, The Seabird and Mission Pacific offer free beach/lounge chairs, towels, umbrellas, beach toys and snack service at the beach, out of a repurposed airstream trailer. During low-season, they also loan out free surfboards, which my son used ALL day. That seemed like a great cost saver as well.

The pool is located on the fourth-floor deck with a (maybe a tad too small of a spa) overlooking the ocean. Kid's activities and games galore in the pool house as well as full bar and kitchen services there, with service to the pool as well.

FOOD

When it came to dining, we mostly ate offsite at more casual eateries with kids. Our favorites in the neighborhood were:

The Flying Pig — Everything was good here. Every entree, the service, the decor and the way that the chef came to our table and talked about his sourcing and pride in the food.

Craft Coast Tacos — Super casual (the food is served on paper plates!), but the beer was great and the birria and carne asada authentically wonderful.

Knockout Pizza — If you want an easy beach lunch, order a whole pie to go from this NY-style (super thin crust) eatery.

Shorehouse Kitchen — Excellent brunch spot, but not within walking distance of the hotel. If you make it there, highly recommend the short rib breakfast hash!

At The Seabird: The breakfast restaurant, Piper, was excellent– a la carte during the week, and a nice buffet on the weekends. For foodie clients, the Michelin-starred restaurant Valle is nestled at the base of the Mission Pacific and your room credit at The Seabird can be used there (or at most of the Mission Pacific eateries, including the ADORABLE “Top Gun House” which serves tasty treats to go).

Kids under five eat free at the Seabird, but even my kids preferred pizza from Knockout or tacos from Craft Coast, just a couple blocks away to the pool side orders of chicken tenders or quesadillas.

Only downside under food category:

After a couple of days at the Legoland Hotel (where we were before The Seabird), the indulgence of a well-crafted Old Fashioned was much needed.

While I savored every sip of the drink, the hefty price tag of $30 did give me a momentary pause. Nonetheless, after the hustle and bustle of theme park adventures, it was a welcome moment of relaxation and sophistication amidst the luxury of The Seabird Hotel–and the bar, situated just perfectly to watch the sunset and hear the ocean waves, was worth the cost.

What truly sets The Seabird apart is the warm service we received--The convenience of prompt assistance available via text, ease of spa reservations and warm smiles from every member of the team.

I appreciated how the hotel seamlessly catered to families, ensuring that every member had a fantastic time. My nephew had a rough fall, and the hotel provided a stuffed “Seabird” along with a sweet note.

Overall, our vacation at The Seabird Hotel was top-notch, and would definitely recommend it to family travelers and warm smiles from every member of the team.

This trip report is part of our ongoing series on travel to Oceanside, California. In need of further inspiration? Check out Amanda Pamblanco’s guide, A Laid-Back Weekend in Oceanside, CA.