By Alex Girda, Associate Editor
One of the nation’s top hotels is getting a new name to go with its new ownership and management. Fairmont Hotels & Resorts is assuming management duties at the Grand Del Mar resort, which will operate as the Fairmont Grand Del Mar. The name change follows Blum Capital’s reported $230 million acquisition of a majority stake in the property from Manchester Financial Group, the private investment firm controlled by Doug Manchester, which is keeping a minority interest.
Located in Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve, 
the 249-key Fairmont Grand Del Mar has earned a Five Diamond rating from AAA for its luxury features. Highlights include eight two-story, 4,500-square-foot villas and a Tom Fazio-designed golf course.
Other facilities include 27,000 square feet of meeting space, a 10,000-square-foot ballroom, a state-of-the-art fitness center and a 21,000-square-foot spa that received a Five Star rating from Forbes Travel Guide in 2015. Six venues are available for dining.
The Fairmont Grand Del Mar joins a collection that includes some of the most famous names in hospitality, such as the Plaza in Manhattan, London’s Savoy and the Fairmont San Francisco. The location offers easy access to local, beaches, the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club and San Diego International Airport.
Image courtesy of thegranddelmar.com