San Diego has been on my list for a July 4 getaway for a while, and this year we finally made it happen.
With the Manchester Grand Hyatt sitting right on the waterfront and just steps from Seaport Village, it turned out to be an excellent base for watching the famous Big Bay Boom fireworks while exploring downtown San Diego over two days.
This was also my very first stay as a Hyatt Globalist, so I was especially curious to see how the elite benefits would work in practice.
Hyatt Globalist Experience
I was upgraded to a higher-floor room with a better bay view. Although I didn’t receive one of the premium suites, the front desk explained that the hotel was hosting the Association for Computational Linguistics (ACL) conference, so occupancy was extremely high. Considering the circumstances, I was still happy with the upgrade.
One pleasant surprise was receiving a 4 PM late checkout, even though I didn’t end up staying that long.
One surprise on the other hand—the room didn’t have a stocked minibar. The mini refrigerator was completely empty, which I wasn’t expecting for a hotel in this category.
For anyone planning a stay, I also highly recommend checking out the hotel’s digital guest guide, which we accessed by scanning the QR code provided in our room. It contains a comprehensive overview of everything the hotel offers, including dining options, room service menus, restaurant hours, Grand Club information, hotel amenities, and much more. I’ve included the link below as a convenient reference:
The Grand Club Lounge
This was another highlight.
We visited around 5 PM, just in time for the evening hors d’oeuvres.
The selection wasn’t huge, but there were several hot dishes including lasagna and one item I especially enjoyed—the garlic shrimp.
For a quick dinner before heading out for the fireworks, it worked perfectly.
One Small Complaint
The only part of the hotel I wasn’t particularly impressed with was the elevator system.
With only a few guest elevators serving such a large hotel, waits became quite long throughout the afternoon and evening, especially with both July 4 visitors and the ACL conference attendees. It wasn’t a major issue, but definitely something to expect during busy weekends.
An Evening at Seaport Village & Big Bay Boom
After dropping off our luggage, we walked through the hotel’s back entrance directly into Seaport Village.
Live music added even more charm to the atmosphere, making Seaport Village feel especially lively on the evening of July 4. If you’d like to get a better sense of the atmosphere, I’ve uploaded a short video of the performance and the surrounding vibe on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/ArWCtPayDuQ.
After exploring Seaport Village and taking a relaxing walk along the waterfront, we returned to the hotel shortly before sunset.
Since Hyatt’s Grand Club offers different food service periods throughout the evening, we decided to stop by the lounge for a second visit. Earlier we had enjoyed the “Small Bites” service (5:00–8:00 PM), but later in the evening they switched to “Sweet Treats” (7:30–9:00 PM).
The dessert selection wasn’t extensive, but both desserts we tried were excellent and made for a nice light snack before settling in for the fireworks.
With desserts in hand, we headed back to our room, set up our cameras, and waited for the main event of the evening—the Big Bay Boom fireworks show.
Watching the Big Bay Boom from Manchester Grand Hyatt
One of the biggest reasons we chose Manchester Grand Hyatt was its reputation as one of the best hotels for viewing the annual Big Bay Boom fireworks.
The fireworks are launched simultaneously from four barges positioned across San Diego Bay. From our upgraded bay-view room, we had a fantastic, unobstructed view of one of the barges. While we couldn’t see all four launch locations perfectly, the perspective was still spectacular and well worth it.
The show began promptly at 9:15 PM, filling the bay with synchronized fireworks for nearly twenty minutes. Watching from the comfort of our hotel room meant no fighting crowds afterward, no searching for parking, and no traffic leaving the event—an experience I would absolutely recommend for anyone planning a future July 4 visit to San Diego.
🎆 Want to experience the full show? I’ve uploaded the complete Big Bay Boom 2026 fireworks recording from our room at Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego. If you’re considering staying here for next year’s July 4 celebration, this video gives you an excellent idea of the actual view from the hotel.
▶️ Watch the full fireworks show on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/2GRVNjplcv8
Day 2 — Coronado Beach
The following morning we checked out early and headed straight to Coronado Beach, hoping to beat both the crowds and the midday heat.
Parking Tips
Parking can be surprisingly challenging during peak season.
Our experience went like this:
- Parking Lot #1 (Parking for Coronado beach) — completely full.
- Parking Lot #2 (south of Hotel, Avenida Del Sol St.) — also full.
- Parking Lot #3 (Coronado Shores Parking Lot) — plenty of available spaces and only about a 5-minute walk to the beach behind the historic Hotel del Coronado.
There are also plenty of street parking spaces in the area, although many have 2-hour or 3-hour time limits, so be sure to check the posted signs before leaving your car. The key takeaway is don’t give up after the first lot fills up.
One of Southern California’s Best Beaches
Coronado Beach absolutely lived up to its reputation.
The sand is wide, soft, and remarkably clean. Even before noon, the California sun was already intense, so I’d strongly recommend bringing sunscreen, sunglasses, and plenty of water.
Of course, this also meant lots of photos and videos.
🎥 Watch my Coronado Beach walking tour on YouTube for a closer look at the beach, scenery, and overall atmosphere:
https://youtu.be/QgBHs1125Kc
Although the Pacific water wasn’t particularly warm, it was comfortable enough for wading and swimming during the summer.
One small inconvenience worth mentioning: public rinse stations are somewhat limited. If you’re wearing regular sneakers, consider bringing an extra pair of shoes for the drive home. Sandals, Crocs, or flip-flops are definitely the easier choice.
We spent about an hour and a half enjoying the beach before heading off in search of lunch.
Lunch Plan… Didn’t Quite Go as Planned
One restaurant we were particularly excited to try was Night Hawk.
The restaurant has become quite popular on Instagram thanks to its dramatic presentation of grilled meat and seafood skewers served on large sharing platters.
Unfortunately, we arrived before 3:00 PM, when the restaurant was still serving its brunch menu.
That meant none of the signature skewers—the dishes we had specifically come to try—were available.
If you’re planning to visit primarily for those Instagram-famous platters, I’d definitely recommend coming for dinner service instead of brunch.
A Delicious Backup Plan
Instead, we found a small seafood shop nearby named Lobster West Coronado.
Despite its modest size, it turned out to be one of the culinary highlights of the trip.
The lobster roll was outstanding and easily my favorite item on the menu.
The crab roll was also excellent.
The only item I probably wouldn’t order again was the shrimp roll, which felt much more ordinary by comparison.
One nice feature is that you can choose different roll sizes (Small, Medium, or Large), making it easy to adjust depending on your appetite.
The restaurant offers both indoor and outdoor seating, although tables fill up quickly during lunch hours.
Joel’s Recommendation:
🥇 Lobster Roll
🥈 Crab Roll
🥉 Skip the Shrimp Roll
Coconut Ice Cream Worth Trying
After lunch, we stopped by another popular dessert shop Coco Bomb – Convoy for their famous coconut ice cream.
For $10.50, you can choose three scoops.
My combination was:
- 🥥 Original Coconut
- 🍠 Taro
- 🥭 Mango
All three were excellent, although I’d probably swap one for Thai Tea next time after seeing how popular it was with other customers.
Unexpected Home Design Stop
Before heading back to Los Angeles, we made one final stop near Del Mar.
What surprised me most wasn’t actually West Elm, but the surrounding shopping district.
There were numerous home furnishing and interior design stores clustered together, many carrying premium furniture and décor. Some pieces were stunning—but also came with equally stunning price tags (I spotted a lamp selling for more than $4,000!).
One small parking tip: many lots are reserved specifically for individual stores. For example, West Elm has designated customer parking monitored by on-site security. If you’re planning to browse multiple stores in the area, it’s easier to use one of the larger shared parking lots nearby rather than moving your car between stores.
With that, our San Diego July 4 staycation came to an end, and we headed home already talking about our next visit.
Joel’s Takeaways
- ✅ Manchester Grand Hyatt is one of the best choices for watching Big Bay Boom if you value convenience and Hyatt Globalist benefits.
- ✅ Coronado Beach is absolutely worth visiting, but arrive early and be prepared for parking.
- ✅ Night Hawk is worth visiting only if you’re going for dinner and want the signature skewers.
- ✅ Don’t miss the lobster roll if you’re nearby—it was one of the best meals of the trip.
- ⭐ Overall Trip Rating: 9.3/10
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