We love Real del Mar. It's right across the border from San Diego and close to just about everything - golf, spa, shopping, the beach, lobster. This is our second year going to Real del Mar for my birthday and I'm sure it'll be an annual tradition. People ask if we felt safe being in Mexico and I say, yes, yes, yes. It can be a little scarey driving through Tijuana but once you get on the toll road, there's nothing to be fearful of. Real del Mar is a gated complex and the other golf course we play - Bajamar - is also gated. Stay on the toll roads and be aware of your surroundings and you'll be just fine. If you go, you have to check out the bar and say hi to JJ, the craziest bartender you'll ever find. Ask for the Baja Gold, his specialty drink. And for dinner, you can either eat at one of three great restaurants right there or drink down the toll road to Puerto Nuevo for lobster. Our favorite is Villa Ortega (sit downstairs at a table overlooking the ocean).

My wife and I plus six friends recently took a golf and spa trip to the Real del Mar. We really enjoyed the property! For those travelers that are familiar with the resorts in the Tijuana/Rosarito area, you know that many of them can be very scary or rundown. The Marriott was a great hotel for this area! The rooms were clean, they had a living room, a full kitchen and a bedroom. The beds were great, definitley up to Marriott standards. The service was great and the staff extremely nice and helpful. My wife felt that the spa was "OK", clean but not fancy. She did say that her massage was "Great" !!! The golf was pretty good, it was a long fairly tough course. The tacos at the golf clubhouse were fantastic!!! We had a great time at the "Sports bar" where Jaun serves up a great Margarita and provided us with amazing service!! We did not dine at any of the actual restaraunts at the property but they all looked very nice. Each night of our stay from 5-7 they offered free wine and beer, this was a nice time to sit and relax after a full day of golf. The resort also offered a great free breakfast buffet each morning. The resort offers some great golf and stay, or golf spa and stay packages. Real Del Mar is close to the border only about 12 miles into Mexico. The only problems I found with the resort is its distance from Rosarito. It was probably a twenty minute drive into town, (20$ cab ride) and twenty five minutes to the Lobster Village of Puerto Nuevo. Also, the pool was pretty small and according to my wife "Kind of cloudy." For anyone looking for a quick golf or spa get away into Mexico I would definitely recommend the Residence inn Marriott at the Real del Mar.

My wife and I recently stayed at this Residence Inn in Real del Mar. We read the reviews on the Trip Advisor website and were not expecting much. The facilities were pretty good for a Mexican hotel. If you ever stayed at any major hotel chain in Mexico, you know that the standards are not necessarily the same as in the U.S. I have stayed at Crowne Plaza in Acapulco and found it to be of lower quality than this Residence Inn. What a gem this place was. Only 15,000 Marriott Rewards points per night! Take the entire family!

The rooms were spacious and clean. The maid were a bit frugal on providing many towels and soaps.

The breakfast was great (pancakes, beans, rice, eggs, toast, bagels, cereal, fruit juice, coffee, milk)

Please note that the hotel is NOT easy to find. Google maps, Yahoo maps, and Mapquest will not provide driving directions from the US into Mexico. It is off the Toll road (Tijuana Beaches/Ensenada), off the Real del Mar exit (about 20 minutes from downtown TJ. The toll is $2.25.

There is no large sign to the hotel, so don't think you will see a well lit sign. Also once you get into the Real del Mar complex it will point you to the Marriott, not Residence Inn.

I would also recommend the Fox Studio Tour while you are in the area. This place is great for $12! It is what Universal Studios use to be, before it became a tourist trap.

My telephone reservation was made with a wonderfully pleasant bi-lingual clerk named Veronica. She was capable and friendly. Upon arrival, we wer pleasantly greeted by a different woman. Our room was a 1 bedroom suite that was in very good condition, except for the grout around the tub. It was clean and had a wonderful ocean view. The golf course is challenging, to say the least. The Clubhouse morning bartender makes the best Bloody Marys I think I've ever had.

All in all, a very nice golf resort for a very decent weekday price. Would say again.