Private Beach and Sparkling Bay View at SWIM San Diego

Many a spring nights in San Diego, the party mood hits, your dancing shoes call and the time is right for you to round up your girlfriends and hit the dance floor until dawn.

Other times, when you've been working hard and the sun's been shining, you feel a little less like dancing and a little more like lounging. For these spring evenings, it's important to get the mix of décor, cocktails, and water just exactly right. And there's no better venue vacation to help you merge the energy of a party with the chill vibe of the tropics than the Hyatt Regency Mission Bay Spa and Marina.

The newly revamped Mission Bay Hyatt presents SWIM, a lounge that offers new grounds for holiday fun and nightlife sophistication aside from the spring break terrain in Pacific Beach and the sequin-clad happy hour crowd in the Gaslamp. From noon until midnight SWIM caters to those looking to escape to the bay and enjoy poolside cocktails beneath the sun or stars.

SWIM is a gift of the Hyatt renovation that also granted the edge of Mission Bay Red Marlin, fine dining restaurant, Blue Marble, an eco-friendly spa, and a new hospitality design that elevates the Hyatt to a new level of resort reputation.

During my first evening visit to SWIM I was invited to sample cocktails and items from the focused and all-around delicious lounge menu. But before I launch into praise of the tropical bites and private beach, I must describe the sheer awesomeness of the cocktails.

Elegance in Intoxication

Yes, SWIM offers a healthy selection of wines and beers for those looking for their regular drink of choice, but I must first inform you, it is a crime to visit the lounge and bypass one of their signature spirits.

Don't worry fellas, your masculinity won't be threatened with maraschino cherries and adorable mini-umbrellas. SWIM into stiff drinks full of flavors that rely on natural sources rather than pre-mixed packages. I'm sure the fresh pomegranate juice mixed into my margarita will provide me the antioxidants I need to fight any hangover that dares come my way the next morning. And the fresh pineapple muddled into my mojito makes for a crisp awakening even more enjoyable without any overly-sweet syrup to weigh it down.

The standout spirit has to be the spicy cucumber gimlet - a superb and friendly mix of flavors that encourages you to take the plunge and indulge in more than one. It can be difficult to find a bar to make a proper gimlet; the mix of correct ingredients does not a fantastic drink make. Rest assured, SWIM bartenders know a good gimlet, complete with their own spicy twist.

The elegant interior bar boasts a 360-degree 800 gallon aquarium and sparkling views of Mission Bay, and the outdoor patio with its own stretch of sandy beach is exposed through floor to ceiling glass walls. Inside, you don't even notice the floors are concrete until you spy a woman in a bikini ordering a mojito, leaving a trail of wet footprints on her way back to the pool. Guests choose to relax within the indoor lounge, kick back at the private sand beach outside or stay cool by the pool and ever-flowing waterslides.

Because nothing sucks the glamour out of nightlife (or day-life) quicker than a plastic cup, SWIM combines safety with sophistication, serving drinks in acrylic vessels moulded to resemble their crystal counterparts. This attention to detail is echoed not only throughout SWIM but the Hyatt as a whole, where timeless design speaks to function, comfort, and aesthetic sensibility.

Pan-Latino Fusion Cuisine

I was hoping my vegetarian diet wouldn't limit my ability to enjoy what the menu had to offer, and I was pleasantly surprised to find a healthy selection of veggie-friendly offerings and vegetarian substitutions available upon request.

Plantain chips are crisp and tasty and paired well with two different dips, while the fresh guacamole made table-side to your liking is worth returning for (and I did). I prefer to snack on a variety of finger foods with my cocktails, but I was happy that I opted for a fresh green salad, and my meat-eating dinner companion thoroughly enjoyed the Cuban sandwich, a house specialty.

My evening visit was a mix of wine, cocktails, and girlfriends, mingling with hotel guests and well-dressed restaurant patrons looking for a relaxing post-dinner cocktail. Returning for lunch and poolside cocktails the following weekend with my paramour, I steeled myself for what I was sure would be the screams of children frolicking in the hotel's large pool and waterslides. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised to find families mix easily with patrons seeking adult ease in the sun.

Somehow the Hyatt Regency Mission Bay has managed to create an atmosphere that appeals to those looking for a space to indulge in conversation and cocktails without alienating their more family-oriented guests. And events such as their Dive-in Movie screenings ensure the lounge concept will remain fresh for in-town regulars, like myself, who are eager for an excuse to call in sick to work and spend an afternoon-turned-evening SWIMming.

From the vast pool area and waterslides to the chic indoor lounge, sparkling Mission Bay views, and enticing cocktail menu, SWIM is guaranteed to be a top venue for sun and star-lit soirees all spring and summer long.

Still hungry? Opt for a famed scallops dish at Red Marlin, the newest fine dining addition to Mission Bay.

For all the Insider scoop on Red Marlin, read the details here.