The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel

You can’t beat the location of The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel. The hotel is perched on a cliff overlooking Salt Creek beach which is a great place to take a dip in the ocean and watch hordes of surfers. We had a room on the first floor with a patio including a fire pit. The room also included a Smores kit with marshmallows, chocolate, graham crackers and some long sticks. It was nice having the fire pit but ocean views from higher floors would be much better. The room was nothing special for a 5 star hotel but adequate. The service from everyone at the hotel was outstanding especially at the Market Place cafe. Not only were the breakfast burritos delicious but the service from Kelly and Sureenan was outstanding. I mentioned we were celebrating a birthday and they sent a nice birthday gift to our room. It was such a great surprise and made the birthday celebration even more memorable. We ate at Raya for dinner and had a window seat with panoramic views of the ocean, surfers and sunset. The food was decent but nothing remarkable. The star of the show is the view. We also used the car service and Christian went out of his way to show us around Dana Point. If you are looking for a truly unique beach resort, The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel is your place.

Our family has visited The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel many times over the years, and we always enjoy stopping by The Library for a bottle of wine. Tonight, however, the service truly stood out. Our server, Jacob, deserves special recognition for going above and beyond. The property was absolutely packed, including a large wedding, yet somehow Jacob never allowed the level of service to suffer. I usually order club soda with my wine, and I don't think my glass was empty for even a moment all evening. Glass after glass, Jacob was there without ever needing to be asked. My wife, my son, and I had stopped by to enjoy some wine before our dinner at Mastro's, and Jacob made what could have been a simple stop into an exceptionally enjoyable experience. Outstanding hospitality is about anticipating a guest's needs, especially when a property is extremely busy, and Jacob demonstrated exactly that tonight. Thank you, Jacob, for making us feel so welcome and for providing such exceptional service. I sincerely hope Mr. Dugan and Ms. Stewart recognize you for the hard work and professionalism you demonstrated tonight. You are an excellent representative of The Ritz-Carlton standard of service. Five stars, and very well deserved!

We had an absolutely wonderful stay at The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel. The resort itself is stunning, and the ocean views are truly incredible. The location overlooking the Pacific is hard to beat, and the entire property is beautifully maintained and feels special from the moment you arrive. What really made our stay memorable, though, was the exceptional staff. Everyone we encountered was warm, friendly, and genuinely welcoming. A special thank you to Junyi at the front desk, who was incredibly helpful and made us feel welcome right away, and Tom, our bellman, who was very friendly and accommodating. We also had a fantastic experience at the pool thanks to Katie and Alison, who took such great care of us and made our time relaxing by the pool even more enjoyable. And a special mention to Fernando at Raya, who provided outstanding service during our meal and helped make the evening memorable. It’s the combination of the spectacular setting, beautiful resort, and wonderful people that makes The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel such a special place. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay and will absolutely be looking forward to coming back. Highly recommend!

Beautiful quiet hotel. Great staff. Beautiful room overlooking ocean. Lovely quiet pool (Monarch). Perfect stay!

Of course, the property is beautiful, and the location is second to none. Because we live in the area, we have been coming here since it was built in the 1980s. We came here tonight to celebrate our 39th wedding anniversary and were given a beautiful table by the window with an outstanding view. Unfortunately, what should have been a wonderful experience was marred by a disappointing interaction with our server. I asked the waitress whether they had Luxardo cherries or used an imitation version. She responded, “Oh no, we absolutely have the real thing.” I asked, “Are you sure?” and she assured me, “Yes.” Based on that, I ordered a Manhattan. When the drink arrived, I quickly realized that the cherries were not Luxardo cherries. I went to the bar and asked the bartender directly whether they used Luxardo cherries. He said they did not and told me the brand they actually use, although I don’t recall the name. I later mentioned this to our waitress, and she apologized. I expected that, given the incorrect information I had been given, the drink would be removed from the bill, but it was not. Perhaps she felt that the complimentary dessert she had provided in recognition of our 39th anniversary was sufficient. I appreciated the gesture and thought it was generous. That said, the issue is not the cost of the drink or the dessert. It is the fact that I specifically asked a straightforward question, asked for confirmation, and was assured that the answer was yes—only to discover from the bartender that it was not true. We have been coming to this property for decades, and that makes the experience particularly disappointing. A mistake is understandable; confidently giving a customer incorrect information after being asked to verify it is not. I’m sharing this review because I believe guests should be aware that they cannot necessarily rely on their server's information when asking specific questions about what is being served.