Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach Resort

My wife and I stayed at the Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach for my birthday earlier this week. This was our second time at the property, and somehow it was even better than the first. From the service to the food to the incredible setting, it was the perfect place to celebrate my birthday. We spent quite a bit of time at the pool, where Tess and Hayden took amazing care of us both days. They were incredibly friendly and accommodating, whether we were asking to move umbrellas, ordering drinks, or needed anything else. They checked on us multiple times throughout the day, always with a warm smile and genuinely pleasant attitude. It's that kind of attentive but never intrusive service that really makes a resort experience special. For my birthday breakfast, we ate at AVEO Table + Bar. Alfred was our server and was fantastic, friendly, personable, and full of great recommendations. He mentioned right from the start that the wait for our food might be a little longer than usual, and we honestly couldn't have been happier to hear that! While a long wait can sometimes be an issue, in this setting it was a blessing. Sitting there enjoying the beautiful views overlooking the water, we would have happily stayed even longer. My eggs Benedict were slightly overcooked, but the flavor was delicious and the portion was generous. My wife really enjoyed her breakfast as well. We asked to speak with the manager afterward simply because we wanted her to know how much we appreciated Alfred and the service we received. I believe her name was Cathy, and she couldn't have been nicer. She genuinely seemed to appreciate us taking the time to recognize her staff and, in turn, made us feel appreciated for doing so. That says a lot about the culture of the restaurant. We also had dinner at the Monarch Bay Beach Club, and it was another highlight of the trip. The setting right on the beach is beautiful, the staff was wonderful, and the food was outstanding. We both ordered the prime rib, and it was AMAZING. I don't say this lightly, as it was the best prime rib I've had in Southern California, and I thought it was even better than my longtime favorite, House of Prime Rib in San Francisco. The portions were generous, the seasoning was perfect, and the meat practically melted in our mouths. If you're staying here when the prime rib is available, get it! Our server, Dylan, was attentive, friendly, and genuinely enjoyable to chat with throughout dinner. To finish the evening, the bartender made me a fantastic Mexican coffee for dessert. I really wish I could remember his name, but maybe he made them a little too good. 😂 I believe he was the only bartender with a mustache, so hopefully management knows who I'm talking about and gives him some credit too! Even the trolley ride back to the resort turned into a memorable part of the evening. We chatted with a super nice couple who were taking babymoon pictures on the beach, something I had never even heard of until my wife explained it to me! 😂 The four of us ended up having a great conversation with our trolley driver, who gave us an impromptu history lesson about the property along with some other really interesting stories and tidbits. He was funny, knowledgeable, and made what could have been just a ride back to the hotel another fun part of the night. Unfortunately, by that point in my birthday celebration, my ability to remember names may have been slightly compromised. 😂 I don't remember his name either, but he did receive a generous tip, so hopefully he knows how much we enjoyed him! Finally, our room overlooked the pool and coastline, and we spent quite a bit of time just sitting outside on the patio taking in the view. The grounds are beautiful, the ocean setting is spectacular, and there are moments when you really don't need to be doing anything at all but sitting there enjoying where you are. We've now stayed at the Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach twice, and this visit managed to exceed our first. Beautiful property, excellent food, and, most importantly, a staff that consistently made us feel welcome and well cared for. It was a pretty perfect place to celebrate my birthday, and we will absolutely be back.

We had such a wonderful experience with Meghan! We were driving into town looking for a hotel, and unfortunately, the hotel was sold out. Meghan went above and beyond to help us, making recommendations and even calling around to see what options were available. She followed up with us to let us know that the recommended hotel was also sold out, which we truly appreciated. Later that evening, she called again to check in and see if we had found somewhere to stay. By then, a room at the Waldorf had become available, and Meghan made sure we knew about it because she genuinely wanted to make sure we were taken care of. That level of personal attention and follow-through is rare. Meghan was kind, proactive, and truly cared about helping us, even though she could have simply told us the hotel was sold out and left it at that. She is an absolute asset to the hotel, and we are so grateful for her outstanding customer service. Thank you, Meghan!

I had high expectations for Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach based on its reputation as a luxury resort, but unfortunately, my experience fell well short of what I expected. While the property is huge and decent, it lacked the genuine sense of luxury and exclusivity that I've experienced at other high-end hotels. The lobby felt surprisingly ordinary rather than grand or memorable, and the elevators are slow and dated. Our room was comfortable but fairly standard and didn't leave much of an impression for a property at this price point. The front desk informed us that we had been upgraded to a room with a partial pool view. In reality, the room overlooked a staircase and a wall, with only a distant glimpse of a few pool umbrellas, no actual view of the pool. Calling this a "partial pool view" was misleading and certainly did not feel like an upgrade. One of the biggest disappointments was the pool. For a resort of this size, having only one main pool felt inadequate, and which seemed too small to comfortably accommodate the number of guests, especially during a busy season like summer. Most of the staff were friendly and courteous, but as a Hilton elite member, I never felt recognized or valued. During our stay, a staff member asked if there was anything they could do to enhance our experience. I requested consideration for the parking fee, which I felt was outrageously and unreasonably priced. My request was immediately denied without any attempt to accommodate it, offer a partial discount or provide another reasonable solution. It left me wondering why the question was asked in the first place if there was no willingness to make even a small gesture of goodwill. What disappointed me most wasn't simply the parking fee but the overall lack of hospitality. At other luxury properties we've stayed at, the staff have consistently gone above and beyond to make us feel genuinely welcomed and appreciated. Those experiences made us feel like valued guests and VIPs. Here, despite the Waldorf Astoria name, that level of personalized service was noticeably absent. Sadly, this was the most disappointing stay I've had at a luxury property. While the hotel has its positives, it did not deliver the exceptional service or luxury experience I associate with this brand, and I don't see myself returning.

We've been coming to Monarch year after year with a group that has vacationed together since the kids were in Kindergarten. They are now graduating HS so it was a bitter sweet weekend. We choose Monarch Beach Resort because of the amazing rooms, pool scene, and access to a very private beach area. The location is perfect, the atmosphere is lively, it is spotless... but the best part of it was the attention to detail by the staff. I would say, even though we've been coming here forever, the service was ON POINT.

Eric greeted me warmly when I walked into the lobby. He made sure I got a room with 2 queen beds and guided me through the lobby to show me how to get to my room. It was my first time at the Waldorf Astoria and he made my stay memorable. The room was very clean, spacious and the balcony view was dreamy. I love the Aesop bath products and now buy them for daily use. The wait staff, risotto, and ambience at the Aveo Table and Bar were perfect. My niece loved the kid’s marinara dish so much, she licked the sauce from the plate. lol. Her eyes crossed when she drank the non alcoholic horchata drink. I appreciate the pool side seat setup as I was able to relax and keep an eye on my niece while enjoying the beautiful ocean and sunset views. For someone who can’t travel far or much due to disabilities, I really want to thank you for making this place disability friendly. My niece kept saying everyone is so nice here compared to her experience at previous bougie hotel in Maui. The pistachio latte is delicious and the young man who took my order was really nice despite the long line. Thank you to all the staff at Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach for your warmth and hard work.