Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach Resort

We have stayed at this property many times, from the time it was a St. Regis to its independent days as the Monarch Beach Resort. This was our second time staying at this property as the Waldorf Astoria. Every time we’ve come — regardless of brand — it’s been great. That’s why we keep coming back! This time, it was spectacular. The location/setting/views are amazing. It’s a property you don’t want to leave, yet it’s easily accessible to nearby restaurants and parks if desired. The beach club restaurant serves delicious food in a luxurious setting with a casual vibe. The beach is spectacular, and they provide lots of toys and games for children. The fitness classes are amazing! Bourbon Steak is a must-have indulgence at least once during the stay. The housekeeping is superior. That team works so hard to keep the room clean. They came whenever we requested them to, and spent a lot of time in the room making things perfect. As Gold Hilton members, we received $50 F&B credit daily, which was greatly appreciated! We booked through Costco Travel, and found the value to be amazing. The valet was not always effective, especially for $70/night, but that was about our only complaint. Oh, and the spa was excessively expensive and had a snobby vibe. Still deserving of five stars!

My husband and I stayed in mid-Sept '25 at Waldorf Monarch Beach resort @ Dana point CA for 3 nights.  We had an absolutely awesome time.  The resort was spectacular (clean everywhere, all upgraded/remodeled from what I can see), the service was beyond belief (in a good way), and the food fantastic.  We have stayed at 2 other Waldorfs (Maui and Vegas) and nothing compares with the Monarch Beach one.  OK, to be fair, we are diamond members so we are used to the upgrading of our reservation, always addressing us by name, and other perks.  But they went beyond with what we are used to.  We did tell them we were on our 26h anniversary and that might have been the reason for the excellent service but we did our 25th anniversary at the Maui site and didn't get this type of service.  Our 1-bedroom suite was very clean and beautiful; very impressive.  The only thing is we kinda expected a bathtub (which we did get at the other Waldorfs) but this one did not come with it.  But we did have the robes and the slippers.  We sampled all their restaurants:  (1) Steak house was definitely "upper-class", had the filet mignon and delmonico ribeye - all were done superbly; the french fries that were complimentary were fried just right and had great sauces; desserts were awesome. (2) Monarch Bay Beach club was definitely more laid-back and why not, it was right by the beach.  The Poke was good; I only say "good" because if you have been to Hawaii and tasted their "great" pokes, nothing else can compare.  We had lunch and dinner there.  All the food was good to great.  Nothing was "just okay". Bartender makes wonderful concoctions too.  And before I go on to the next restaurant, I need to do a shout-out to the service on the beach.  Someone basically sets you up with chairs and umbrellas; there is no food/drink service but that is ok.  So one doesn't need to lift a finger for a set-up. And, (3) Aveo - did breakfast and dinner.  Breakfast was pretty good but nothing too different/odd, which is ok to my taste.  Now, dinner was SUPERB.  I think our waiter was Bruce and if I got his name wrong, he is the tall, older gentleman who likes to research the drinks and food that they serve.  He was such a pleasure to chat with.  Anyway, I had the sea bass - OMG, this is the BEST BEST dish on the premises.  My husband and I like to eat very good food when we go out on dates so I know a thing or two about great food and this SEA BASS was just beyond words.  I am still thinking about it. ... We didn't get to sample 33 North since we definitely had our fill at the restaurants.  But we did sample some bites at Sombra Cantina by the pool and they were appetizing; drinks were good too.  POOL: There are 2 pools (well one more by the spa) and 3 large hot tubs with salt water.  Lots of umbrellas and the pool handlers all will help with positioning them to where you want them.  Also lots of loungers.  One thing:  this place is NOT cheap or average on prices.  Don't expect to be able to nickel and dime.  The restaurants are expensive, even more so than in Vegas and Maui (except for Nobu restaurant).  But despite the cost, this place is definitely worth coming back to.. We are not far from this place; I have been looking for a classy getaway place that we can quickly drive to and have a very restful stay.  Oh, another thing: Unfortunately, like many resorts, they allow for "resortPass" entries. This can bring some riff raff, so try to avoid special holidays and some summer days.  I did check resort pass site and it looked like they only allow entry if you rent a cabana, which is not cheap, so the party who rents needs to pay up to even get a pass here; however, a party of 4-6 can obviously split the costs making it much cheaper to go to this resort.  This is my only issue.  I have been to resorts before expecting rest and quiet and instead I get LOUD and annoying and no place to sit at the pools.  So be watchful of popular days and avoid them.  I need to do another shout out to the spectacular service of the night-time manager, Blanco, who accommodated one of my requests, which NO OTHER hotel as ever done for me (and I have stayed at Marriotts, Hyatts, Hiltons, and obviously Waldorfs).  And another shout-out to Eric at the front desk who kindly upgraded us and was super-nice.    We plan to come back hopefully often for that restful, quiet stay.  Oh I forgot to say one more thing:  for those of you who have stayed in Asia at Shangri-la and experienced their service, food, and hotels, this Waldorf Monarch Beach I believe is at par with the Shang-ri-la style.  Monarch Beach people:  Thanks for a GREAT stay.  Looking forward to seeing you all again.

The property is beautiful and clean with very friendly staff. My highest disappointment was with the pool experience. The towels were literally gross, several of them that I kept picking up had huge orange stains. Why are you redistributing them when this is evident of the employee who is responsible for folding them. Trust me these stains were huge and not to be missed yet when folded they were not shown so obviously the guest picks it up and unfolds to find the situation. Secondly, your huge property needs to segregate a pool to families and one to just adults as well as the jacuzzi to adults only. I’m paying over $1k a night to enjoy my time and I’m at a pool with a bunch of sloppy children, crying, screaming and pissing in the pool and jacuzzi. This is gross and not handled properly for your caliber of property. This is not a $300 a night property, I’m very disappointed on how your management handles this situation. I wasn’t the only one annoyed from this at the pool. Also, it ruined my whole experience as most of was to enjoy the beautiful weather, get sun and enjoy a drink and bite there.

I had the most incredible experience. From the moment I arrived, everything felt calm and luxurious. I booked a massage with Michelle, and she was absolutely amazing! She was attentive, professional, and incredibly skilled — truly the best massage I’ve ever had. I left feeling completely relaxed and refreshed. Michelle made the whole experience unforgettable, and I can’t wait to return. Highly recommend both the spa and Michelle if you’re looking for the perfect massage.

Beautiful property. The resort is huge. There is a walking path to the beach, you do not have to take the tram. I did the walking path for a morning walk, but took the tram with my beach items. There is an attendant at the beach who will set up chairs, an umbrella, and provide sand toys to children. I ultimately preferred the pool as the beach was a bit too windy. The beach club area was nice and had good food. The pool had a nice spa and very attendant staff. The coffee bar had a wildly long line in the morning, I just ordered coffee off property the after the first morning wait. For families, there is no fridge for additional items. My son is 7 and had a great time.