The Monarch Beach Lobby Lounge

Always enjoy staying at the Waldorf Astoria. Nice escape, great location, attentive staff. Perfect getaway.

I stayed at the Monarch for a business meeting. The property and resort is absolutely outstanding. From the friendliness of the staff to the condition of the property, my experience was superior. I will definitely return!

Check In - Suites were available, however, I wasn’t offered one despite being diamond member. I was told that I had received an upgrade with a better view. Upon asking for a suite, I was told that I could pay $440 for a suite. Apparently my shock was evident so the desk attendant said he could knock it down to $400. Rather than being at the Waldorf or being a Diamond member, I felt like I was haggling for a car or at a time share. Front Desk- on our second day, my wife had to wait over 5 minutes to receive help while 5 Hilton employees carried on socializing. Pool service - Or lack there of. After asking for a menu and waiting 10 minutes, I went to get my own menu. After flagging down a waiter and asking to order, he said he’d be right back and never returned. As a result, I ordered at the bar. When the food was actually delivered, I made a comment to the waiter and he didn’t hold back from saying what a mess the service was and his colleagues weren’t doing their jobs. Highly disappointed in this Waldorf’s poor service. You usually pay for what you get but that is not the case at this Waldorf. The only good service was at Bourbon. It is pricy but the service is stellar.

Incredible romantic weekend. This is one of our favorite resorts ever! The rooms are fantastic (all newly remodeled), the scenery and facilities are incredible, and the service is first class. One of the few resorts we’ve been to recently that has enough staffing to handle every need with no waits. The beach nearby is beautiful, with chairs and towels provided complementary, as well as a free shuttle. The pool is also fantastic. The restaurants on site are also great. But be forewarned, you need reservations for breakfast.

My husband and I took a few days to get away to this beautiful resort. We were greeted by the valet who was very insistent in taking our car even though we told him we are dropping off our luggage and going to park our car somewhere else. He was very pushy trying to park it just for a few minutes while we unloaded. He even went as far as not allowing my husband to help me transport our bags to the front door. My husband had to stay with the car at all times, the valet said. This first interaction made me quite hesitant on what I should expect as I checked in. Check in: It was absolutely amazing and the exact opposite of our experience with the valet. Russell greeted me with a warm, friendly smile, welcomed me to the Waldorf and offered me cold waters. He was prompt in looking up my reservation and acknowledged me as a Diamond Hilton member. He quickly told me that even though we arrived super early (11:30 am) he would put me on the list to get a room ASAP. He went over all the benefits they provide Diamond members and took my contact information so they could contact me when our room was ready. My husband and I then went on our way to park our car off site (the hotel charges $70 for valet). It wasn’t more than 15 minutes after that we received a text saying that our room was ready. We quickly made our way back to the hotel where they immediately told us we had been upgraded to a suite and had their bell hop, Marcel, help us up to our room. Marcel was so friendly and had so many great recommendations for us on what to do at the resort, in the area, etc. He recommended the pizza at the local coffee/food bar in the resort. We did take his recommendation for the pizza and it was pretty good. Marcel was another gem that helped us! Our room: So it was beautifully appointed with a large glass shower, walk in closet with comfy slippers and robes, a separate water closet, double sinks, a bar area, living room with desk are and patio and of course the main bedroom with a comfortable king bed. I was impressed! It was very clean throughout, which is VERY important to me. The only thing missing was a view but I am not complaining at all. I feel very fortunate to have been upgraded to this beautiful room. Our Visit: We took the bus trolley to the beach after we unpacked and changed into our beach wear. The trolley was easy to find and ran throughout the day. It was very convenient! The beach provides chairs and umbrellas for their guests. They bring the chairs and umbrellas to whatever location you want on the beach. Great Service! The Beach House was great with options for food and drinks, and wonderful places to sit. It had a fabulous vibe! We spent many hours on the beach reading, walking the shore and then going up to the Beach House to watch a volleyball tournament. So fun! For dinner we actually ordered a pizza & a Caesar salad and ate it on our balcony. It was perfectly relaxing. We were able to take advantage of the beautiful grounds and walked around the premises and found so many cute seating areas to have a cocktail and relax. The next morning we found an outdoor fire pit where we sat, read and had our coffee. I inquired at the front desk if we could have a late check out so that I could join the yoga class their gym offered. They didn’t hesitate and allowed us to check out late. I was able to join the yoga class which took place on their spa’s pool deck. It turned out to be a small class of only 3 of us and our instructor, Laura. Laura was wonderful and very helpful in making sure I was doing my poses correctly. I truly enjoyed the class! Before we left we ordered a chicken caprese sandwich at the coffee place again and the sandwich was delicious. I recommend it. Check out: Super easy and fast. They had our bill ready and it was correct. They asked if our stay was good and thanked us for visiting and that they hoped to see us again. Yes, you will see us again Waldorf Monarch Beach. Your hospitality was beautiful and all the amenities you had for us, your guests, is what will bring us back soon! Thank you to each and ev

Loved my stay at this hotel, I came to the area after a milestone as this resort is like a second home to me. I visit with family, friends or to see local friends, and when any milestone occurs. In room dining was great and my stay was perfect. I got upgraded to a slightly bigger room and it was really nice especially when having dinner in the room. I grabbed dinner at Harpoon Henry’s down by the harbor which is one of my favorite local old school places to eat. Sat at the pool and ordered fruit skewers with tajin- these were incredible! I tried to copycat them at home and it wasn’t the same. If you stay here I promise you won’t regret it!

Beautiful hotel I have been here many times. I have also been here through three different owners. The current owner has really evened out all of the services that make a five star hotel. Simple things like staff who are coming down the hallways, graciously stop and let the guest go by whereas in the past they used to barrel on through. The valet seem to be more staffed up than before and were always there and ready. Here are some nits though to maintain the five star rating. The gym wasn’t fully renovated yet and that’s being done which is great because it moved back to the old location which was Rinky dinky and cramped. The new room design has settled and it is amazingly beautiful . The lobby is going through the renovation soon and will be finished I hear by January. Some of the furniture looks a little bit stained in the lobby . The rugs are missing and all that will be addressed. But it’s still very beautiful. The back servers atAveo need some training as a fine dining experience should never have a waiter coming out and say ‘who had the lobster tostado and who had the ceviche’. It should be mapped out carefully by the front server, so not to bother the guests with diner like talk. Housekeeping is excellent. Front desk is excellent. Concierge is excellent. And most of all the bellmen are maybe the best in my world travels. All the staff taking you down to the beach club Excellent.

Great resort. We all had a great time. Check in area can get crowded at check-in time but staff was friendly and efficient. Views are awesome. Besides hotel experiences, we also enjoyed the running/biking trails adjacent to property, great way to start your morning.

Amazing hotel and location. Service is impeccable! The whole staff was so attentive - even the golf attendants gave us water when they saw us walking on the trail towards the beach. Great variety of outlets. We loved the little café and breakfast was top notch. Pool service was excellent as well. Highly recommended!!

I booked one night with points, as the rate for the night was quite steep at around $1, 500. I was lucky to be able to book a room with a standard reward redemption during the Ohana Festival which was the reason for my visit to the area. I was also upgraded to a room with a pool view, which was much appreciated. Ultimately, in order to be able to check in early, I had to get a standard room though, which was still very nice. While my room had no view to speak of, the room itself was very luxurious, modern, inviting and spacious. It felt like a classic deluxe Waldorf-Astoria room, with all the amenities I'd expect of the brand. I also enjoyed the little balcony. The bathroom was nice, but I was surprised that it didn't feature a proper separate shower. Instead, I had to do the whole "shower in the tub" thing which I would not expect of a luxurious property that demands $1, 500 per night or more for the lowest room category. Indeed, the toilet was placed inside a very spacious, separate room, with the toilet awkwardly situated in one corner of the vast space. Very odd design choice to have so much space for the toilet, instead of building a proper shower. I had lunch at the hotel's own beach club, an upscale facility that is a short ride away on the complimentary golf cart. While a bit bourgeoise for my taste, the food was great, and the cocktail was divine. The view, over the beach and ocean, was also very nice. The hotel pool was also really nice, and the grounds overall are gorgeous. I had breakfast at AVEO which was also great. Kelly, my server, was amazing and provided truly 5-star service. Many compliments to her. Overall a great stay, and I wish I had been able to stay longer!

This is our third stay at the Waldorf Monarch Beach. It is a wonderful property at which, as a Hilton Diamond Member, you receive a room upgrade every time. We booked a king garden view; and were upgraded to first floor pool view with fireplace. We brought our own croissants and homemade jam with us; and had that for breakfast by the fireplace every morning. 1). Early Check - in - YES and always and it's almost like, you're never too early. 2). Late Check- out - MY PLEASURE 3) Grounds are well maintained, clean, and immaculate 4). Staff treats you with respect; and no matter what you ask for, their response "MY PLEASURE" 5) Love the shuttle down to the private beach club. 6). Had dinner at Aveo every night. The Chef made the most delicious house salad with seasonal greens, topped with fresh crab meat - all over a pomegranate sauce. Had the most amazing views every night overlooking the grounds and watched the sky change colors at sunset. 7) Very walkable property - that included paved trails that lead down to the beach and back up a different way. Did about 7 miles every day. 8). Can't wait to go back next year.

This hotel was the final stop of our amazing US trip, where we expected to relax and unwind…this is my 5th day in Waldorf Astoria… In brief, it is not worth its price, it’s is not a luxury hotel ( solid 4 *), poorly managed, underinvested, with a dull decor, but in a nice location. And here are the details: 1. Price. Paid about $10, 000 for 8 nights, standard room with 2 queen beds plus valet parking 70 USD per night, breakfast is not included. 2. Our room. north facing, no light, gray decor, low ceilings, looks small and dull, the closet is small. bathroom, bed ok, weak pressure in the shower 3. Service. Nice people but lack of proper and uniform training, no gloss, no particular attention to guests, definitely not 5*, except maybe for a concierge. 4. Cleanliness. The room is ok, but carpets and upholstery in lobby require dry-cleaning and reparation asap, hard-to-reach places around the pool are not properly cleaned, empty glasses around the pool area in the evening, peeled off paint, low maintenance of plumbing. 5. Decor. Hotel got some face lift, but still looks tired, long labyrinths of corridors with gray decor and low ceilings look depressive. 6. Facilities. The hotel positions itself as family friendly, but no kids club, children have fun by themselves, sitting in hot jacuzzis next to the adults drinking cocktails. Golf - convenient and adequate price. Tennis club - good, free for guests. 7. Restaurants. Went to Aveo for lunch, the food and service is average, not worth the price. The lobby bar is good. Bourbon Steak looks good. Breakfast buffet in Aveo is of an average quality, again 4* standard 8. Location is nice, convenient tram to the beach club. Sorry about this review but I hope it will help the hotel’s perspective guests to avoid my disappointment.

The carpet in the lobby is falling apart; it's a weird way to welcome people to an upscale hotel. Aveo has a really loud guitar player; couldn't eat inside for that reason. He'd be fine if the acoustic guitar wasn't amplified. Outside had no protection from the blinding setting sun; the umbrellas don't flex to block it. Food was very good, especially the lobster salad and the sea bass.

I spent three nights and two full days at the Waldorf Monarch Bay. This used to be a St Regis priority and I had stayed there previously. The facility remains in top condition with the meeting spaces well organized and the activity, or outdoor areas, having been well maintained. The catering/meals were delicious and the staff very accommodating and easy to speak with. The hotel lobby bar serves well made cocktails and friendly bartenders with a very causal setting. The golf course and the facility were fantastic.

Nice staycation at the impressive WA Monarch Beach Resort in Dana Point. We were upgraded to a fire pit room and complimentary deluxe s'mores kit was a nice touch. Couple days before we arrived I was contacted by personal concierge and Lucinda exceeded our expectations. My wife had a birthday celebration and upon arrival was sent champagne and a personal note from her. She also made reservations for us at Monarch Bay Beach Club restaurant and Aveo. Overall, we'll be back for our next staycation.