Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach Resort & Club

Orange County’s refined beachfront stunner
VERIFIED LUXURY

Overlooking the Pacific Ocean from its cliff-top perch, Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach Resort & Club offers not just panoramic vistas of an unending sea but also acres of lush gardens, quick access to a tucked-away SoCal beach and a Robert Trent Jones Jr.-designed golf course that makes it a retreat all its own. Arriving for check-in in a deep-blue, white and gray lobby mirroring its ocean surroundings, you can look out from the Dana Point hotel’s sprawling terrace, where you can survey the remarkable tiers of scenic activity descending to the beach, from AVEO Table + Bar’s veranda a step below to a grand Mediterranean fountain, brilliant turquoise pools and sun chairs, a delightful sculpture garden and the greens of the golf course fading into the ocean beyond.

The perfect SoCal mix of elegance and casual,Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach Resort & Club seems to delight in giving you reasons to delay visiting the myriad sought-after wilderness and theme parks, whale watching tours, surf spots, world-class dining, art galleries, Pacific Coast Highway drives and other attractions nearby. 

Not that you have to stray off of the property — it boasts six ocean-view restaurants, most notably Bourbon Steak Orange County; three sumptuous pools; Waldorf Astoria Spa and its comprehensive menu of immersive, rejuvenating treatments; a host of onsite water and other outdoor adventures; and exclusive access to the private Monarch Bay Beach Club, housed in a mid-1960s cottage-like structure that has long been an icon for the laid-back luxe West Coast beach life.

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Our Inspector's Highlights

  • The luxury hotel is home to Bourbon Steak Orange County, acclaimed chef Michael Mina’s contemporary steakhouse. Don't miss the butter-poached steaks, which come with water views.
  • Surrounded by 175 acres of tropical gardens and exotic flowers, the Dana Point hotel feels a world away from buzzy SoCal life.
  • Amid the azure water and tranquil gardens at this oceanfront location isWaldorf Astoria Spa, a palatial center that offers restorative escapes in 24 treatment rooms along with steam rooms, saunas, indoor and outdoor Jacuzzis, a coed outdoor lap pool and tranquil lounges.
  • Monarch Beach Golf Links’ 18-hole course is adjacent to the hotel and features Scottish-style links dotted with Augusta white sand bunkers and rolling greens that can make for an inspiring challenge, which is easily soothed by the Pacific as its backdrop.
  • Each accommodation comes with its own patio or balcony, where you can hear palm trees sway in the gentle breeze and get a glimpse of the water. Ground-floor rooms and suites have the bonus of fire pits, which make for cozy evenings.

Things to Know

  • Keep active by playing the tennis courts, walking the butterfly-dotted trails or taking one of the more than 40 fitness classes the Orange County hotel offers weekly.
  • The kid-friendly hotel has a family pool with a splash playground and lawn games for little ones.
  • The Monarch Bay Beach Club is for members and hotel guests only and features ocean education programs, water activities (including window-bottom stand-up paddleboards),complimentary umbrellas and chair service, cabanas, and practical beach gear storage space and fire pit tables for lounging with some vino into the late afternoon or evening, especially when the club provides movie nights or live music.

The Restaurants

  • At Latin-inspired restaurant AVEO Table + Bar, breakfast, lunch and dinner take place in a casual yet elegant setting that overlooks the pool beach. The best seats are ones outside on the terrace.
  • Tuck into pub fare (the Beach Bum Burger), SoCal favorites (Baja tacos) and upscale dishes (pan-seared New Zealand lamb chops with mint-pea emulsion) at Monarch Beach Bay Beach Club.
  • A lobby bar and ocean-facing terrace make up 33 North, which serves light bites and cocktails. Take a seat outside next to the fire pits for gorgeous Pacific sunsets while you sip champagne or cognac.
  • The poolside Sombra Cantina cools you off with pineapple coconut mojitos and cucumber jalapeño margaritas. Refuel with quesadillas and fish tacos.
  • Peering out over the golf course’s first tee, Club 19 is the place to go for American fare (nachos, California cobb salad), cocktails (like the Club 19 Palmer with Tito's vodka, hibiscus lemonade, iced tea and agave) and water vistas after a round.

Amenities
24-hour room service
Bar
Beach
Fitness classes
Golf
Gym
Meeting rooms
Outdoor pool
Pet friendly
Restaurants
Spa
Tennis
Getting There
1 Monarch Beach Resort, Dana Point, California 92629
TEL800-722-1543
TEL949-234-3200
NEARBY AIRPORT(S)
SNA (28-35 min)   LAX (55 min-1 h 10 min)   SAN (1 h-1 h 25 min)  
Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach Resort & Club
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