THE ST. REGIS MONARCH BEACH RESORT - Dana Point CA 1 Monarch Beach Resort 92629 California Map

4.0 out of 5 Based on 768 guest reviews, Very Good

Based on 792 traveler reviews

Value

Rooms

Cleanliness

Service

Excellent

429

Very Good

177

Average

Poor

Terrible

Most Recent Traveler Reviews:

“Amazing Property”

May 14, 2013 TSPH02, Arlington Heights | Trip type: Business

The view, the staff, the service, the rooms. It is all top notch and well worth the price. I came here for business, but all I could think about was... more »

“Terrific Trip”

May 11, 2013 Stephanie K, Milford, Pennsylvania | Trip type: Couples

This was my second stay at the Monarch Beach location and I enjoyed it just as much as the first time. My husband and I stayed together while on vacation... more »

“5 Stars But Could Improve Some Things”

May 11, 2013 sobemama, miami | Trip type: Business

My husband and I recently stayed at the St Regis Monarch Beach for 5 nights. Overall, this property is lovely. The landscaping, decor, spacious rooms and amenities are beautiful as... more »

My husband and I recently stayed at the St Regis Monarch Beach for 5 nights. Overall, this property is lovely. The landscaping, decor, spacious rooms and amenities are beautiful as would be expected at a 5 star luxury property. The staff was friendly and accommodating. As others state, this resort does not sit right on the beach, however, I did find the view stunning. We didn't golf or try the StoneHill Tavern, however the course looked nice and we heard rave reviews about the restaurant.

The Pros:

Beautiful rooms and decor.
Highly recommend the 2 hour beach hike!!!
Sit on the patio and enjoy the view with cocktails, breakfast...

The Cons:

Shuttle to the beach resort took far too long and would be filled up. Then you get stuck waiting another 40 minutes. I missed one shuttle my group was on as it was filled up. My husband back at the resort missed the next one as it was filled up. We could not meet up for nearly an hour and finally, he skipped the beach. There should be 2 shuttles - one at the beach restaurant and one at the main hotel back and forth at all times.

Drinks at $18 - $20 per cocktail were weak. I live on South Beach. I understand this price range, however for this price the cocktails should be artesian and have good amounts of high quality liquor. The drinks at the lobby bar were basically 1 shot of gin in a tall ice filled glass for $18. The Classic Bloody Mary on the Bloody Mary menu was uninspiring. I do however recommend the Strawberry Lemonade at the pool - very refreshing.

One day the valet was so backed up that people were waiting 45 minutes for their cars. We only waited about 20 minutes or so but others were there much longer.

There was something missing in the overall vibe of the hotel. This may be one part Southern California laid back vibe but the other part is truly a lack of energy. Can't exactly describe it but felt a bit drab despite the beauty. Were the main areas missing a sound? A scent? I don't know but I have stayed at many, many luxury properties and this one just had something not quite in place.

Despite all of that, I would stay here again. Stunning hotel, take the hike, go to Laguna often. Car not necessary but would recommend. « less

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“Great Luxury Resort”

May 9, 2013 ledieff, Pleasant Hill, California | Trip type: Couples

Ah the benefits of being a Starwood member have been cashed in for the first time here at the St. Regis Monarch Beach in Dana Point. I used points for... more »

Ah the benefits of being a Starwood member have been cashed in for the first time here at the St. Regis Monarch Beach in Dana Point. I used points for a complimentary night for my wife’s birthday. I upgraded to an executive suite for an extra $170/night which was pretty cool.
We checked in a little earlier that 4pm and received our room without a problem. The valet was very nice and professional; we were greeted with a bottle of water as we waited in line at the front desk. While we were in the check in process the front desk was not aware of our upgraded stay, after a few minutes they had it all figured out which was great. The front desk staff was very nice and professional.
The bellman escorted us to our room which was one of the nicest rooms I have every stayed in. We were then called by the butler staff asking if they could come to the room and explain their services. They explained about the unpacking and packing services they offer complimentary as well as the French press coffee service. One other service they offer is free pressing of garments for guests in suites.
We went out to the pool for the afternoon which was beautiful and the weather matched the décor. This is definitely a luxury resort, and you do pay luxury prices for the food and drink. But we were expecting this due to the where we were. Our butler had set a reservation for us at the Monarch Beach club, which is the private restaurant for hotel guests and residence. We had a sunset dinner on the beach which I have to say was one of the best meals I have ever had. The server was aware that is was my wife’s birthday as we arrived and we were treated to an amazing complimentary dessert at the end of our meal. I will say again; you should be ready to pay for this experience if you are not used to this type of resort.
We retreated back to the room and there was an extra desert treat for my wife’s birthday. I had asked the butler staff to have a hot bath drawn for her as we arrived back to the room from dinner. This was not taken care even though it was confirmed by the staff via email. The only reason I bring this up is that I truly did not know how to use the service. This was one thing that I thought they would do and since I was paying for I figured “why not?”. We stayed in the room the rest of the night and enjoyed the room. My wife did end up taking a bath, oh and I did not mention this but the bath tub is pretty amazing in the suites.
Every staff member we came across was great. Our personal butler’s name was William. He was a very sweet and kind man that really enjoyed helping us out. I do not think he was aware of the request of the bath since I set that up with the staff member that contacted me via email. Over all I would come back if I had the chance. It is an amazingly beautiful resort with an excellent staff regardless of a little hiccup. « less

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“Great accommodations!”

May 2, 2013 COexec, Denver, Colorado | Trip type: Business

The hotel and property are beautiful, but when paying these prices for an executive suite I do expect more than 1 bottle of water per day, and for the bath... more »

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