Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach 1 Monarch Beach Resort North, Dana Point, CA 92629

"Overall a wonderful place to relax, with excellent food, grounds, service, and views. We stayed in a garden view room with a fire pit, which came with complementary wine and a s'mores kit. Sitting on our patio with the warmth of the fire was relaxing both day and night. The rooms themselves could use a few minor upgrades in the bathroom, specifically with the faucets and fixtures. The service is excellent throughout your entire stay, at every venue we visited. The property itself is not on the beach, however they do have a secluded and exclusive beachfront cafe, along with tram service to take you there."

"I spent a couple of nights at the Waldorf this last weekend and had the most exceptional stay. The rooms were beautiful, and comfortable. Victoria helped me book the fireside patio room which was so relaxing in the evening and mornings. Everyone from the front desk, to the bar and restaurants we're friendly and helpful and all very genuine in their assistance. We took advantage of borrowing a bike, some lovely pool time, delicious drinks at a couple of the bars and beachside dinner. Without a doubt, I will certainly be back!"

"This is my second time staying at this hotel. The first experience was excellent, and I even wrote an article with pictures on social media praising the accommodation and recommending it to everyone. I never expected tonight's stay to be so awful. I never thought that the vacation hotel I was eagerly anticipating would make me worry about water quality and equipment issues. My whole family was looking forward to brushing our teeth, taking a bath, and having a peaceful sleep tonight, but the water coming out of the bathtub was green. I couldn't trust it for my children. I tried calling the front desk from the room phone, but the line wasn't connected; it was hanging behind the cabinet, and I couldn't find a working line. I called the front desk from my mobile phone to report the issue, and someone came to address it after 15 minutes, but even the room buzzer didn't work, so I had to keep checking at the door. The staff told me the green water was normal, but I couldn't use it. I don't remember having this experience during my first stay. I'm extremely disappointed with this experience. I didn't dare to order food due to concerns about water quality, and I didn't even use the $50 credit. The housekeeping staff told me they would come back the next day to fix the buzzer issue, but I just want to leave as soon as possible. I won't be recommending this place to anyone."

"Had a weekend away with my husband. We had a wonderful time. We were upgraded due to our diamond status. Staff was amazing, enjoyed the spa (wear a swimming suit if you want to enjoy the jacuzzi) as we had a couple's massage, tram down to the beach was a nice feature. Room service was outstanding and they even made me some tartar sauce upon request! [I had asked if they had any for my French fries and was told they didn't. They offered to make some and I declined, but a few minutes later they were at the room with some freshly made!] The only negative is that we were told at check-in that we would automatically get a late check out at noon due to our diamond status (and we were told that they had already put it in the system) and twice the morning of our departure housekeeping came to our room checking to see if we had left yet (and I had the Do Not Disturb sign on the handle). Both times were before noon."

"I cannot say enough good things about this resort. We visited for our 10-year anniversary with hotel points and free night awards with diamond. The staff was fantastic from the moment we stepped on the property. We arrived super early to LA, so we got to the hotel well before check-in time. They had an upgraded room waiting for us. The pools were fantastic. The fireside terrace was beautiful and relaxing. The dining options, while pricey, were good. The tram to the beach was nice, but we ended up walking quite a few times because the weather was beautiful. The only potential negative thing I could say would be the shutters in the bathroom are odd. If I were to change one thing, it would maybe be to add a solid door to the water closet. Regardless, we will definitely be back."