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.