Recent Weekend Stay Review
Stayed here on a recent Saturday-Monday two night stay. Points with an upgrade charge to an ocean view room. Upon check in was upgraded again to an oceanfront room on the top floor. Overall this is a very interesting hotel that I really enjoyed and would happily come back to again.
The hotel is in the heart of OC between Laguna Beach and Dana Point (it is actually
not in Laguna Niguel). It sits atop a massive cliff overlooking a beach that faces a public park. The location and view is stunning. It was built in 1984 so there are some age/design issues that I’ll address below. But location wise it is excellent.
What sets this hotel apart is the service. Every single employee was genuine and friendly and helpful. Almost all remembered my name. Not a single significant service miss during the entire stay. As an example, they run a beach shuttle golf cart as the hill down to the beach is exceptionally steep. Upon walking down the hill one day I noticed the shuttle, empty, stop while the driver picked up an empty glass someone had left on the path. That is evidence of a fantastic service culture and is a perfect example of the level of service quality the hotel delivered.
One caveat to this - they do not currently have a concierge. According to the front desk, they had to lay theirs off during Covid and have not been able to rehire any as they moved away. They do plan to do so soon, per the front desk.
Worth noting the hotel is a bit hamstrung by an older design, with no real room to expand. The room was very pleasant with a modern refresh, but it was small. One sink, very small closet, no separate shower from tub, etc. It was exceptionally maintained but just know you aren’t getting the newest and nicest.
Also note they strangely designed the hotel to have limited outdoor space facing the ocean. No idea why, but it’s a missed opportunity. The one outdoor bar facing the beach was always packed, so we decided to pass.
The food at all outlets was excellent. The dinner in Raya was phenomenal and a highlight of our trip.
The gym faces the ocean and may be the best hotel gym I’ve ever used based on this fact. It was well sized and with new equipment but wow… the view. Makes you want to work out more.
If you can afford it or get upgrade to an ocean front room, the balcony overlooking the cliffs and water is truly unbeatable. We had coffee every morning and drinks every evening on it. Amazing.
Finally note that this hotel has an absurd amount of event space so I believe it caters as much to locals holding events and having meals at the restaurants as to guests. As a consequence the amenities never seemed too full.
Overall an absolutely terrific stay and wouldn’t hesitate to come back, just be prepared for a room that is smaller and more constrained in design than your average RC.