khabah

Hilton has just signed the Monarch Beach Resort in Dana Point, CA - formerly the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort prior to its independent incarnation - as a Waldorf Astoria.

Press release below. No join date given, but I wouldn't expect this one to take too long before joining the fold.

khabah

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Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts to Debut in Dana Point, California, With Conversion of Monarch Beach Resort

Renowned resort celebrating the coastal lifestyle of Southern California to premiere as Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach Resort & Club

September 30, 2020 - MCLEAN, Va. - Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Hilton’s (NYSE: HLT) iconic luxury hotel brand, today announced the upcoming debut of the Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach Resort & Club, a distinctive 400-room AAA five-diamond hotel in Dana Point, Calif. Purchased by Ohana Real Estate Investors in November 2019, Monarch Beach Resort is a celebrated coastal retreat in relaxed, sun-splashed Orange County.

“The Monarch Beach Resort’s impeccable product, unmatched service standard and enviable location make it a perfect addition to the Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts portfolio. We are incredibly excited about welcoming the resort and its team members to Hilton,” said Danny Hughes, Executive Vice President and President, Americas, Hilton. “We are already partnering with the team at Ohana Real Estate Investors as we transition the resort management, and we look forward to welcoming guests and members to Southern California’s premier luxury destination.”

Monarch Beach Resort, long renowned for its unforgettable experiences and unparalleled standard of hospitality, aligns perfectly with the Waldorf Astoria brand ethos, which invites guests to Live Unforgettable.

“It’s fitting that the storied Waldorf Astoria brand is coming to Dana Point—which is one of the most iconic beachfront communities in California,” said James Cole, Ohana Real Estate Investors partner. ”The Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach Resort & Club is a welcome addition to the Ohana portfolio of luxury properties. This partnership will elevate the entire resort experience.”

With its picturesque setting just 60 miles south of Los Angeles, the resort is nestled hillside along the coast of Dana Point and offers panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean. Equal parts sophisticated, approachable and intimate, Monarch Beach Resort has a personality that fits perfectly with the playful coastal lifestyle of the area.

Guestrooms and Suites

A coastal palette of cool blues, greens and crisp whites distinguish the exquisitely appointed 400 guest rooms and suites. All rooms feature lavish textiles, comfortable chaise lounges, ocean-inspired artwork, and marble top armoires to complement the full marble baths. Modern patio furniture adorns the balconies off every room and suite, and first-floor patios feature fire pits for true beach lifestyle. Bluetooth-enabled alarm clocks and flat screen televisions allow guests to seamlessly sync phones or tablets to play music and stream movies.

Amenities

Offering an unmatched level of world-class amenities, resort guests and club members can access coastal paths leading to seaside bluffs and exclusive access to the private beach club, via a scenic Monarch Beach Resort tram ride. An expansive outdoor pool area includes the Monarch Pool, a family pool and two infinity-edge ocean view Jacuzzis that seamlessly spill into the stunning seascape, private cabanas with built-in music, stocked outdoor mini-bars, and outdoor fire pits for evening relaxation. An award-winning, oceanfront 18-hole golf course, designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr., welcomes golf enthusiasts.

The 30,000 square foot Spa at Monarch Beach Resort provides guests and members with an expansive wellness and spa experience inspired by the resort’s oceanfront location and rooted in practices that deliver a healthy lifestyle. With 24 treatment rooms and suites, the spa offers more than 70 signature treatments and wellness programs, a lap pool, boutique, Dana Point’s only Drybar salon and Deborah Lippmann nail studio. More than 40 weekly fitness, yoga and meditation classes are offered, including beach yoga.

Culinary Delights

A one-of-a-kind Southern California escape, the resort boasts seven culinary options, perfect for every palate:

• Bourbon Steak Orange County is Michael Mina’s acclaimed restaurant concept, known for its modern, seasonal take on the classic steakhouse dining experience.
• AVEO Table + Bar features a Mediterranean concept that embraces the seasonal bounty of the Californian coastline, including a “Farm-to-Bar” approach and ocean views.
• The lobby lounge area 33˚North offers a bar, a living room salon and an ocean view outdoor patio.
• Exclusive to resort guests and members, the Monarch Bay Beach Club is an oceanfront bar and restaurant that showcases a refined yet approachable menu of seafood and coastal cuisine.
• Part & Parcel Market is a marketplace perfect for guests on the go with its wide selection of gourmet coffee, delectable pastries, freshly-made juices, smoothies, gelato and savory snacks served in a casual atmosphere and convenient location.
• Club 19 offers a Gastro Pub dining experience located at the 1st tee on the golf course, with an outdoor terrace warmed by a large fireplace and panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean.
• The poolside Mexi-Cali cantina Sombra serves authentic and fresh Mexican cuisine, such as fish tacos, inventive healthy salads and citrus-y ceviche.

Meetings & Events

With more than 30,000 square feet of indoor event space, Monarch Beach Resort offers meeting, event and wedding planners innovative and integrated technology capabilities, elegant venues and personalized menu options. The resort’s expansive 60,000 square feet of outdoor event space includes a lush botanical garden, gazebos, spacious verdant lawns, and ocean view terraces.

Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts guests can access additional benefits of Hilton Honors membership, the award-winning guest-loyalty program for Hilton’s 18 distinct hotel brands. Members who book directly through preferred Hilton channels have access to instant benefits, including a flexible payment slider that allows members to choose nearly any combination of Points and money to book a stay, an exclusive Member discount, and free Standard WiFi. Members also have access to contactless technology exclusively through the industry-leading Hilton Honors mobile app.

For more information about Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, please visit newsroom.hilton.com/waldorfastoria.

About Ohana Real Estate Investors

Ohana Real Estate Investors is a vertically integrated investment firm focused exclusively on the luxury hospitality space. Founded in 2009, the firm invests in debt and equity via commingled fund vehicles and separate accounts; it has invested in excess of $1.5 billion since inception. In addition to Monarch Beach Resort, which Ohana purchased in November 2019, the firm owns a collection of properties in some of the most sought-after locations in North America. Its portfolio includes Maravilla Los Cabos, Twin Dolphin Club, and Montage Hotels & Resorts in Deer Valley, Healdsburg, and Los Cabos. For more information, please visit www.ohanare.com.

About Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts

Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts is a portfolio of 32 iconic properties that creates a unique sense of place with a relentless commitment to personal service and culinary expertise in landmark locations around the world. Unified by their inspirational environments and True Waldorf Service, Waldorf Astoria hotels deliver graceful service from the moment a guest books through checkout. In addition to the brand’s renowned hotel offerings, Waldorf Astoria boasts a best-in-class residential portfolio, including 18 properties either open or in development, that provide the comfort of a private home combined with the unsurpassed amenities and legendary service of Waldorf Astoria. Waldorf Astoria is a part of Hilton, a leading global hospitality company. Experience Waldorf Astoria by booking at www.waldorfastoria.com or through the Hilton Honors mobile app. Learn about the brand by visiting newsroom.hilton.com/waldorfastoria, and follow Waldorf Astoria on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

About Hilton

Hilton (NYSE: HLT) is a leading global hospitality company with a portfolio of 18 world-class brands comprising more than 6,200 properties with more than 983,000 rooms, in 118 countries and territories. Dedicated to fulfilling its mission to be the world’s most hospitable company, Hilton welcomed more than 3 billion guests in its 100-year history, earned a top spot on the 2019 World’s Best Workplaces list, and was named the 2019 Global Industry Leader on the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices. In 2020, Hilton CleanStay was introduced, bringing an industry-defining standard of cleanliness and disinfection to hotels worldwide. Through the award-winning guest loyalty program Hilton Honors, the 108 million members who book directly with Hilton can earn Points for hotel stays and experiences money can’t buy, plus enjoy instant benefits, including digital check-in with room selection, Digital Key, and Connected Room. Visit newsroom.hilton.com for more information, and connect with Hilton on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.

Source: https://newsroom.hilton.com/waldorf/...t-set-to-debut

pauleeepaul

Ouch

greenbags125

This is great news. I wonder when they will make rooms available to book via Hilton.

Antonio8069

I had a paid stay @ this property in 2016, for an investment conference. While it was swanky, definitely not St. Regis quality!

kylew

They are finally accepting points reservations.

Traveler Dave

95K per night. Pretty pricey use of points considering base room prices are around $400. Might consider using for a staycation with my free night cert if I can’t find better uses for them.

TD

Traveler Dave

Curious if anyone stays on points or free night cert if they are charged the $60 par day car parking fee and/or the $45 daily resort fee?

TD

drewdawg199

dates I checked were $700+, pretty decent value then.

Kacee

Hilton waives resort fees on award stays and promotional free nights. I would expect to pay for parking.

newbie_flyer

Just tried to book a free night cert at the WA Monarch and they said the free night cert is not valid there as there are no "standard" rooms. However, it's not on the list of excluded properties:
https://hiltonhonors3.hilton.com/en/...nd-reward.html

Will try HUCA, but any ideas on whether it's possible or what magic words I might have to utter to have Hilton honor it?

Traveler Dave

“New” properties take a bit to fully load with everything. My guess is they will load free night and points room soon.

TD

DiverDave

Suggest, you have the agent attempt to book the room on points. If it comes up at 95K, it will be labelled as a "standard" room and thus bookable with the cert.

Anh Nguyen

I was able to book a standard reward via a certificate through the Diamond desk when reservations popped up. It shows the standard 95K point booking in my reservations for next month.

KL808

Stayed here for 3 nights. 2 nights paid and 1 night using Award Cert.

Pros: Other than the same person I encountered at check in and check out, everyone was very nice and courteous.
The grounds are nicely manicured and access to beach was a nice plus.
Received a welcome bottle of Sparkling wine and 6 macaroons.

CONS:

-On check in, no explanation of benefits. Person checking me in was un interested. Asked for an upgrade, she said we already upgraded you 4 categories. Basically from a 2 queen lower garden view to a king pool/ocean view. Pressed if we could get a room on the ground floor as we have young kids - answer was a quick Nope! Same person on check out, no mention of... "did you have a good stay?"
-Breakfast, was good, but again since no benefits were explained not sure how it worked. When I inquired, I was then told they only give $25 credit for breakfast per person $50 max. Breakfast here is expensive and for 4 people, we averaged 150/breakfast and that's just 1 drink and 1 entree per person.
-Parking is $60 a day!!!
-Resort fee is $55 a day !!!
- Costs aside, the room given had heavy wear throughout the doors and furniture. Front door actually never latched/did not lock; Did not notice until next day when leaving for breakfast and waited for engineering to fix the door and wasted an hour of my time.

Now, I know this might sound like I'm asking for a lot here but give me a break. Hotel is charging $600 a night plus $60 parking plus $55 resort fee so yes, it is ridiculous for a hotel not to recognize elites when you're in a pandemic and there is less than 10% occupancy.

This place should have been doing everything for its guests, not just Elites (and I got my status via Spend last year)! Given the difficulty of traveling in these times, the Waldorf should be living up to its name and ensuring that the entire team is doing what it can encouraging repeat stays given that most guests are local residents looking for staycation experiences.

If the above cons suits you, then this place is for you. But I consider my 3 night $2700 stay here wasted money and will never set foot on this property again.

Kacee

I would feel the same.

Sounds like they're not even trying. That's just not excusable.