schoflyer

Well after a rocky start at the St. Regis Monarch Beach I had a great stay. I had some carpet issues with the area rug being bunched up and I think the remedy could have been a bit more subtle.

The room was a nice and large Full Ocean View Exec Suite. I inquired about a St. Regis Suite availability and they advised that they processed upgrades by "View" and opposed to room type and that the only SRS available was garden view.

I will say that the MOD - Greg and the Fun and Activities (including Pool) Manager - Heather were both top notch. Customer service and satisfaction were excellent.

I thought the beach was slightly overrated. I didn't mind the distance but the pool at this property is the way to go IMHO.

Regards,

Scho

high_flyer

I've stayed a half a dozen times on points, but I don't think I'll go back. It's too up and down, and with the Cat 6 now, they're just not the value they used to be (at least from a point usage standpoint...)

I agree, the hotel does like to charge a lot of money for all your incidentals.

sms6225

I saw the thread asking "when was the last time Starwood made you happy" but thought this deserved it's own posting.

Last week I was engaged. I popped the question on Laguna Beach and wanted to book a nice hotel room for the evening. I scored a decent rate at the St. Regis in Monarch Beach which is about a 10 minute drive south of Laguna.

I placed a call to Platinum Concierge to see if there was anything special the hotel could do... the representative (from Ireland no less) called the hotel while I was on hold. She came back on and told me that a hotel manager would like to speak with me personally and gave me his number. I called the hotel manager, who informed me that I would be upgraded to an ocean view suite, made dinner arrangements at Stone Hill Tavern, asked what time we'd be arriving so they could "have the room ready".

The proposal went off perfectly, and upon arrival to the hotel we found our room prepped with a bottle of champagne, strawberries, a rose on the bed and a warmly written card of congratulations from the hotel. Throughout our stay everyone wished us congratulations. Dinner at StoneHill tavern was magnificent. The staff again was very warm and congratulating, they stayed open late so we could finish our meal, gave us free champagne and dessert.

The next morning the same manager warmly thanked me at check out for allowing St. Regis the honor of making the night special. I will say they did that and then some. We can argue about points and their value all we want, but Starwood on this day went above and beyond anything I expected when I made a simple call to request an upgrade.

By the way, the St. Regis itself is a great property. Rooms are very nicely furnished, view was perfect, and love the fact that you can use the pool/hot tub 24 hours!

Austin99

We have something in common. I too got engaged at a St. Regis. It was the St. Regis Houston, TX and my wife and I got engaged in their wine cellar at dinner. Oddly enough, nine months later we got married at another *wood property in El Careyes, Mexico. Both times they went above and beyond expectations. I complain about *wood every now and then but on my two most important stays they came through 10 fold.

aslsigner

http://travel.latimes.com/daily-deal-blog/?p=981

This article appeared today in the LA Times online edition.

From second paragraph

Meanwhile, the Golden State continues to be, well, golden. With 16 five-diamond lodgings, California trounced No. 2, Florida, which had just nine. (Arizona and New York, with six each, tied for third place.) The St. Regis Resort, Monarch Beach, in Dana Point, topped off California’s total by earning its fifth diamond.

AAA gives five diamonds to Venetian in Vegas

Sin City’s gamble on class is really paying off. The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino just got promoted from four to five diamonds, the top ranking, in AAA’s 2008 list of top hotels and restaurants. Two years ago, Las Vegas had only two five-diamond hotels. Now it has five: the Venetian, Bellagio, Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas, Skylofts at the MGM Grand Hotel and Wynn Las Vegas. And it still has four top-rated restaurants: Alex, Joël Robuchon, Le Cirque and Picasso.

Meanwhile, the Golden State continues to be, well, golden. With 16 five-diamond lodgings, California trounced No. 2, Florida, which had just nine. (Arizona and New York, with six each, tied for third place.) The St. Regis Resort, Monarch Beach, in Dana Point, topped off California’s total by earning its fifth diamond.

The best state for five-diamond food? That may surprise you. AAA says

it’s Illinois, thanks to Chicago’s Alinea, Arun’s, Avenues, Charlie Trotter’s, Everest, Seasons Restaurant and Tru. It’s enough to make a California foodie bundle up and board a jet for O’Hare — almost. California was second and Florida was third in the restaurant rankings. Sorry, New York: With just three eateries awarded five diamonds, you didn’t even make the Top 3.

Also disappointed, no doubt, was the Ritz-Carlton, Lake Las Vegas, in Henderson, Nev., which was demoted from five to four diamonds. An AAA spokeswoman said the organization will post its full 2008 Five Diamond list, with 100 hotels and 60 restaurants, on its news website.

And here’s a head’s up: Mobil Travel Guide, which usually picks its top hotels, spas and restaurants this month, is delaying its announcement until January, said Shane O’Flaherty, the guide’s vice president and general manager. That’s so Mobil can time the announcement for the 50th anniversary of the ratings program in 2008, O’Flaherty told me this week.

DFW_CK

I stayed at this property over Easter weekend this year. Awesome place with great service. My wife and I along with our 7 month old got upgraded to a suite - they had a crib waiting in the room along with refrigerator (for baby formula). Butler service with complimentary tea and coffee.

The main restaurant was the only drawback - mediocre expensive food. Otherwise, a great stay.

adventurous

Has anybody stayed here recently? Restaurant food update?

DJZ

The truffle fries in the hotel bar (which also has a full menu) are amazing.

smat

I stayed there Feb 4-5 for a business meeting. I agree that the food in the resturaunt was mediocre. Granted we had a private room and a fixed choice menu, but I thought the food wasn't anything memorable.

The rooms were large, and well appointed, with a nice flat screen TV. The bed wasn't all that comfortable and I didn't find the linens to be all that opulent.

The bathroom was huge, with a great deep soaking tub, but the plumbing noise from the other rooms was unbelievably loud. I awoke at 5am as it sounded like someone had just turned the shower on in my room, but it was a neighbor!! The noise from toilet flushing was also VERY loud. I found this completely unacceptable, especially in an exclusive resort.

The property layout is rather confusing, as the lobby is level 5, and the rooms are built down a hillside, so my room was on level 1.

My room didn't have any real view, just a patio next to a walkway off the pool.

All in all, it was nice enough, but I don't think I would go back, especially if I was footing the bill.

DenverBrian

Mobil gave this property five stars to go along with the AAA five diamonds.

http://mobiltravelguide.howstuffwork...otels-2008.htm

ILUVCITIBANK

I posted a trip review couple of years ago, so my info is dated, but I would not spend my money, nor even my starpoints, to go back. Setting back 1/4 mi or maybe 1/2 mile from the beach was only the beginning of an unthrilling trip (hassle to get to the beach for sure). Yes, it is a super NICE hotel, per se, but with big-time trade-offs, and it wildly missed my expectations for a family long-weekend trip.

Could have knocked me over w/ a feather to find out the outdoor grille closed something like 5PM on a SAT evening as we had arrived late, kids all headed to the pool to swim and have a poolside dinner...except they were locking down the place in the middle of the summer w/ an hour or more daylight...the sole intent, IMO, to drive people to have to use their expensive restaurants. That might work for a business-class property in Detroit...but not for a self-declared resort.

So...it obviously works for some people (5* is impressive), but would never be repeatable for me or my family.

KSA_USA

stayed at this hotel last Nov. for 6 nights.. Excellent hotel, Super service, Nice staff and friendly people.. got upgraded to beautiful suite with out asking.the only thing I hated is LA traffic.

tfong007

The golf course at this hotel sucks. I mean sucks.

christianj

I totally agree with ILUVCITIBANK's comments! We always spend a couple of days in the Laguna area each fall before heading out to Palm Springs. We tried the St. Regis and were very disappointed (as a SPG Plat.) with the overall stay. We ended up back at the MUCH better Ritz-Carlton on our last trip. I don't understand how this place got a 5 diamond rating. IMHO the room decor is somewhat better at the St. Regis than at the Ritz but the Ritz wins handsdown for location, service, views, etc. I just didn't get the feeling that I was at a beach resort at the St. Regis. It felt more like a conference hotel to me. Sure the Ritz has conferences and weddings but the feel is just different and the views from the ocean view rooms is to die for. I love waking up early the first morning after arriving from the east coast and watching the sun rise and the surfers work the waves.

schriste

I’m in the lukewarm camp. Love their junior suites… beautiful room, but agree with christianj that the property as a whole strikes me as more of a venue for corporate affairs and weddings, than a resort.

My wife was also hit with an overwhelming wave of attitude from the SPA receptionist. I wish I had had a mirror… if the receptionist had seen herself in it the combination of attitude being created and bounced back probably would have killed her.