After an excellent stay at the neighboring Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach Resort & Club, we headed down the street to continue our Dana Point, California, getaway at the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel.
Admittedly, we were a little spoiled by our previous “Ritz experience” at the wonderful Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay so we were really looking forward to this stay.
Could this Ritz experience match Half Moon Bay?
Review: Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel
Image: marriott.com
Perched on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel is a coastal paradise with a playful side. Stroll along winding ocean paths that lead to Salt Creek Beach, where crashing CA waves attract surfers from around the world. Our luxury resort offers a breathtaking background for our hotel’s indoor and outdoor event venues. Ties to the Laguna Beach community are expressed through local artwork, expert-led eco-adventures and our resort’s display of artistic surfboards – RitzCarlton.com
Elegantly set in a commanding position on a hill by the sea, the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel is located on a stunning property above Salt Creek Beach in Orange County, California.
As I’ve mentioned previously, Dana Point/Laguna Niguel may be the most beautiful area in California (if not the lower 48).
Price, Points, & Marriott Bonvoy Booking Redemption
Average Price Per Night During Stay: $936.10 (parking and resort fees extra)
Room Type: “Garden View Guestroom, 1King, Balcony”
Marriott Bonvoy Points Required: 50,000 points (per night)
CPP for Redemption: 1.87 CPP
Point Redemption Value: Excellent (near best-possible for a Bonvoy redemption)
Because of the excellent CPP value, I opted to use a pair of Chase Bonvoy credit card 50,000 point free night certificates.
Parking & Resort Fees
When we arrived, there was actually a very long line to valet the car. The reason? This Ritz location is quite the popular spot for weddings and special events.
Parking at the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel is by valet [only] at a cost of $60 per night for guests of the hotel.
Resort fees will run you $50 per night.
Front Desk & Check-In
Once we got the car valeted, we encountered another long line at the front desk. Thankfully, the staff were very professional and moved the line fast.
We were very warmly greeted and recognized for our Silver Bonvoy elite status. Normally, Silver elite status does not get you anything at a Bonvoy property, so we were amazed when we were given a room upgrade to a Coastline View Guestroom with Balcony (more on that in a moment). 
The Welcome Package
Room Key
The Room Upgrade
As I mentioned above, we were astonished Bonvoy Silver status got us a room upgrade, and even more astonished it got us an upgrade with an ocean view.
Turns out we were given a Coastline View Guestroom, 1 King, Balcony room – which was an upgrade value of $220.55.
The Lobby
Image: ritzcarlton.com
We arrived just a little too late for the wine-tasting 🙁
The Walk To The Room (Northwing)
Hallway
Bedroom Area
Arriving at our room, we were delighted to find an elegant and upscale room not unlike our room at the Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay.
Evoking the Southern California coastal aesthetic, the room was decorated in soft blues and whites with splashes of frosted glass and dark woods.
The well-lit room opened up to a large airy balcony and the bedding was very clean and comfortable.
Living Area
The living area was tastefully minimalist with a single chair on one side of the space and an office desk on the other.
Room Amenities
The room had all the standard amenities, including a Nespresso machine and complimentary Ritz-Carlton branded bottled water.
Bathroom
The attractive decor of the bathroom leaned generously into white-marble and mirrors.
Everything was cleaned and polished to a shine.
The coveted Purple Water by Asprey London was the toiletry of choice.
The Balcony
Blessed with great [and typical] Southern California weather, we found ourselves spending much of our time enjoying drinks and meals out on the large balcony.
The balcony had a perfect view of the beloved Salt Creek Beach Park, the Dana Point State Marine Conservation Area, and the Pacific Ocean.
View From The Room
Salt Creek Beach Park
Surfers and beachgoers at Salt Creek Beach
A “California sunset” if I ever saw one
Dining Options
[Take-Out] Dinner At Raya
Due to the pandemic, we opted for take-out dinner at Raya.
We went “simple” with sandwiches, and yes, they were delicious.
Raya. Image: marriott.com
The steel grass at Raya
Grilled Chicken Sandwich ($26)
Three Arch Bay Grilled Cheese ($16) + BYOB Cabernet Sauvignon (Does it get any better than this?)
Breakfast At The Market Place
During the pandemic, menu items appeared shared between The Market Place and Raya, so we again opted for take-out, this time at the Market Place.
For breakfast we went with the Laguna Burrito ($16) and the Salmon Avocado Toast ($18). Both were excellent choices.
Bar Raya
180BLU Lounge
FHOP Tip: With its stunning views and limited space, the most popular spot at the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel is perhaps the 180BLU Lounge. We walked past it at about 4:00 pm and there was already a line out the door and down the hallway of people waiting to get in. My advice? Get there early if you want any chance of catching the sunset here as 180BLU Lounge does not take reservations.
Image: marriott.com
Enosteak
Walking The Property
The Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel is a flat-out, absolutely gorgeous property.
We opted to walk from the South end of the grounds (at fireside bluff) to the North end along the bluff trail that led down to the beach and continued on [off-property] up the coast.
Image: marriott.com
The Bluff Trail
The Fireside Bluff
Grey Whale observation point
Salt Creek Beach
Another SoCal Sunset
The Swimming Pool
Image: marriott.com
Fitness Center
Image: marriott.com
The Bottom-Line Review: Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel
We absolutely loved our stay at the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel.
The location was unbeatable, the service was among the best we’ve ever encountered (A room upgrade for a Bonvoy Silver elite? Unheard of!), the dining options were excellent. Oh, and those sunsets.
I hate to keep comparing this stay to our Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay stay, but as my only other coastal California Ritz-Carlton stay, I think it’s a fair point of reference. As wonderful as that stay was – and I rated that a 9 out of 10 – I think the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel had the edge due to the service, activity, and dining options (not to mention the warm Southern California weather).
Starting at just 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy points, the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel is another one of the best values in the Bonvoy portfolio.
Yes, we were all-around impressed and we can’t wait to return.
Final Rating: 9.5 out of 10.
2 comments
If you had to choose to stay at only one property, which would you choose between the Ritz Laguna and the Waldorf Monarch Beach?
That is a tough one. In the end, they are very similar and very close to each other – with tons of things to do. In my personal opinion, I think the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel wins by a sliver.
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