I didn’t realize it at the time, but I had actually been to the Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach Resort & Club twice before, first when it was the St. Regis and again when it was named simply the Monarch Beach Resort.
I even covered a round of golf we played here in this post: The Citi Prestige Golf Benefit.
Now, it’s under the Waldorf Astoria branding. Would it be as good as I remembered it?
Review: Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach Resort & Club
Location & Parking
Image: hilton.com
Located in South Laguna Niguel in Orange County, it’s not an exaggeration at all to say this may be the most beautiful area in California (if not the lower 48).
Made famous by the Monarch Beach Golf Links, this Waldorf Astoria counts the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel, Salt Creek Beach Park, and Dana Point as its neighbors.
Parking is by valet [only] and goes for a fee of $60.00 per night for guests of the resort. There is also a mandatory $55.00 resort fee.
FHOP Tip: As a “Hilton Resort”, fees and expenses incurred at the Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach – including parking and resort fees – are eligible uses for the annual $250 Hilton Honors Aspire Credit Card resort credit.
Price, Points, & Booking Redemption
Average Price Per Night During Stay: $754 ($825.74 with taxes and fees)
Room Type: “Garden View King Bed Guestroom with Balcony”
Hilton Honors Points Required: 319,000 points (per night)
CPP for Redemption: 0.26 CPP
Point Redemption Value: Very Poor (near rock-bottom for a Hilton redemption)
Because of the poor CPP value, I opted to use a pair of my American Express Hilton Honors credit cards free weekend night certificates. As a Diamond Member, this turned out to an excellent decision.
Check-In: Welcome Letter And Room Key
Hilton Honors Diamond Member Benefits
Room Upgrade – Deluxe Studio – King Bed With Balcony
As I mentioned above, being a Hilton Honors Diamond Member has its privileges.
Along with the complimentary breakfast at Aveo Table + Bar, we received a room upgrade to a “Deluxe Studio – King Bed with Balcony”.
This much larger room had an upgrade value of $441.26 per night.
The Lobby
Elevator Area
Hallway
Room Entrance
We were given a large room on the 5th floor, that was both spacious and elegant.
The only drawback was its “diagonal layout”, which was a little bit awkward relative to positioning of the television.
Nevertheless, we were pleased with the room.
Bedroom
The room was immaculately cleaned and the bed and bedding were very comfortable.
I slept like a baby.
This lampshade was like that when we got here, I swear.
Living Area
The awkward diagonal layout
Wow – that salt water taffy welcome gift was delicious, and I don’t even like salt water taffy.
Office Desk
Room Amenities
Coffee machine in the bathroom? Yep
Holdover logo from the past “Monarch Beach Resort” branding
Bathroom
As you can see, the bathroom was huge.
There was a huge shower to go with the huge walk-in closet and the huge tub and the separate water closet.
The bathroom was stocked with the Waldorf Astoria-standard toiletry brand, Salvatore Ferragamo’s “Tuscan Soul” line (which are truly unisex).
View From The Room
Although the balcony itself was just big enough for two people, the view was wonderful and relaxing.
There was even a [technical] ocean view.
Breakfast At AVEO Table + Bar
One of the highlights of our stay at the Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach was easily the patio breakfast at AVEO Table + Bar.
The food, ambiance, and views were excellent.
We loved it so much, we actually invited some good friends who lived nearby to meet us here for lunch.
FHOP Tip: Be-forewarned, AVEO is a very popular breakfast spot amongst the Laguna Beach locals. As such, be sure to make a reservation ahead of time if you want to have any hope of dining on the balcony.
Outdoor dining on the patio. Image: hilton.com
Indoor dining. Image: hilton.com
Brioche French Toast ($25)
Smoked Scottish Salmon ($27)
Walking The Property Interior (North Side)
Part & Parcel market
Walking The Property Interior (South Side)
Bourbon Steak restaurant (another popular spot with the locals)
Walking The Property Exterior
The Botanical Garden
FHOP Tip: Take the shuttle. The Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach Resort’s property is huge. As such, they have a shuttle system that’ll shuttle you around from the hotel to the golf course and down to the beach.
Monarch Beach Golf Links
No stay at the resort can be complete without a round at the Monarch Beach Golf Links.
I had the pleasure of playing a round here way back in 2017.
Image: hilton.com
Image: hilton.com
Monarch Beach Trail
If being shuttled around paradise is not your thing, you are in luck.
The resort also has a beautiful (and easy) trail system that you can hike, run, or walk around the property.
The trail will take you past the botanical gardens, golf course, the wild Salt Creek, the Bay Beach Club, and Monarch Beach itself.
Bridge over Salt Creek
Monarch Beach
The Swimming Pool
Image: hilton.com
Fitness Center
In what appeared to be a welcome move, the Waldorf Astoria relocated its fitness center to a large outdoor tent during the pandemic.
Could this be a permanent move?
The Bottom-Line Review: Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach Resort & Club
We really enjoyed our stay at the Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach Resort & Club.
The resort more than lived up to its distinguished branding pedigree with its excellent service and dining, wide range of activities and amenities, and its location in one of the most beautiful and exclusive enclaves in California (or the United States for that matter).
On the travel-hacking side of things, the Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach Resort & Club is one of the best values for Hilton Honors members (especially Hilton Diamond members) who are looking to use one of their free night award certificates or their Hilton Honors Aspire $250 resort credits.
Final Rating: 9.5 out of 10.
