Know Before You Go: Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach Resort (Dana Point, California)
What to do when your kids beg for a trip to Disneyland but your heart yearns for a weekend at the beach? Do both. The decision to stay at the Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach Resort was a no-brainer given its private beach access and plethora of resort amenities, proximity to Disneyland Parks (less than an hour away), and great value compared to family room rates at other nearby luxury beach resorts. Our kids loved the tram ride to the beach and beach club, as well as the kids playroom and outdoor games area. This was one of our all-time favorite beach trips and we left looking forward to a future stay.
OVERALL RATING
💛💛💛💛💛
Exceptional
Rating Legend*
💛💛💛💛💛 Exceptional
💛💛💛💛 Notable
💛💛💛 Standard
💛💛 Substandard
💛 Unsatisfactory
*Relative to similar-class properties
Overview
At-a-Glance
Date of stay: September 2023
Length of stay: 1 night / 2 days
Trip type: Family weekend beach/ Disneyland getaway
Property type: Luxury family-friendly beach and golf resort
Tailor-made for: Beach and pool-goers
Highlights
Lots for families to do — beach, pools, parks, play areas, golf, spa, and ride the tram
The tram drops guests off at the beach club as well as at nearby walking trails and parks
The resort is sprawling with plenty of places to explore indoors and outdoors without even leaving the property
Private beach club is super family-friendly, with outdoor green spaces for kids (and dogs) to play
Solid dining and great breakfast
Excellent service — one of the best experiences we’ve had at a large US resort
Relatively good value / Hilton Honors point redemption rate for a luxury US resort
Less than 1 hour from Disneyland — play at Disney parks and at the beach
Lots of residents and families with young kids here which gave the place more of a community feel, especially at the beach club around sunset hour
Good to Know
Kids club is not supervised and is a little hard to find (South Wing just outside elevators)
Lines for the tram to/from the beach can get long and there is no walkable path to the beach — plan ahead
Rooms are nice but do not afford much privacy — would book connecting rooms next time
Lots of events are held here — the resort kindly upgraded us to a fireplace terrace room, but it was on the ground floor so we opted to move to a lower room category on a higher floor — consider requesting rooms on high floors