Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach Resort

Wonderful welcoming staff: Alika, Noah and Lisa were particularly helpful in insuring a comfortable stay. Lance who rode the tram to the Beach Club, was engaging and we appreciated his service. We had a lovely meal at the Beach Club restaurant. Kirsten took care of us at our table and food was delicious. Theresa- one of the hotel operators- was super professional and helpful in making a modification to our initial reservation. She truly embodied customer service!

It was our anniversary.We went to Bourbon Steak house for dinner and then spent the night. We asked for an upgraded room but was given their basic one. When we saw the beautiful jacuzzi tub, full Of black dirt we were disgusted. We called housekeeping and asked to have it cleaned. No one came. When we checked out we told them about the problem. We were given a $50 deduction on the room; big deal! For a 5 star hotel that resort should lose a few star ratings. I do not recommend it.

Overall a pretty good stay at the hotel but just short of a "5 star" review. First with the negatives: breakfast seating on the terrace required a 25 minute wait, despite there being seats open they had to stagger them to not "overwhelm" the staff...understandable but sounds like a staffing issue which causes inconvenience to guests, hostess staff was very nice though, but the wait staff was frankly all over the place (dishes were never cleared and the only time our waiter came by after dropping off our coffee order was to drop off the check). Another negative was despite there definitely being upgraded rooms available, since it was an award stay we were not given an upgrade despite being Diamond members...however we were offered an upsell to a suite with no view. I'm under the impression this is a management policy as the front desk agent seemed very apologetic about it. The rooms were very well appointed however the balcony was in disrepair with bird feces and paint peeling on the floor. Also the walls seem paper thin as we heard the water flowing from the pipes either next door or above us which gave a very... cheap feel. You could here conversations in the hallway quite loudly from the room. Now for the good: resort overall is really beautiful and is very well maintained. The fitness center was fantastic and generally every employee we ran into was very kind and well trained. The shuttle down to the beach club was great and is a really good selling point of the resort (drinks were very expensive though). The breakfast buffet (which only happens certain days) was actually a very good value and had everything you wanted and then some, the guy doing the omelets also did a very good job. As mentioned, the room was very well appointed and turn down service was great with plenty of waters provided. Check-in was also done quite well with lemonade offered as well as bottled water on departure.

Booked to stay at this resort through Amex fine hotels and resorts. Had to make a change due to flight cancellations so called the hotel. They said, “sure no problem, we’ll make a change to the booking at no additional cost”. Get a call from them one day later (the date I’m arriving there, saying “the person who gave you this information is wrong (new and in training) and we can’t do that. We need to charge you for an additional room. Take it up with Amex”. Ended up having to pay for that same reservation 2x, so I hope they enjoyed making money on me.

This is one of my favorite vacation destinations in California. The grounds look magnificent with gorgeous views of the beach. The rooms are well maintained and spacious. Their towels and linens are luxurious. Their toiletries, hmm, I'm not really a fan of. The staff are professional, friendly, and helpful. The staff at the desk arranged for my car to be charged, making it ready for a drive the next day. It was very much appreciated. The tram is very convenient for when you have to go down to the restaurant. However, you can walk too, but it would be a long walk, I suppose. The food at the restaurant was not something to rave about. It was pricey, but the quality was just average at best. Considering everything, I would say it was a great experience. 👍