The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel — Hotel in Dana Point

For a family stay (two adults, kids 19 & 16), we ended up being quite pleased with the Ritz Carlton - Laguna Niguel. When current rates are taken into account, though, I’d give it a B/B+.||The setting is stupendous, the general hard product (common/public spaces, if not quite our room) is both grand and contemporary at once.||I’d posit that - based on our experience during a very busy long weekend for the hotel - some of the hangups we had are strictly down to the hotel’s considerable size. It's big.|||CHECK IN||Reception in general was one of the few problems we encountered. This is a very busy hotel. We checked in at @ 4:45pm on a Friday, and there was a line of 3-4 parties waiting at reception ahead of us. For a hotel of this scale and room count, the reception counter seems a bit small, with room for two check-in agents and their stations. A third agent worked the middle of the counter (no station) so that was appreciated, and the wait was hardly oppressive - the entrance lobby is beautiful and smells divine. A manager circulated, passing out flutes of champagne, and the entire check-in affair was not longer than 10 minutes.||Still, and again at current rates, it’s a ding. Not just at check-in, either, as the few times we needed something from either reception/concierge during our four-day stay, there usually seemed to be a bit of a crowd at reception and a short wait….|||ROOM||We took a garden-view executive suite, in the ‘Dana' wing. No upgrades with either the Chase/Sapphire booking or Bonvoy Platinum Elite status, but we understood the hotel to be fully booked.||As far as suites go these days, it was large. Two, full separate rooms. I'd guesstimate the suite at maybe 650-700 sq ft? Even with the sofa pulled out and a rolloway cot in the LR, there was still more than enough egress to walk around freely.||MBR had a seriously comfortable king bed with some of the nicest, highest-quality linens i've recently experienced. Pillows were plenty firm, as ordered. |Balcony was sizable too, and its french doors allowed something of an ‘indoor/outdoor’ element to the room.|Master bathroom was gigantic, with bold zebra marble on virtually every surface that wasn’t a mirror. Not exactly my taste, but impressive nonetheless. Open-shower concept, which is never my favorite, but at least the bathroom’s big enough to handle it without too much mess. ||The LR was also quite big, with a large sofa pull-out, working desk, sofa and it’s own set of french doors out to the same (shared) balcony. 2nd bathroom was also done up in all marble - a more muted cardinal here - and was impressive on its own.||Where the room let me down was in the way it failed to make the best use of the ample space available. Example: a suite of this size and cost should absolutely have a soaking tub. And the cruel irony is that the master bath is more than large enough to accomodate both a tub and a fully separate shower. Instead, it simply seems like a cavernous bathroom with a strange amount of open space. Similarly, the suite’s bedroom had its own amount of totally free, unutilized or non-sensically utilized space. One small-ish chair in one corner, a potted tree in the other, and a whole lot of space to walk around in. There's a nice big traditional closet, but no luggage rack. |The doors between LR and MBR had windows - not a bad idea for light-flow but not a great idea for privacy.....||Some other notes: |Any ‘garden view’ room in this Dana wing will, in fact, be a ‘pool view’ room. This wasn’t a problem for us, as the pool isn’t a post-grad party scene or packed with screaming kids, but those wanting pure privacy and more quiet would do better with a true ‘ocean view’ selection on the front of the building. The first floor rooms/suites on that side have lovely patios with fireplaces. Unfortunately, all those suites were committed when we booked. |Finally - and this is a big one for me in 2024, even at a Ramada Inn - no USB or even an electrical outlet anywhere near the MBR bed. An outlet behind the king-bed's headboard, and an alarm-clock/radio on one of the side tables (not the other!) that offered a single USB and electrical outlet. If there was one full inexcusable on this trip, that was it.|||SERVICE||A highlight of our stay. If not always for efficiency, then for attitude. From valet to reception to housekeeping, everyone had a genuine-feeling smile and can-do attitude. Concierge got us a 7:30pm Saturday reservation at the hotel’s Indian restaurant, apparently very popular with locals, at about 5:30pm that same afternoon. (I had stupidly neglected to make a res anywhere or have a plan for that night). Staff was able to fetch us some Pepto from town when my wife had a bad upset stomach (medication-related, not from hotel food!) within 30 minutes. Housekeeping kept up with the mad schedule of everyone coming/going. Valet super efficient for a property of this size, next to zero wait time. |||F&B||Another highlight. |We tried 3 of the 4 dining options - all but the omakase jewel-box, that one looks for real, too - and they were all great. |Raya and 180blu have spectacular views, excellent cocktails and tasty pan-Latin food. The afforementioned Kahaya dinner was rquite special as well, beautiful room and delicious northern Indian food. The main bar/cocktail lounge is another stunner, with dark gentlemanly woods and leathers framing that same commanding beach view through a (smaller) framed picture window. Really an elegant place to enjoy a drink.|||LOCATION||The hotel’s true selling point, and boy does it deliver. Pictures online don’t do it justice. This has to be one of the greatest locations in CA for a clifftop resort, if not the entire US.|||OVERALL||At current pricing, it’s hard to say i felt any value staying there, or even that we got our ‘money’s worth’. ||But at the same time, it’s also hard to say we didn’t truly enjoy it. ||It’s a place I’m glad i experienced once, but probably wouldn’t return to.||Location, common spaces both indoor and out, friendly service and a surprising variety of good eating options are the plusses. |Dings for an expensive room w real shortcomings, and a feeling of understaffing when at capacity (housekeeping, reception) are...

Updated Review of our most recent stay - (June 2025)

We’re a family of four—2 adults and 2 kids—and we recently stayed one night at The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel. As usual, it didn’t disappoint.

We booked directly through Marriott about a month before, reserving a Resort View King with a balcony. When we checked in just before 7 PM, Sayali at the front desk immediately recognized our Marriott Platinum status and hooked us up with a nice upgrade. They offered us a fireside King room, but we picked a Two Queen Resort View on the first floor since it was more comfortable for our family. They also offered us water and champagne during check-in, which was a really nice welcome after the drive. Our room was #1015.

Walking down the hall, I noticed the hallways had just been renovated. We’ve stayed here almost every year for the past five years, so it was cool to see the fresh updates.

When we got into the room, I was honestly amazed at how clean and fresh everything felt—like we were the first ones staying there. The rooms had been redone just a few months ago, and it really shows. The furniture and décor were beautiful, and I loved little touches like the Dyson hairdryer.

They had some beautiful hardcover photo books in the room (California Casa, Boatlife, and a few others). I joked with my wife that it looked like no one had ever even flipped through them—the pages were perfect.

Our patio had two chairs and looked out over a peaceful garden with trees, plants, and a koi pond. We usually book fireside rooms, so having the garden view and hearing the water was a nice change. The kids really enjoyed it too.

The beds here are seriously comfy. My kid kept talking about how cozy the bed was—not just when we were sleeping, but even the next day! It’s pretty rare that the whole family agrees on a hotel bed, but this one got thumbs up all around. Honestly, those beds alone make me want to keep coming back.

Shoutout to Esmeralda. Whenever I had a request, I usually used the chat feature on the app, and she was great—quick, friendly, and helpful every time.

The service here is always amazing. Before checkout, Tri Phan surprised us with a little departure gift with a hand written note. It was totally unexpected, and he recognized us as guests. He thought he might have missed an email from me, and I had to admit I hadn’t reached out prior to our stay. Honestly, I’m blown away by the level of care Tri provides during our stay. We stayed at the Ritz Carlton last year during graduation, and Tri Phan still remembered us! It was really nice to see that kind of personal touch—shows how much they care about their guests. Even though it’s been a year, he made us feel truly welcome again.

I also want to give a shoutout to Nicholas Lau, the Assistant Room Operations Manager, who introduced himself, gave us his card, and told us to reach out next time we visit. The staff here just go above and beyond—you can tell they really care about their guests and want to make sure everyone has a great stay. Sayali Lad at the front desk was fantastic too and assisted during check-in and check-out. What really stands out is how the staff always provide service with a smile. You can tell they genuinely enjoy what they do, and that positive energy makes the whole stay even better.

Overall, we’ve always had great experiences at this property, and this visit was no different. We’ll definitely keep coming back every year to enjoy the hospitality, the updated rooms, and the beautiful...

We’re a family of four—2 adults and 2 kids—and we recently stayed one night at The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel. As usual, it didn’t disappoint.||||We booked directly through Marriott about a month before, reserving a Resort View King with a balcony. When we checked in just before 7 PM, Sayali at the front desk immediately recognized our Marriott Platinum status and hooked us up with a nice upgrade. They offered us a fireside King room, but we picked a Two Queen Resort View on the first floor since it was more comfortable for our family. They also offered us water and champagne during check-in, which was a really nice welcome after the drive. Our room was #1015.||||Walking down the hall, I noticed the hallways had just been renovated. We’ve stayed here almost every year for the past five years, so it was cool to see the fresh updates.||||When we got into the room, I was honestly amazed at how clean and fresh everything felt—like we were the first ones staying there. The rooms had been redone just a few months ago, and it really shows. The furniture and décor were beautiful, and I loved little touches like the Dyson hairdryer.||||They had some beautiful hardcover photo books in the room (California Casa, Boatlife, and a few others). I joked with my wife that it looked like no one had ever even flipped through them—the pages were perfect.||||Our patio had two chairs and looked out over a peaceful garden with trees, plants, and a koi pond. We usually book fireside rooms, so having the garden view and hearing the water was a nice change. The kids really enjoyed it too.||||The beds here are seriously comfy. My kid kept talking about how cozy the bed was—not just when we were sleeping, but even the next day! It’s pretty rare that the whole family agrees on a hotel bed, but this one got thumbs up all around. Honestly, those beds alone make me want to keep coming back.||||Shoutout to Esmeralda. Whenever I had a request, I usually used the chat feature on the app, and she was great—quick, friendly, and helpful every time.||||The service here is always amazing. Before checkout, Tri Phan surprised us with a little departure gift with a hand written note. It was totally unexpected, and he recognized us as guests. He thought he might have missed an email from me, and I had to admit I hadn’t reached out prior to our stay. Honestly, I’m blown away by the level of care Tri provides during our stay. We stayed at the Ritz Carlton last year during graduation, and Tri Phan still remembered us! It was really nice to see that kind of personal touch—shows how much they care about their guests. Even though it’s been a year, he made us feel truly welcome again.||||I also want to give a shoutout to Nicholas Lau, the Assistant Room Operations Manager, who introduced himself, gave us his card, and told us to reach out next time we visit. The staff here just go above and beyond—you can tell they really care about their guests and want to make sure everyone has a great stay. Sayali Lad at the front desk was fantastic too and assisted during check-in and check-out. What really stands out is how the staff always provide service with a smile. You can tell they genuinely enjoy what they do, and that positive energy makes the whole stay even better.||||Overall, we’ve always had great experiences at this property, and this visit was no different. We’ll definitely keep coming back every year to enjoy the hospitality, the updated rooms, and the beautiful...