Surf & Sand Laguna Beach — Hotel in Laguna Beach

We went here on our honeymoon. The location is phenomenal. We had rooms a floor overlooking the pool and ocean. The sound of the waves was incredibly relaxing. I've been trying to find a similar sound on the internet to sleep to, but it's hard to recreate. So wonderful.

The pool was great and had a large hot tub. They played reggae/dub when we were there and we enjoyed the atmosphere. We enjoyed lounging and getting in the tub. The ocean is down the stairs from that if you want to get in. There were a lot of kids there. I think for a birthday party or something, but they were taking over the hot tub and the pool and they woke us up in the morning. If you're paying $500+/night for a room with your new wife, that's not what you hope to wake up to.

The rooms were solid. They weren't incredibly spacious, but the bed was super comfortable. There were robes to wear and ear plugs if the ocean was too loud, though I would have needed them more for the screaming children in the mornings. The blinds could have also been better at keeping out the light. Sleep masks would have been nice to have, but we forgot to pick some up, so it would have been great to have these provided. The carpets were dingy and felt kind of sticky on my bare feet, so it would have been nice to have some slippers provided to wear around. The stairwells were also a bit gross and could use some renovation. There was also a smell of cologne from I assume the previous resident in our room when we checked in, which was kind of gross.

There was a mini-bar but we didn't really want to use it except for the fridge. It would have been nice if there was a microwave. I overheard someone say they could bring an empty fridge and microwave in as I was checking out, so maybe that's a possibility, but we didn't know about it.

They had a DVD player in the room but no way to hook it up so I'm not sure why it was there. I discovered there was a Chromecast. Once I figured out how to use the Chromecast, it was nice to be able to stream movies. There wasn't a guide for using this or any indication it was there except for a channel called Chromecast in the guide, which didn't work (I had to switch the input to HDMI 3), so it could have been better, but it worked okay. There was no cell phone service in my room (T-Mobile), I think due to the location of the room, but there was fast Wi-Fi and I could place and receive Wi-Fi calls.

The house-keeping service was great and checked on us a couple of times a day, bringing bottled water and chocolate, which we enjoyed. There was one time that a maid opened the door without knocking while we were changing. I tried to explain that we were changing and she should come back later, but she just handed me a bottle of water and a bunch of chocolates. I don't think she spoke great English.

The price seemed reasonable at first but there were a lot of additional charges. While booking, there was a $200 fee, then there was a daily fee for the Valet, plus a daily resort fee/tax, so it ended up being more than I expected. It was nice to not worry about parking and the valet service was excellent, but I like to know how much things will cost up front when booking. We also weren't able to do a late check-out so that's also a little frustrating when you think you might have to use the bathroom soon and want to take a little extra time to get your things together, but they're kicking you out. They did offer to let us hang around the resort longer instead, but we decided to move on.

Overall, I enjoyed the stay despite the inconveniences of children screaming in the morning and the quality of the rooms, but I had hoped for more...

I had planned a wonderful week-long vacation in Laguna for my spouse, who had never been to the west coast before. Initially, I booked a stay at the Waldorf Astoria in Dana Point. However, my spouse expressed a desire to stay in Laguna itself, so I put us on the waitlist for the Montage and Surf and Sand.

Around two weeks before our trip, Surf and Sand called to inform me that they had a suite available. I specifically made sure to verify with the representative that our room would have a balcony overlooking the beach, as this was important to my spouse. Satisfied with the confirmation, I proceeded to prepay for our stay in full.

A couple of days later, I received an email stating that the resort was undergoing light renovation, with the reassurance that it wouldn't affect guests' stays. Although the closure of the restaurant and pool didn't bother me much, as there were other dining options in the vicinity and we were focused on the beach, the reality upon arrival was far from what was described.

Upon reaching the resort, we found that a significant portion of it was closed off due to major renovations. There were makeshift facilities, construction workers, and equipment scattered throughout the property. Unfortunately, our room was situated directly behind a building that completely obstructed any view of the beach, except for a glimpse of the ocean on the horizon. Moreover, the beach access for the resort was unavailable, necessitating the use of a public entrance nearby.

Throughout our stay, the construction crew's activities commenced promptly at 7:09 am every morning, creating disruptive noise that resonated into our room, even causing vibrations in the walls. The valet service, operating from the street due to a crane blocking the makeshift valet area, drinks never arriving to the room(only way to order since no resturaunt).

Despite the friendliness and attentiveness of the valet staff and housekeeping, both my spouse and I were deeply disappointed by the situation. The overall appearance of the resort, left much to be desired.

I urge potential guests to reconsider staying at this resort in its current state, as the lack of transparency regarding the renovation activities and the resultant disruptions detracted significantly from the overall experience. Very dishonest company. Stay at the montage or...

The old adage that the three most important things in real estate are “location, location, location” definitely applies here. This hotel is one of those rare properties that sits directly on the beach. You’ll pay a premium for that luxury. But since the beach was the main attraction for us on this trip to Laguna Beach, we decided to go for it.

After reading posts from other reviewers who recommended booking an upgraded room, we reserved a tower room on the top floor. Every room has an ocean view but ours was the only one with a glass balcony railing which gave us an unobstructed 180-degree view of the ocean. Our room itself was nice but the decor and furnishings were just ordinary. On the other hand, the very spacious remodeled bathroom was stunning. There was a deep soaking tub, large marble shower, well-lighted vanity and plenty of space in the dressing area.

I had a chance to use the squeaky-clean and well-outfitted fitness room with resistance training machines, treadmills, and free weights. There’s an inviting pool area with your choice of comfy chaise lounges in either sun or shade as well as a small spa. Helpful pool attendants are readily available with towels, beach chairs, and umbrellas.

Unfortunately, there isn’t much of a beach. It’s small and narrow, especially at high tide, and the water was a chilly 63 degrees when we were there in late June. While the grounds are well maintained, the 50+ year old building is really showing its age. With the exception of the glitzy mirrored lobby, it still has a very dark and dated 1970s-era beige/brown color scheme. I was told that a renovation of the entire resort has been in the planning stages for a while, so I hope they’ll get too it soon.

The service throughout the hotel was first class. Everyone we met on the staff was friendly, knowledgeable, well-trained, and experienced in the hospitality business.

There’s only one main restaurant (Splashes) which I’ll review separately.

I wish I could say that paying more here than the Ritz Carlton on Maui was worth it. But the value just isn’t there, which is why I gave the Surf and Sand only...