The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel

The views and location are incredible. That’s really the only reason to stay here. Outside of the scenery, this property does not feel like a Ritz-Carlton at all. It feels more like a Courtyard Marriott with a nice lobby. The issues started right at check-in. I booked through Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts, which clearly includes a special property credit per the website and confirmation email. Somehow only $100 triggered instead of the full amount. I had to talk to three different staff members and spend over an hour on the phone with Amex to get it fixed. One front desk employee even tried to tell me the promo wasn’t valid because it was “just a screenshot,” which felt like gaslighting. Why make me go through the hassle of contacting AMEX? They told me they couldn't reach out to AMEX and I had to contact them directly... If there’s a Candlelight event during your stay, avoid this place completely. The lobby, bar, and restaurant areas get flooded with people and turn into a loud, club-like environment. It completely ruins the vibe. The food experience was awful. Two of the three restaurants, Kahani (Indian) and Taikun (Japanese), are closed on Sundays and Mondays, leaving Raya as the only option. Raya feels like a hotel lobby bar with a view, not a real restaurant. We ended up eating breakfast and dinner there for two days straight. Dinner service was the worst. The hotel is clearly understaffed and our food took an hour and a half to arrive. Despite claims of a $50 million renovation, the rooms still feel old and dated. Honestly, it feels like staying at a Courtyard Marriott. The only standout in the room was the massive TV, probably the biggest I’ve ever seen in a hotel room. Unfortunately, that doesn’t make up for everything else. The shower water pressure was horrendous, and the walls are thin enough that we could hear the TV and noise from the room next door. Pool service is a joke. Forget about ordering anything or expecting timely service. It was nonexistent. They also nickel and dime you for everything. $6 for soda water, $18 for kids’ meals, and they even charge extra just to use the sauna because it’s apparently part of a “spa experience.” Aside from the views, location, and lobby, there is nothing truly luxurious about this property. The service, food, and overall experience do not live up to the Ritz-Carlton name or price. I would not stay here again.

10 out of 10. This hotel doesn't disappoint. Amazing scenery. Highest quality accommodations. Anyone that even remotely gripes about this hotel is either lying or deluded. The staff is top notch. The food is delicious. They cater to your every whim. The fitness room is one of the best of any hotel I have ever experienced (and I go to many such gyms). I don't have a single quibble and I just spent 5 days here. Special shout out to the valets and luggage storage staff who were very kind in allowing me to store and set up my road bike in their area. I would also acknowledge the restaurant staff who quickly brought me a new plate of eggs benedict when my first offering did not have the runny eggs I asked for. No muss; no fuss. Yes, this is not a cheap hotel. But the value for money is off the charts. I can't wait to return and will be counting down the months/weeks for my next visit.

We stayed on the club level right after Christmas through New Year’s. We’ve visited many times before, largely because of the lounge’s unique charm and the consistently friendly staff. Unfortunately, the recent lounge update has taken away much of what made it special. The staff seemed focused on clearing tables rather than creating a memorable experience for guests, and the food quality and variety have noticeably declined. The New Year’s Eve offerings, in particular, were disappointing and lacked any sense of celebration or “wow” factor. The hotel itself remains beautiful, with stunning grounds and breathtaking views. However, the premium experience we’ve come to expect has been diminished, and that’s truly unfortunate.

Recently returned from a couple of nights stay over the Christmas period. We were very happy with the room amenities and decor, although first impression was it was a tad small/cramped, but soon felt at home there. We understand the place has recently undergone extensive renovations and it certainly showed. Everywhere was crisp and clean and even had that new paint smell still. Furniture and fittings in public areas and the room appeared new and fresh. It appears they didn’t just paint over the old, but ripped the old out and replaced everything, especially noticeable in the bathroom. All the staff we engaged with were fantastic ambassadors for the hotel. Polite and professional as well friendly, sociable and helpful, including the wait staff in RAYA and the bar staff in the Lobby Bar. Too many to list by name, and unfair to those whose name we didn’t catch. Kudos to them all. The grounds are beautifully maintained and walkways aplenty. Only comment (not a complaint) would be it can be a tad hilly if you are of a certain age, but having said that they do have a golf cart shuttle that will take you down to the beach area, and more importantly back up again! Only minor gripe would be the abundance of people with dogs in residence. We know this is how it is these days with most hotels. Generally speaking they are well behaved, but just a pet peeve of mine (no pun intended). And trust me, I’m a dog lover. All in all, we would certainly return one day, hopefully in the summer when we can enjoy more of the amenities, as rain rather put a damper of fully using what the hotel has to offer. Overall impressed and happy with our stay.

Excellent stay! Super friendly staff. Went over and above! Excellent beds and pillows.

Noisy air conditioner. They made an adjustment to our bill. The safe in the room was on the floor of the closet. Made it very challenging to get on our knees to put valuables in and get them back out.

I love this hotel. It’s beautiful, luxurious and clean. They upgraded my room and it was beautiful. They had good dining options. They rooms were comfortable and service was good.

Location and access to the beach Bed Pillows Staff

Toilet room was very narrow

My son got married in Dana Point on Friday Nov. 7th. We wanted them to have a great experience so we decided to gift them a room at the "supposedly" best hotel in the Dana Point arel, The Ritz Carlton. Well the experience was not so great. We asked for an upgrade to a better room....that did not happen. The room was small and hard to move around in. They were suppose to have champagne...it was not delivered on time. There were other things ordered for them that did not work out and was not delivered on time. We decided to say good bye with a quick breakfast the next morning. This turned into a very bad experience and over 2 hrs...so much for quick. The only thing available was a $75 4 course brunch. The waiter came over and took the drink order....then nothing.....We were suppose to get a shared appetizer. It never came. I had to go to the check in hostess and angrily ask for our food/appetizer. We had been waiting for over an hour. The appetizer only came out at my angry insistence....It was guacomole and chips.....so it took over an hour to give us guac and chips !!!!!!! A manager person came over and we voiced our concern about the poor service. She apologized and promised to watch our food service from now on. We got the 2nd and 3rd course. Then waited for the dessert, which I had forgotten. We had been there for 2 hours by this time and was about to leave when someone said "what happened to the dessert?" I was tired, worn out and had completely forgotten. Once again we had to hail the waiter over and ask for our dessert. By this time and due to the long hour, we asked them to pack it up....which also took some time to do. It was a horrible experience and I was apalled at such bad service, for $75 a head, at what is suppose to be a high class hotel. On my way out, I told the manager about the dessert issue and got a slim apology at best. So what happened to this $2000 policy to provide excellent service. Or do you provide excellent service to certain people. So our attempt to give our children a great experience did not turn out so great. The one star is well deserved. I told the restaurant manager to check the cameras to verify just how long we had to wait to get our food. Perhaps some of you have good experiences .......but we did not.

Stayed at the Ritz for 3 nights for a wedding. We got upgraded to Club level and everything was amazing. The club lounge service was over and above from the manager to the servers. Mercedes was so nice, I mentioned I had to check out at 4;30am and would miss breakfast , she offered and made me a amazing breakfast sandwich which she brought to my room so I could put it in the fridge for the morning. So thoughtful and over and above by the whole staff. Looking forward to our next visit !!