Orange County Coast, from Crystal Cove to Laguna
South of Newport Beach the county's best hotels sit on top of bluffs that drop straight to the sand. The Coast Highway runs along that line of bluffs, and the hotels are Craftsman timber above Treasure Island, Palladian stone above Crystal Cove. We looked at every address from Newport Harbor to Monarch Bay and kept only the ones whose service is as sure as the view. Both hold five-star standing. Two made the cut.
Five-star hotels in Orange County Coast
2 hotels
“Because the hotel and its spa both hold five-star standing on a bluff that Laguna's painters were working a century before the resort arrived, and the plein-air canvases inside make the case for the coast as well as the windows do.”
From our editors · Montage Laguna Beach
The neighborhoods
Montage Laguna Beach · Laguna Beach — © Montage InternationalLaguna Beach
The art colony of the coast, with a clifftop resort at the southern edge of town. Galleries run along the highway, with coves and tide pools below.
Newport Coast & Crystal Cove
The bluffs between Newport Beach and Laguna, with Crystal Cove's beaches and historic cottages below. Golf terraces rise above, and Fashion Island is a short drive inland.
Good to know
Which are the five-star hotels in Orange County Coast?
Two. Every hotel we list in Orange County Coast holds five-star standing: Montage Laguna Beach and The Resort at Pelican Hill. Each has its own page, reached from the list above, with a concierge behind every stay.
Which stretch of the coast should I stay on?
Laguna Beach is the art colony – galleries on the highway, coves and tide pools below, and the coast's original clifftop resort at its southern edge. Newport Coast is the grand estate above Crystal Cove, with 36 holes of golf and Fashion Island a short drive inland. Newport Harbor and Balboa Island lie a few minutes north, Dana Point and its whale-watching harbor a few minutes south.
When is the best season for the Orange County coast?
September and October are the coast at its best – the warmest water of the year, the clearest skies and the summer crowds gone. Late spring often opens under a gray marine layer that burns off by early afternoon; July and August are bright, warm and busy, so book early. Winter is mild and green, with gray whales passing offshore from December into spring.
Are these hotels on the beach?
Both stand on bluffs rather than on the sand, which is where the views come from. Montage sits above Treasure Island beach in South Laguna, and Pelican Hill looks down on the coves of Crystal Cove State Park.
How do I reserve a stay?
Search your dates on the hotel's page to see reference rates, then send the concierge a request. The concierge confirms exact rates and availability with you before anything is booked, and any payment and its timing are set out before you confirm.
