Orange County Coast, from Crystal Cove to Dana Point
South of Newport Beach the Coast Highway runs along a line of bluffs that drop straight to the sand, and the county's best hotels sit on top of them – Craftsman timber above Treasure Island, Palladian stone above Crystal Cove, two resorts sharing the headland over Salt Creek.
South of Newport Beach the Coast Highway runs along a line of bluffs that drop straight to the sand, and the county's best hotels sit on top of them – Craftsman timber above Treasure Island, Palladian stone above Crystal Cove, two resorts sharing the headland over Salt Creek. We looked at every address from Newport Center to Monarch Bay and kept only the ones whose service is as sure as the view. Two hold five-star standing; the other two are four-star resorts whose setting and kitchens earn them the company, and we list them at exactly the tier they hold. Four made the cut.
The collection
4 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
Laguna Beach
The art colony of the coast – galleries along the highway, coves and tide pools below, and a clifftop resort at the southern edge of town.
Newport Coast & Crystal Cove
The bluffs between Newport Beach and Laguna – Crystal Cove's beaches and historic cottages below, golf terraces above, Fashion Island a short drive inland.
Dana Point & Monarch Beach
The quiet south end – a harbor of whale-watching boats, the surf at Salt Creek Beach, and two resorts sharing the headland above it.
Good to know
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. Dana Point and Monarch Beach are the quiet south end, where two resorts share the bluffs above Salt Creek Beach and the harbor sends its whale-watching boats out in season.
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?
All four stand on bluffs rather than on the sand, which is where the views come from. Montage sits above Treasure Island beach in South Laguna; The Ritz-Carlton rises 150 feet above Salt Creek Beach; the Waldorf Astoria keeps a beach club in a 1960s cottage on Monarch Bay; and Pelican Hill looks down on the coves of Crystal Cove State Park.
How do I reserve a stay?
Search your dates on any hotel's page to see rates and what is available, then book the room you want. A concierge is on hand throughout – to weigh Laguna against Monarch Beach before you book, and to arrange tee times, tables and the rest of the stay once you have.
