A few weeks ago, we took a private jet to Los Angeles and decided to spend a few nights at the Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Nigel. The luxurious resort overlooks the Pacific Ocean and is a 90-minute drive south of L.A. in Dana Point.

Redeeming Reward Certificates

The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel is a Tier 4 property. The resort embraces Southern California roots, from locally sourced restaurant menus to ocean-view accommodations and excursions.

We redeemed our certificate nights from the Ritz-Carlton Rewards credit card signup bonus. Since it's a Tier 4 property, you'll need 60,000 Ritz-Carlton Reward points for a free stay. The retail price for rooms starts at $749/night, before taxes and fees.

Check-In

We spent the whole day in L.A. before driving down to Dana Point, so we checked-in around 10 pm. When you drive up to the Ritz-Carlton, valets will quickly approach your car to greet you. Parking is valet only, which costs $40/night; you do have in/out privileges.

The front desk staff was friendly, and as luck would have it, we were offered a free upgrade to an Ocean View room! I think timing played a huge factor because free upgrades for Gold status members are often unheard of. We checked-in late (10 pm) and it was a weekday. The upgrade alone was worth $500!

The lobby is well decorated and leads to a long hallway filled with dining options.

The Ocean View Room

The room was on the main floor and 400 square feet in size, equipped with 2 queen beds and an amazing view.

The view from the balcony. Again, it was 10 pm and foggy when we checked-in, so you can't really see the ocean in this picture. The night time view doesn't do the room any justice.

The room has a television, desk, safe, mini-refrigerator, and coffee maker.

Each room has a spacious and luxurious marble bathroom with double vanities, robes, shower/tub combination, and bathroom amenities.

The safe, coffee maker, and mini fridge are tucked away behind a cabinet door.

The resort offers snack and drink packages for purchase.

We walked around the hotel to explore some more. Overall, the resort is peaceful at night and has a completely different vibe during the day. We'll post a full review soon.

Parking

When you enter the driveway of the resort, you'll be greeted by friendly valet service ready to help. Leave your car with them -- there's no other option for parking.

Lobby

The lobby has beautiful flower arrangements that are refreshed daily.

The resort has 2 swimming pools, one in each courtyard. There's also a hot tub and dining service.

View of the exterior guest rooms that face the coastline and/or ocean. The lower-level rooms are equipped with fireplaces.  

Fireplace in the balcony.

There's plenty of free water around the resort so you don't have to worry about getting dehydrated.

Private Beach

The resort has a private entrance to the beach. You can request a beach butler and amenities to be brought to you. Paddle boards, umbrellas, and chairs are available upon request.

Don't want to walk to the beach? No problem. Catch a ride on the complimentary trolley.

There are a few paths that lead to/from the beach. You can take the stairs (left) or walk uphill (right).

If you're hungry, splurge on the burger with truffle fries. It's one of the best burger's we've had, plus it comes with an ocean view.

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