The Monarch Beach Resort – Kid Friendly Resorts in Orange County

Perched atop a beautiful bluff in Dana Point, CA, overlooking the glistening Pacific Ocean, the Monarch Beach Resort offers families looking for the perfect Southern California getaway a wonderful experience. I may be partial to Orange County, considering it is home, but let me tell you, after traveling the world, it really doesn’t get much better than the stunning Monarch Beach Resort.   During our recent move we had the chance to spend a few nights in one of their spacious guest rooms enjoying mornings dining at the delicious onsite restaurants, afternoons at the resort’s Beach Club, and evenings watching the sunset by the fire on the expansive ocean view terrace.  It was a much needed escape from the chaos of moving, and it was definitely an added bonus to have it just down the street! (affiliate links are included in this post.)

If you are looking for a great getaway for the family this spring or summer…or any time of year, because let’s face it…Orange County has just about the best weather on the planet year round, you definitely want to check out the Monarch Beach Resort.  Formerly known as the St. Regis Monarch Beach, this luxury oceanfront resort sits on a sprawling piece of land right along the Pacific Coast Highway in Dana Point, CA.  There are sparkling pools, a world class spa, kid’s club, several onsite restaurants, a DryBar, Fitness classes, a gorgeous golf course, games and activities on the lawn, special events like whale watching and tall ship sailing, and incredible beach access.  Not to mention a nail salon, fitness room and tons of great dining options.  Needless to say, you can park yourself at the Monarch Beach Resort for a very long time and never need to leave!

We had a large guest room over looking the garden, and there isn’t a bad view in the house.  For all you Bachelor fans out there, how about a famous Monarch Beach Resort wedding…our balcony overlooked the very spot where Jade and Tanner tied the knot…does this look familiar?

Monarch Beach Resort Rooms

Our room was gorgeous with two queen beds (harder and harder to find these days!) and a HUGE bathroom.  Ashley was so excited to have a big bathtub to relax in.  It was a very spacious garden view room that had plenty of room for the four of us.  I especially enjoyed the balcony which looked over the Monarch Beach Resort golf course and on to the ocean.  It was a tranquil place to sit throughout the day when we were taking a break from the beach or the pool.  My big camera was packed up for the move, so you’ll have to excuse the grainy iPhone pictures.  I need to go back and take some better pictures!  Any excuse for another stay! 😉

As a designer you know I am very appreciative of the details like the grasscloth wallpaper.  The branding is also seriously on point at the Monarch Beach Resort.  Butterflies everywhere…another detail that I love!

Monarch Beach Resort Restaurant

For our stay we were able to reserve a great package that included complimentary breakfast each morning at our choice from a number of different Monarch Beach Resort restaurants on the property.  I was pleasantly surprised when I booked our stay to find several very family friendly packages that were available. It was great to be able to choose from a handful of restaurants each morning for breakfast.  My favorite spot was AVEO.

They may have possibly had the best avocado toast I have ever eaten in my life. I recreated the recipe here, and it is a favorite in our house year round now. 

Breakfast with a fabulous ocean view gets every day started off right.

It was extra fun to see the tile that we were in the process of installing in the new house, at the restaurant.  That was a nice confirmation of my design choice. 😉

Since we were moving anyways, I really just wanted to move in here. 😉 . One look at the lobby and terrace and you will understand why…

That cement tile is just stunning!

It doesn’t hurt one bit that outside those massive sliding doors is this view…

Monarch Beach Resort Pool and Beach Club

The pool and hot tub at the resort are beautiful and have great views of the ocean.  Pool side service and fun additions like a taco bar, make it easy to hang out there all day…that is if you opt for the pool instead of the private beach club. While you technically can’t have a private beach in CA, the beach that is part of the resort is essentially as private as it gets.  Access to the beach from anywhere other than the hotel is a bit difficult, so the beach goers are almost all hotel guests.  You can walk a quick 10 minutes down the beach trail, or you can take the complimentary beach shuttle provided by the resort.  The shuttle was too cute not to take.

The shuttle drops you right at the Monarch Beach Resort private beach club, which is another great amenity of the resort.  There you are outfitted with towels and beach chairs and umbrellas….even sand toys for the kids!  If you would like to learn to surf or body board, instructors are available for a fee to give you lessons.  Equipment rental for things like boogie boards and kayaks is also available right there on the beach.  As day turns into evening, don’t miss out on the chance to reserve a fire pit to roast some s’mores.

After our days relaxing by the ocean and in the pool, we loved ending each day on the gorgeous terrace by the fire.

It was the perfect spot to play card games as a family, unwind and enjoy some dessert.

If you are looking for a wonderful, relaxing family vacation destination, be sure to check out the Monarch Beach Resort.  I really can’t say enough about this gorgeous property and our wonderful experience there.  We can’t wait to return.

You can find rates and availability as well as some great Monarch Beach Resort deals here.

Take a look at our entire Travel Gallery to see all of our posts and helpful info for planning your next family getaway.

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Happy travels!
Tammy