March 2010
Lifestyle samplings for the busy executive
THE HOTEL
The Ritz-Carlton,
Laguna Niguel
Location:
One Ritz Carlton Drive
Dana Point , CA 92629
949-240-2000
Number of rooms: 393
Year established: 1984
Ammenities: Restaurant
162, The Ritz-Carlton Spa,
Oceanfront fitness facility,
Four tennis courts, Two
heated swimming pools,
Adjacent to Monarch Beach
Golf Links
Website: ritzcarlton.com
A Room With a View
Travel to this splendid Southern California resort where location is everything. BY DAVID GEE
» Nearby
attractions:
Dana Point Harbor,
Disneyland, Knott’s
Berry Farm,
Catalina Island,
Laguna Beach arts
community
« For what
it’s worth, you
really can’t put
a price tag on
this view.
» Getting
there:
US Airways,
Frontier, United,
Delta/NWA (only
direct flights) all
o;er service from
MSP to nearby
Orange Country
John Wayne
Airport
WHEN YOU’RE ON VACATION, or even traveling for work,
how do you rate your hotel experience? By the food, the ;tness facilities, the furnishings? Or is it the service, perhaps?
For me, the experience is de;ned by the view. And it doesn’t have
to be something stereotypical, such as a ;owerbox-framed window
in a pension in the south of France providing a portal for the Mediterranean, the expansive Paci;c laid out from a lanai in Maui, or the
intimidating north face of the Eiger as seen from a hostel in the village
of Grindelwald far below. Those views are truly exceptional, but I
have been equally fascinated by the view of a busy alley from a hotel
in the heart of downtown Tokyo.
For this article, though, we won’t have to have a “beauty is in
the eye of the beholder” debate, because I think we can all agree the
views from the Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel, situated as it is, atop a
150-foot blu; in one of the most picturesque sections of the Southern California coast, are indeed spectacular.
It was the ;rst full-service, ;ve-star resort
to take residence within the idyllic community
of Laguna over 25 years ago and today the Ritz-Being the ;rst to arrive in the area allowed the Ritz-Carlton—
located halfway between Los Angeles and San Diego along the picturesque Paci;c Cast Highway—to secure the preeminent location
with nearly 400 rooms overlooking the Paci;c Ocean.
Each one is beautifully decorated in colors re;ective of the sand
and sea. Ranging in size from 400 to 1,550 square feet, they blend
classic furnishings with modern-day conveniences and generous living space.
