Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach

The beds aren't as comfortable as those at any Hampton Inn. At the pool bar, my burger was cooked well beyond well done and served without any condiments, leading to a wait for tiny dishes of ketchup and mustard. Not surprisingly, by the time they arrived, the food had been sitting for four to five minutes, all for the price of $30. Frankly, we worked hard to leave the property just to find decent food elsewhere. As for the beach—oh my. It’s disheartening, and while there isn’t much they can do about the natural state of the area, what they have is essentially a large pond of stagnant water, partially fed by a drainage tunnel. There’s a raised walkway to the sitting area near the water, but at the end of your walk, you have to wade through unpleasant yellow, smelly water. The chairs provided are far from comfortable, and the towels are merely small bath towels. Upon returning from the beach, there isn’t even a place to wash off the sand or the nasty water you trudged through. This was by far the most disappointing aspect of our stay. I visited eleven years ago when it was a St. Regis, and it was significantly nicer. While there’s little they can do about Mother Nature and the beach conditions, they could at least provide a wash station like those found at most public beaches. Ultimately, my experience was disappointing, and I wouldn’t choose to return. I've heard that the Montage and the Ritz are far better options.

The rooms have been upgraded, offering wonderful amenities and outstanding service. There are multiple pools, and the tram to the beach is a delightful touch. The waterfront restaurant serves delicious food. This hotel is exceptional, and we always enjoy seeing the dogs on the property during our visits. We can't wait to book our next stay! Rooms: 5/5

This place is a hidden gem! The property is enormous, featuring three pools, a golf course, and a beautiful beach club that you can reach via a pleasant tram ride. The beach offers kids' toys, sports equipment, and excellent beach service. My room was stunning, and I was upgraded to a suite due to my diamond status. Overall, it's a fantastic property, and I would love to return! The service was a bit inconsistent; while some staff were great, others could use improvement (for instance, someone walked into my room after just one knock).

This place is no doubt beautiful, but I'm not quite sure you could consider it a great value. We used Hilton Free Night Certificates to stay here, and luckily this waives the $63/day resort fees (but unfortunately not the mandatory $70/day valet parking fee). It would be hard to imagine it being worth it to pay cash when it is over $1000/night for a basic room. Diamond status got us a $50/day food and drink credit, but that goes pretty fast when the drinks are $23+ and the food is even more expensive. We had some flautas at the pool which were extremely tasty, but the cocktail I ordered was a bit strong and I needed them to sweeten it up a bit. We ate breakfast, I loved the avocado toast, and the service at breakfast was really top notch. The buffet did not look that great though when compared to how extensive a Waldorf Astoria breakfast buffet can potentially be, especially in other countries. The breakfast at the Waldorf Astoria Beijing was one of the best breakfasts ever at a hotel. We did get upgraded to a room with a fire pit, and that was quite nice. So if you stay on points, this place is pretty nice, but if you are paying cash, you might be disappointed.

Amazing place. But as expected, insanely expensive. We were lucky enough to have a business event here, otherwise this incredible place is far outside our means. Great service. Great room. Beautiful hotel and grounds.Rooms: 5/5