Tony Christopoulos

Review of St. Regis Dana Point

Considering the steep price, this place has some i...

Considering the steep price, this place has some issues requiring resolution. The poolside service is good, but the housekeeping responsiveness lags. It took far too long to get more shampoo to the room than it should have, and we should never have had to make that request in the first place.

That said, the entire staff is extremely friendly. The beach club is nice, but the waiting time to pick up a tram and the tram ride itself are annoying. You'd think driving down a path from the hillside to the beach through a golf course would be an enjoyable ride, but instead it's a series of uncomfortable twists, turns and misplaced speed bumps. The line for food and beverage at the beach club can become quite long, and there's no beach service, so plan on doing some walking if you want a cocktail on the sand. There are lines for the bathroom as well.

The property is very scenic, but the pool is too small. The water temperature is a little too cool, while the jacuzzi is way too hot. Great view from the jacuzzi though.

The rooms are what you would expect for the price. The bathrooms are very nice, and the rooms are spacious.

In sum, this place has unmet potential to be a great resort. They have the right idea starting with the friendliness of the staff, but they have to work out some details and somehow change a few things up to get to elite status.