Brad and I just got back from our anniversary weekend at the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel in Dana Point. This was our fourth year in a row. It’s our kid-free trip, the one we look forward to all year, and over three days we ate at 180blu, Raya, The Market Place and Kahani, I had a massage at the spa, and we stayed in a fire pit room for the first time.
Our stay was two nights, Friday, October 16 to Sunday, October 18, 2026, and we booked the room with our Marriott Bonvoy points. We paid for everything ourselves, and nothing was comped. When we arrived around 11:15 in the morning, our room was already ready, which was a nice surprise. No waiting at all.
I’ve written about this resort before in our full Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel review. This post is different. It’s a meal-by-meal look at the restaurants: what we ordered, what it cost, what I’d order again and what I’d skip. It’s also an honest look at what has changed. We still had a nice weekend, but this year we noticed the cutbacks, and if you’re planning a stay you should know about them before you book.
The Quick Answers
- Best dinner: Kahani. I’d recommend everything we ordered.
- Best single dish: the Coconut French Toast at Raya breakfast.
- Best casual lunch with a view: 180blu. Get the Surf & Turf Tacos and the Ahi Tuna Tartare.
- Skip: the Poblano and Pretzel Biscuit and the Beet Root Hummus at Raya.
- Massage: 60-minute deep tissue, $375 total with no add-ons. A very good massage.
- Room: the fire pit room is beautiful, but it isn’t private.
| Restaurant | Meal | What we ordered | Order again? | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 180blu | Lunch | Ahi Tuna Tartare, Surf & Turf Tacos | Yes, both | $66.03 with tip |
| Raya | Light dinner | Poblano and Pretzel Biscuit, Beet Root Hummus, Al Pastor Bao Buns | Only the bao | $75.34 |
| The Market Place | Breakfast | Laguna Burrito, Surf’s Up Sandwich, cappuccino | Yes | $43.00 |
| Kahani | Dinner | Pakoda Chaat, Tuna Bhel Puri, Masala Paneer en Croute, Mango Lassi Bar, chai | Yes | $163.61 |
| Raya | Breakfast | Coconut French Toast, Cali Omelette, cappuccino | Yes | $85.04 |
Our Room: Is the Fire Pit Room Worth It?
We’ve now stayed in four different room types here, so I can finally compare them. This year we booked a fire pit room, which comes with its own patio and gas fire pit. Ours looked out over grass and flowers to the ocean and the Monarch Beach coastline.
The room itself is pretty, with a soft green and cream color scheme, a palm leaf mural behind the bed and a Nespresso machine and kettle at the coffee bar. They also leave you a s’mores kit with skewers to use at your fire pit, which was a fun touch.
The patio is the reason to book it. It’s beautiful to sit out on the patio with the fire on and stare at the ocean.
We didn’t really drink on the property this trip. We brought our own bottle of AJA, their 2019 5 Red Blend from the Malibu Coast, and it was perfect for the patio. AJA is spectacular wine, and sipping it by the fire while looking out at the ocean was one of my favorite parts of the weekend.
The downside is privacy. People walk past the patio all day long. You can’t leave the patio door open and lie in bed in your pajamas the way you can in an ocean view room.
Fire Pit vs. Ocean View vs. Poolside Rooms
Here’s how the room types we’ve tried compare:
- Ocean view: You can stay in bed, open the door and hear the waves. Still a favorite.
- Poolside: We could sit outside our room and order food and drinks from the pool grill, and they brought it right to us. That was a lot of fun.
- Partial ocean view: Fine, but not a big deal. I wouldn’t pay anything extra for it.
- Fire pit: The best evenings we’ve had here, but the least private during the day.
Lunch at 180blu: Get the Tacos and the Tartare
We started the trip with lunch at 180blu, the outdoor lounge that sits on the bluff with views up and down the coast. On a clear day you can watch the surfers below while you eat. It’s casual.
We ordered the Ahi Tuna Tartare, which comes with blue and yellow corn tortilla chips, and the Surf & Turf Tacos on blue corn tortillas with cabbage slaw and pickled onions. Both were fresh and full of flavor, and I’d order both again.
Cost: $66.03 including tip.
Light Dinner at Raya: The Menu Changes Disappointed Us
We were still full from lunch, so we went to Raya for a few light bites instead of a full dinner. This is where we had our biggest disappointment of the trip.
Every time we come, we order the Salvadorian cheese rolls. They were so good, and they had been on the menu the last three times we visited. They’re gone now. In their place is a Poblano and Pretzel Biscuit, and it tasted like something I could make at home from a can of refrigerated biscuits from the grocery store. I used to order a great grilled avocado here too, and that’s off the menu as well.
We also tried the Beet Root Hummus. It’s pretty to look at, but it wasn’t very flavorful. I don’t recommend it.
The one thing I do recommend is the Al Pastor Bao Buns. We’ve had them before and they’re still good. If you go to Raya for dinner, order these.
Cost: $75.34.
On our way out we saw Dean, who has served us at Raya before, and stopped to say hello. He wasn’t our server this time, but it was nice to see a familiar face. We see the same people here every year, and it tells me they’re happy working here, which matters.
S’mores at Our Fire Pit
After dinner we went back to the room, turned on the fire pit and made s’mores with the kit they gave us. It had marshmallows, graham crackers and Ghirardelli milk chocolate squares. It was a sweet way to end our first night.
Breakfast From The Market Place, Eaten on Our Patio
The next morning we weren’t hungry for a full sit-down breakfast, so Brad picked up coffee and breakfast sandwiches from The Market Place, the resort’s casual café, and took them back to our patio.
We got the Laguna Burrito, the Surf’s Up Sandwich and a cappuccino. Both are big. I could only eat half of my sandwich, and Brad could only finish half of the burrito. The ingredients were fresh and everything was tasty. I recommend both, and the cappuccino was good too.
Cost: $43.00.
We ate outside with the fire pit on, looking at the ocean and listening to the waves. It was nice and peaceful, and I could stay in my pajamas.
The Spa at the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel: Good Massage, Noticeable Cutbacks
I had a 60-minute deep tissue massage, and it was $375 total with no add-ons. I asked for Amy, who I’ve had before, but she wasn’t working that day. They gave me Jannah instead, and she was fantastic. It was a very good massage and I have no complaints about the treatment itself.
The facility was clean, everyone was very nice, and it was busy but manageable. The rest of the spa experience is where I saw the biggest change from last year.
What the Spa Offered Last Year vs. This Year
Last year there were so many drinks it was almost funny: cucumber water, cucumber / orange / lemon water, regular ice water, coconut water, cranberry and elderflower tea, peach green tea, at least three crystal-infused waters, oxygen-infused water and several hot teas. There was fresh fruit and beautiful chocolate bonbons.
This year there were two teas (each served hot or cold), regular water, a cucumber / orange / lemon water, and one crystal-infused water. The bonbons are gone, and there are small pieces of dark chocolate instead. There was no fresh fruit. Outside the sauna and steam room, the ice-cold water is gone too, and room-temperature canned water is waiting for you instead. They do still have yogurt, which I was happy about.
A Few Other Things I Noticed
- The scent. The artificial scent they pump into the spa is very strong. I wish they would tone it down.
- The lounges. The relaxation room and the co-ed lounge look beautiful, but the chairs aren’t comfortable. I understand the spa is small and they need to keep people moving, but sometimes you just want to stay and relax.
- The robes. They’re worn and covered in pilling. You can tell they’re old.
- Small things. I asked for a plastic bag for my wet swimsuit and was told they were out, so they gave me a bag from the spa store.
My advice: book the spa for the massage, which is still excellent, but don’t plan on spending the whole afternoon in the lounges. For comparison, here’s the Terranea spa I visit every year before Mother’s Day.
Dinner at Kahani: The Best Meal of Our Trip
Kahani is the resort’s modern Indian restaurant, and it’s great. The dining room has a deep red ceiling and carved screens.
We skipped TAIKUN, the resort’s omakase restaurant, this year. Our last two visits included it (here’s my first omakase there), but from the reviews I’ve read, the menu only changes with the seasons. Since we come the same time every year, I didn’t want to spend $300 per person on the same experience a third time. Kahani is great, and we were happy eating here instead.
I recommend everything we ordered:
- Pakoda Chaat. It tasted like an amazing falafel.
- Tuna Bhel Puri. Very fresh and full of flavor.
- Masala Paneer en Croute. Think of it as a modern Indian version of a pot pie. It was great, and you should try it.
- Mango Lassi Bar. Very good. I probably wouldn’t order it again only because I’d like to try their other desserts, but you’ll like it.
- Chai tea to finish.
Our server was Christian, who also took care of us last year and was our server at Raya on our very first visit. We recognized Larry, the host, too. If you only have one dinner at the resort, make it Kahani.
Cost: $163.61.
Breakfast at Raya: Amazing French Toast, Awkward Start
On our last morning we went to Raya for breakfast. We were in line before 11:30, when breakfast ends, but the host wanted to seat us for brunch instead, which starts at noon and is a heavier prix fixe menu. We explained that we’d been waiting since before 11:30 and just wanted breakfast. She agreed to seat us and let the chef know.
I don’t understand why it was a big deal. When we left at 12:17, there was only one other table in the restaurant, and they had arrived at noon for brunch. The restaurant was nearly empty.
Tip: If you want breakfast at Raya, arrive well before 11:30, or be ready for the brunch menu.
The food made up for it. My Coconut French Toast was amazing, and I highly recommend it. Brad’s Cali Omelette was fresh and great, and my cappuccino was good. Our server was Joel, who we’ve had before and who is super sweet.
Cost: $85.04.
What’s Changed at the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel
This was our fourth stay, and it’s the first time I’ve noticed the resort cutting corners. Here’s what stood out:
- Menus. Each restaurant has changed its menu a little, and some of the special dishes are gone, like the Salvadorian cheese rolls and grilled avocado at Raya.
- Flowers. The resort used to be full of fresh flowers everywhere. Now there are very few, and an artificial scent is pumped in instead.
- The spa. Fewer drinks and snacks, canned water, worn robes.
- Housekeeping. This was the biggest letdown, and I’ve given it its own section below.
It Was a Very Busy Weekend
The resort was packed. There was a huge wedding with events from Wednesday through Sunday, a Bar Mitzvah on Saturday, a 100th birthday celebration on Sunday and a conference going on all weekend. One pool had a pool party for the wedding guests, and the other main pool was very busy, so we skipped the pool this time. The grounds are still beautiful, but if you’re hoping for a quiet weekend, it’s worth asking the hotel what events are booked before you choose your dates.
Housekeeping Was the Weakest Part of Our Stay
- When we arrived there was only one bathrobe, and it was dirty. We had to call to have it replaced and to ask for slippers.
- The bathroom handles and the toilet flusher weren’t clean.
- On our second day, housekeeping left a grubby bottle of Dawn dish soap on the bathroom counter.
- The coffee bar had only one Nespresso pod, and it was old and had gone bad.
- Our patio table was never wiped down, and the old s’mores sticks were never cleared from the fire pit.
- On our last morning I was sitting outside with my tea while the room above us was being cleaned. They were spraying a cleaner outside, and the mist came down right on me: my hair, my eyes and my tea.
- When we checked out, a housekeeping cart was parked directly in front of our door. It was locked, no one answered when we called out, and we had to squeeze around the cart, the cleaning products and the linen bags to leave our room.
You also see housekeeping carts parked by rooms all over the hotel. At this price, it doesn’t feel luxurious.
To be fair, every person we dealt with was nice. Nobody did anything special for our anniversary, even though Raya asked if we were celebrating and we said yes. We didn’t expect anything, but it’s worth knowing if you’re planning a special occasion.
Tips If You’re Planning a Stay
- Book the fire pit room for the evenings, but choose an ocean view room if privacy matters more to you.
- Have lunch at 180blu on a clear day for the best views.
- Make Kahani your big dinner.
- Get to Raya before 11:30 if you want breakfast and not brunch.
- Use The Market Place for an easy breakfast you can take back to your room or patio.
- Book a massage, but don’t expect the spa lounges to be a place to spend the whole day.
- Ask whether any big weddings or events are booked during your stay if you want a quieter weekend.
- If you’re a Marriott Bonvoy member, the resort is bookable with points. That’s how we paid for our two nights.
- Check your room when you arrive and call right away if anything is missing.
- Menus and hours change, so check the resort’s dining page before you go.
Will We Go Back for a Fifth Year?
I’m not sure. For three years we loved every minute here, and it became our tradition. This year we still had good meals, a great massage and some beautiful sunsets by the fire, but the cutbacks were easy to see. Next year I’m going to look at the Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach before we decide, and I’ll share what we find. If you’re comparing Orange County resorts too, here’s our honest Pelican Hill review.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best restaurant at the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel?
For us it was Kahani, the modern Indian restaurant. Every dish we ordered was excellent. For a casual lunch with a view, 180blu is our pick.
How much is a massage at the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel spa?
My 60-minute deep tissue massage was $375 total in October 2026 with no add-ons.
Is the fire pit room worth it?
If you love sitting outside in the evening, yes. You get your own fire pit and a s’mores kit, and the sunset views are beautiful. The trade-off is privacy, because people walk past the patio all day.
We paid for our stay and every meal ourselves. Nothing was comped. Prices are from our October 2026 visit and may have changed.
