Weekend Getaway Bliss at Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort and Spa

I’m sitting on our balcony looking out to Dana Point Harbor. It is an especially quiet morning, not because the world is asleep, but because we’ve come here without our children. A rare weekend getaway thanks to the kindness of friends returning a favor, who watched our kids overnight. The ironic thing is, we are reminded of our children at every turn. Laguna Cliffs Marriott is very family friendly, so we vow to return with our kids next time.

But sometimes you just need time alone, time for two, unplugged and relaxed. Except for typing this article on my computer, we’ve been unplugged and off the grid. It is refreshing.

Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort and Spa is nestled high on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, not directly the Pacific Ocean but across the State Park and into Dana Point Harbor actually.

With 378 guest rooms and suites set amidst lush gardens and sweeping lawns of astroturf, it is remarkable, that despite its size, the hotel staff and the interiors still make the place feel cozy and intimate. It is also very laid back.

For a chill weekend getaway, a couple can take in music and drinks at OverVue lounge; go whale watching, or engage in a water sport at the harbor; or do what we did — which was to bliss out at the Spa at Laguna Cliffs. The Spa, which by the way, is open to non-hotel guests, boasts a couples treatment room like no other. It is bright and spacious instead of dark and cavernous as most massage rooms for two are. And it opens up to a private courtyard, where one can chill, have a spa meal delivered and just decompress.

This year, the Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort and Spa is turning 25. But there is no quarter life crisis for this hotel. Instead, she is blooming and remains one of the doyennes of hospitality in Southern California.

Dana Point on Dwellable