It was weird to be spending our anniversary this year at a renowned five-star Montage Hotel; pampered in the proverbial lap of luxury while our conversations centered on layoffs, recession and hard times ahead.
It’s strange that riff-raff like us had even HEARD of the Montage resort in Laguna Beach, let alone be returning to the place – especially with our tenuous connection to the bizarre police shooting that occurred there last year.
The first time we visited, we were guests of some extravagant and generous friends who invited us there to help them celebrate a milestone birthday. We hadn't seriously considered coming back until that charity silent auction we attended in October.
One of the prizes was a one-night stay at Montage with bidding begun at a bargain rate of $200. So we placed a bid.
By the end of the evening, it was too late; especially once my husband’s boss entered the fray. Gareth was determined to win, and he did. But our final cost was $50 more than it would have been if we had just made the reservation directly with the hotel. (At least, the money goes to charity, and we can write that $50 off.)
Riff-Raff that I am, I was determined to use all of the resort’s facilities to the max this time – and milk as much as I could out of our one-night stay.
“Did you tell them it was our anniversary?” I asked my husband last week. I’d expected them to ask us when we’d made our reservation. Husband shot off a quick email asking if they had any suggestions for us. For a hotel of this caliber, that’s code for “We expect you to make a fuss.”
I was not disappointed.
We made it to Laguna around 11:00, hoping to obtain an early check-in. A room was available, so we had the desk clerk send our luggage over while we moseyed over to the property’s “casual” dining room, The Loft. After being seated, my husband handed me a letter from the general manager, welcoming us to the property and wishing us a happy anniversary there.
Boo-ya!
Resort management passed the test with flying colors. That afternoon, we received a split of decent champagne and a lovely dessert to share. Restaurant and pool employees wished us a happy anniversary, as befitting a resort that prides itself on first-class service.
The hotel is built right into a bluff, which gives every room an ocean view. It also means that the resort is configured in a “top down” manner: the lobby entrance is atop five stories of guest balconied guest rooms. The ground floor rooms have patios. There are also a couple of buildings with “bungalows” and “cottages.”
The Loft dining space is situated in the center of the building, just below the lobby and has a spectacular view of the mosaic tiled pool and beach below.
This is where you really see the difference a star makes in terms of service. It’s the kind of place where the wait staff not only pulls out your chair, but places the napkin on your lap. And if you get up to use the rest room, they swoop in and fold your napkin back up for you. They hover about, anticipating your every need.
But there is a price to pay for that kind of service. If you’re speaking Continental Breakfast, that price is $23: Granola, yogurt, coffee, juice a small plate of fresh fruit and a choice of pastries or toast (the dry rye was my sorry attempt at keeping my calorie count down.
We stayed at Montage for a total of 33 hours, which covered five meals – each costing approximately $100 for two people. Drinks for two in the lobby lounge came to $50. Obviously, this is not a destination for a budget vacation.
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