Monarch BeachCRE

Fun facts

Monarch Beach Fun Facts for business owners

These are the sourced facts a business owner is most likely to want about Monarch Beach: the resort, the golf course, the beach, the neighborhood shopping center and the planning rules behind them. Each fact names who published it, and each one is followed by a practical question to ask before you rely on it.

Last updated · Published by Daniel Weber, Commercial Real Estate Advisor (TREC License 828133)

How many rooms and acres does the Monarch Beach resort have?

Hilton's January 2021 release describes the Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach Resort & Club as having 400 guest rooms and suites.[1] The California Coastal Commission, describing the 1992 permit, says it approved the construction of a 400 key resort hotel and eighty-six residential units around it.[4] Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach describes its grounds as 175 oceanfront acres.[2]

Why it matters: these are the documented size markers of the resort. If you are weighing a nearby shop, restaurant or service business, ask whether and how often resort guests leave the property during a stay.

What are the Monarch Beach golf course facts?

Hilton describes an oceanfront 18-hole golf course at the resort, designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr.[1] The Southern California Golf Association's FORE Magazine says the course was the first upper-end public course in Orange County and that two holes, No. 3 and No. 4, are the only two on the ocean side of Pacific Coast Highway.[3]

The Coastal Commission's permit history notes the golf clubhouse was reconfigured to allow the public to access it from Niguel Road.[4] The specific plan's land use plan uses designations such as GC for golf course, and a 2003 amendment converted 0.26 acre from GC to RES (residential).[4]

Why it matters: if you are weighing any use at the clubhouse or beside the course, ask whether the land is designated GC and whether a minor boundary adjustment under section 2.1 of the specific plan has ever been used.

How many homes are in Monarch Bay and what is the sale record?

The Orange County Business Journal describes Monarch Bay as a gated, beachfront community, a place where one home is described as "1 of 214 in Monarch Bay," and reports that a Monarch Bay home set the priciest home sale record for Dana Point in 2022.[5] This is residential context only. A home sale record does not describe commercial land, rents or values.

Why it matters: home counts and home sale records are not commercial data. Ask a landlord for actual tenant sales or traffic counts rather than inferring them from home prices.

What are the Salt Creek Beach address, parking and surf facts?

OC Parks lists Salt Creek Beach Park at 33333 S. Pacific Coast Hwy., Dana Point, CA 92629.[6] It says parking consists of pay and display parking at $1 per hour year-round, and describes restroom facilities with outside showers and a paved parking area.[6] OC Parks also calls Salt Creek Beach Park a popular surfing location.[6]

Why it matters: if you are weighing a beach-adjacent visitor use, ask OC Parks and the City of Dana Point who controls signs, access paths and event permits near the park.

What is the SP91-01 Monarch Beach Resort specific plan?

The Dana Point Zoning Code, Chapter 9.33, lists SP91-01 Monarch Beach Resort as an adopted specific plan in Appendix D, under Council Resolution 92-02-25-3.[8] The code says that where an adopted specific plan addresses zoning code matters, the specific plan shall supersede the land use regulations applicable to the subject property.[8]

A 1999 Local Coastal Program amendment also addressed the Commercial Residential zoning district in the Capistrano Beach and Monarch Beach areas, and the sources on file do not say which parcels it covers.[7]

Why it matters: for land inside the specific plan, the plan text may override the base zoning you looked up online. Ask the City of Dana Point planning staff which document controls the exact parcel.

What are the citywide population and area figures for the city that includes Monarch Beach?

The U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 estimate for the City of Dana Point is 32,232 people, and its 2025 Gazetteer lists 6.488 square miles of land and 0.267 square miles of water.[9] These are Dana Point (citywide) figures. Monarch Beach is an area of Dana Point with no Census figure of its own.

Why it matters: do not quote a city population as the customer base of a resort district. Ask your own counts, such as visitors, members or employees.

What is Monarch Bay Plaza?

Orange Coast Magazine describes Monarch Bay Plaza as perched above Pacific Coast Highway and reflecting the relaxed sophistication of its Dana Point neighborhood, a Spanish-style center with boutiques and restaurants.[10] That is a description only. No size, owner, anchor list or zoning for the plaza is sourced on this site.

Why it matters: before assuming anything about a space in a neighborhood center, ask the landlord for the rent roll, lease expirations, parking arrangements and operating expenses, and ask the City of Dana Point which zoning governs the site.

If one of these facts bears on your decision, note which one and which question you still need answered.

Prepare a note about what you are weighing

Questions people ask

How many rooms does the Monarch Beach resort have?

Hilton's January 2021 release describes the Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach Resort & Club as having 400 guest rooms and suites, and the California Coastal Commission describes the 1992 permit as approving a 400 key resort hotel. Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach describes its grounds as 175 oceanfront acres.

Is the Monarch Beach golf course open to the public?

The Southern California Golf Association's FORE Magazine calls Monarch Beach Golf Links the first upper-end public course in Orange County, and the California Coastal Commission's permit history notes a reconfiguration allowing public access to the clubhouse from Niguel Road. Confirm current access and fees with the course itself.

How much does parking cost at Salt Creek Beach?

OC Parks says Salt Creek Beach parking is pay and display at $1 per hour year-round, with a paved lot, restrooms and outside showers. The park's address, per OC Parks, is 33333 S. Pacific Coast Hwy., Dana Point, CA 92629. Check OC Parks for any change in rates before you plan a visit.

What is the SP91-01 Monarch Beach Resort plan?

The City of Dana Point Zoning Code, Chapter 9.33, lists SP91-01 Monarch Beach Resort as an adopted specific plan, and says an adopted specific plan supersedes the base land use regulations for the property it covers. Ask city planning staff which land the plan covers before relying on base zoning.

What is the population of Dana Point (citywide) and of Monarch Beach?

The U.S. Census Bureau's Vintage 2025 estimate for the City of Dana Point (citywide) is 32,232 people, over 6.488 square miles of land. Monarch Beach has no Census figure of its own, so ask where any Monarch Beach population number comes from before you rely on it.

What is published about Monarch Bay Plaza?

Orange Coast Magazine describes Monarch Bay Plaza as a Spanish-style center perched above Pacific Coast Highway with boutiques and restaurants. No source on this site gives its size, owner, anchors or zoning, so ask the landlord and the City of Dana Point for those details before assuming them.

Sources

  1. Dana Point, Calif. welcomes Waldorf Astoria, Hilton, 2021-01-06. Accessed October 13, 2026.
  2. What to expect, Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach. Accessed October 13, 2026.
  3. Standing the test of time, Southern California Golf Association (FORE Magazine), 2024-07-18. Accessed October 13, 2026.
  4. Staff report F15a,b, February 2003, California Coastal Commission, 2003-02. Accessed October 13, 2026.
  5. Monarch Bay deal nears city record, Orange County Business Journal, 2023-07-10. Accessed October 13, 2026.
  6. Salt Creek Beach, OC Parks. Accessed October 13, 2026.
  7. Staff report Th8a, December 1999, California Coastal Commission, 1999-11-18. Accessed October 13, 2026.
  8. Zoning Code, Chapter 9.33 Specific Plan District, City of Dana Point (via gocodebook.com). Accessed October 13, 2026.
  9. Vintage 2025 subcounty estimates and 2025 Gazetteer place file, U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 to 2025. Accessed October 13, 2026.
  10. Monarch Bay Plaza, Orange Coast Magazine. Accessed October 13, 2026.