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The Old World meets the Pacific Rim at this regal Dana Point grande dame. Although it's the oldest and most outdated (for now) of the three major resorts in this region -- the other two being the St. Regis and Montage -- it has one major trump card: the region's most spectacular setting. It's perched right on the edge of a 150-foot-high bluff that fronts an idyllic 2-mile-long beach where some of the world's best surfers play in the waves (truly, you can spend hours on your balcony admiring the ocean view). Lush terraces and colorful flower gardens abound throughout the well-tended property. There's a beautiful marble fireplace in the silk-lined lobby, and the arched Lobby Lounge is perfect for sipping a cocktail while watching the sun set over the Pacific. The service, in typical Ritz-Carlton style, is unassuming and impeccable. The spacious rooms are outfitted with sumptuous furnishings and fabrics, and all come with a terrace, an Italian marble bathroom equipped with double vanity, and the most comfortable feather bed's I've ever slept in; some suites even have fireplaces. The resort's flagship restaurant is the elegant Dining Room, but I prefer either the bountiful Friday night seafood buffet at the Terrace restaurant or a light lunch or dinner overlooking the ocean at the Lobby Lounge. Garden tours, beach shuttles, and excellent kids programs are available as well.

If elegant European ambience and unobstructed ocean views are your criteria, the Ritz property is a better choice than the nearby St. Regis, but if you prefer a more modern and trendsetting hotel, both the St. Regis and Montage are hard to beat. Note: A massive remodel of the entire property is scheduled for completion by late 2005. I've seen a peek of the new look and it's surprisingly modish -- far more chic and contemporary than your typical Ritz decor.

Facilities: 4 restaurants; 2 lounges; 4 outdoor tennis courts; health club; whirlpool; sauna; children's programs; concierge; business center; 24-hr. room service; in-room massage; babysitting; dry-cleaning/laundry service; executive-level rooms; regular shuttle to/from the beach and the golf course.

© 2005, Wiley Publishing, Inc.