I cannot say enough great things about this place. Drive a little over an hour south from Los Angeles and you might as well be sitting on a beach in Hawaii. The Montage (where we stayed) is likely the best So-Cal hotel for families. From the rooms to the service to the amenities to the food, it is excellent (making it worth the hefty price). Equally as important, it's a great spot for our kids (ages 3 and 7): They were greeted with a red wagon full of stuffed animals to choose from and a personal tour of the hotel's kids club, Paintbox.
Rooms: Our suite was the perfect size for a
small family: one master bedroom and one sitting room with a pullout sofa and it's own bathroom.
It was located on the 1st floor, behind the pool, with easy access from the outdoor sitting area, so no one had to navigate hallways or elevators to go to and from the room.
Paintbox: Designed for kids ages 5-12, Paintbox is the Montage
Hotel's program for kids. Its home base (the room shown above), located on
the 1st floor right off the pool area, is a huge space chock full of
crafts and games. Within the room, there's a television area, a
computer section, and even a small kitchen. The program also offers tons of outdoors
activities. Each week, the
schedule includes a theme relating to the time of year (4th of July was
the theme when we were there). You can either sign up for the full day
or a half day (there is a different price for each). They also have
Children's Night Out from 6-10pm every night. Other nighttime activities include a dance
party, karaoke, raffle, bingo and face painting. My kids had so much
fun they didn't want to leave when we came to pick them up after dinner.
The best feature of Paintbox is its flexibility: Your kids can sign up for the entire day, but they're not bound to the schedule, for example, they have a sudden urge to hang with you instead. They're free to choose as many or as few activities from the roster as they'd like. A typical daily Paintbox itinerary starts with an art project, followed by outdoor games and swimming - all of which is 100% supervised by Paintbox counselors, who are well-trained, kid-loving, and plenty (the counselor-kid ratio is about 3-4 kids, even on a busy weekend like the 4th).
Within the Paintbox program, is Paintbox Petite, a program for tinier tots (ages 2-5) that runs from 9-4pm every day and charges by the hour. This is one of the only programs I've ever seen for little ones that is not just babysitting. Toddlers and pre-schoolers have their own playroom that's every bit as fun as the big Paintbox room.
Beach: The hotel doesn't serve food on the beach because it's public, but feel free to grab takeout from the hotel restaurant or a snack from the cart at the bottom of the walkway.
Pool: Shallow on both ends with wide stairs, the pool is great for cannonballers and guppies alike. For the wee wee ones, there's a kiddie pool only 1 ft. 6 in. deep and a jacuzzi that isn't too hot. Plus, there's no need for parents to police their brood's cackles and splashes; anyone bothered by the commotion is welcome to retreat to the adults-only pool just off the spa.
Food: There are kid menus at all the restaurants. Our crowd gave thumbs up all around to Mosaic, the outdoor restaurant by the pool. You have the choice to dine at the restaurant, order by the pool, or bring takeout to the beach. One evening, while the kids were at Kids Night Out, my husband and I were able to sneak away for a romantic dinner at The Studio overlooking the ocean. It was an unforgettable meal.
Town of Laguna: If you feel like venturing off the hotel grounds, the town of Laguna is adorable, complete with surf shops, boutiques, ice cream shops, candy stores, and inviting restaurants.
Read more about Linda Meadow's travels at gurumommy.
Paintbox: Designed for kids ages 5-12, Paintbox is the Montage
Hotel's program for kids. Its home base (the room shown above), located on
the 1st floor right off the pool area, is a huge space chock full of
crafts and games. Within the room, there's a television area, a
computer section, and even a small kitchen. The program also offers tons of outdoors
activities. Each week, the
schedule includes a theme relating to the time of year (4th of July was
the theme when we were there). You can either sign up for the full day
or a half day (there is a different price for each). They also have
Children's Night Out from 6-10pm every night. Other nighttime activities include a dance
party, karaoke, raffle, bingo and face painting. My kids had so much
fun they didn't want to leave when we came to pick them up after dinner.The best feature of Paintbox is its flexibility: Your kids can sign up for the entire day, but they're not bound to the schedule, for example, they have a sudden urge to hang with you instead. They're free to choose as many or as few activities from the roster as they'd like. A typical daily Paintbox itinerary starts with an art project, followed by outdoor games and swimming - all of which is 100% supervised by Paintbox counselors, who are well-trained, kid-loving, and plenty (the counselor-kid ratio is about 3-4 kids, even on a busy weekend like the 4th).
Within the Paintbox program, is Paintbox Petite, a program for tinier tots (ages 2-5) that runs from 9-4pm every day and charges by the hour. This is one of the only programs I've ever seen for little ones that is not just babysitting. Toddlers and pre-schoolers have their own playroom that's every bit as fun as the big Paintbox room.
Beach: The hotel doesn't serve food on the beach because it's public, but feel free to grab takeout from the hotel restaurant or a snack from the cart at the bottom of the walkway.
Pool: Shallow on both ends with wide stairs, the pool is great for cannonballers and guppies alike. For the wee wee ones, there's a kiddie pool only 1 ft. 6 in. deep and a jacuzzi that isn't too hot. Plus, there's no need for parents to police their brood's cackles and splashes; anyone bothered by the commotion is welcome to retreat to the adults-only pool just off the spa.
Food: There are kid menus at all the restaurants. Our crowd gave thumbs up all around to Mosaic, the outdoor restaurant by the pool. You have the choice to dine at the restaurant, order by the pool, or bring takeout to the beach. One evening, while the kids were at Kids Night Out, my husband and I were able to sneak away for a romantic dinner at The Studio overlooking the ocean. It was an unforgettable meal.
Town of Laguna: If you feel like venturing off the hotel grounds, the town of Laguna is adorable, complete with surf shops, boutiques, ice cream shops, candy stores, and inviting restaurants.
Read more about Linda Meadow's travels at gurumommy.
Post A Comment
Comments