This year, Montage Laguna Beach celebrates two decades of luxury travel.
For 20 years, Montage Laguna Beach has welcomed discerning locals and tourists alike to the impressive, five-star resort. To toast to two decades of oceanfront luxury, Montage is celebrating with with a variety of yearlong celebrations, special offerings and a newly renovated meeting and event space, which was completed in January of this year. When Alan Fuerstman, the founder, chairman and CEO of Montage International, set out to create a luxury resort 20 years ago, he knew Laguna Beach embodied the essence of what he sought to achieve.
“He knew that it was the perfect location to embody a true sense of spirit, of place,” Mary Rogers, area general manager and managing director of Montage Laguna Beach, says. “We have remained very true to our mission, though we have obviously evolved over the years.”
“I joined in 2021 and it’s been getting spectacular. I feel honored to lead the flagship hotel, and I certainly feel very honored to celebrate 20 years,” ‘she adds.
In March 2019, the 260-room resort completed a full-revamp to the lobby, lobby lounge, guestroom designs and amenities, with an increased focus on sustainability. The beachfront accommodations at Montage Laguna Beach include a 20,000-square-foot spa, a fine art collection, destination dining at The Loft, outdoor recreation including three pools, beach and water sports; and more than 20,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting spaces.
“We also will be looking forward to continuing to improve our offerings and our services for upcoming renovations here in 2023. In the future we expect to do additional renovations and also of course the reopening of Studio restaurant, which is going to be a very new and exciting concept,” Rogers says.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: HISTORIC HOTELS | OLD-WORLD LUXURY STAYS IN COLORADO
What kept the guests coming back year-after-year? According to Rogers, it’s all about making the resort feel like a home away from home.
“Our guests feel very special when they come here and they feel taken care of,” Rogers says.
“When our guests stay with us here, they want to feel like this is their home away from home, and of course that would not be possible without our associates.”
“Our team here is incredible, every one of them. I really appreciate the associates that have been here since the very beginning and they really make guests feel like they’re at home,” she adds.
One of the special 20th anniversary offers for guests is a $50,000 ‘Legendary Laguna’ package, which includes five nights in the luxe Catalina Suite, $1,000 food and beverage credit, $1,500 Spa Montage credit, whale watching for two, a private guided tour of Laguna Beach art galleries and a 20th anniversary gift collection. The anniversary gift collection features a bottle of Clase Azul Ultra and Montage XX Anniversary Tequila (1 of 300 produced), a Montage Laguna Beach custom brick building set and a Jonathan Simkhai Montage resort collection scarf, all housed in a Jimmy Choo limited-edition Laguna Beach tote.
“The Clase Azul Ultra bottle of tequila was created specially for Montage’s 20th anniversary, it is not available for sale, so if you are the collector this is a unique bottle for your collection,” Rogers says.
The custom Montage Laguna Beach brick building set allows guests to rebuild Montage Laguna Beach at home, brick by brick, with all proceeds benefiting the Hearts of Montage program. The program focuses on aiding Laguna Beach organizations that empower people and causes in need.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: AMBIENTE ARRIVES | LANDSCAPE HOTEL OPENS IN SEDONA
For luxury spa lovers, Montage unveiled a special anniversary treatment that evokes all five of your senses using VR technology. The Five Senses treatment is exclusive to Spa Montage, and it is the first spa in the United States to use VR+ technology from Natura Bissé. Focus on your breathing, mindfulness and all of your other senses through the 150-minute treatment that begins with a singing bowl and a taste of honey. Next enjoy a foot cleanse, detox mask for hands and feet, full body massage, anti-aging facial and a dark chocolate treat to round out the sensory spa experience.
Keep your tastebuds happy with the return of the Taste of Talay, a summer culinary pop-up at Montage Laguna Beach. Chef Marc Narongchai, Food & Wine Mexico’s Best New Chef of 2020, will bring Talay’s authentic Thai street food and signature cocktails to the resort. The pop-up experience will be open to guests and locals late June through early September.
Beyond the special offerings, luxury accommodations and exceptional views, Rogers says it is the service that Montage provides that makes it such a special place, for guests and locals alike.
“It really is our service that makes us stand out and keeps guests come back time and time again, year after year,” Rogers says. “It is now a tradition for many of our guests to return here, they come for the holiday cookie making and decorating, Christmas or just having drinks with their friends in the lobby lounge, our guests have created very special memories here and they keep coming back to create those memories.”