Introduction

Set on a beautiful cliff that overlooks the vast pacific ocean and the surrounding beaches, this luxurious 5 star resort is something from a dream. When you arrive at the Ritz Carlton Half Moon bay, it almost feels like you’re transported to the isles of Scotland, where the cliffs and the sounds of the sunset strolling bagpiper brings you to a different era of time. It’s an experience you’ll never forget.

The resort of course is famous for its championship golf courses. Designed by the great Arthur Hills, this Scottish style design evokes beautiful stretches of the grassy knolls an a scenery one can’t even fathom to believe in. I’m no golfer, but looking at the golf course while walking my dog makes me jealous for those playing on the course. The final hole, or 18th hole features the spectacular view of the ocean and concludes right in front of the hotel.

Check-In

The Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay surprisingly is the only Bay Area luxury oceanfront resort hotel (I don’t think the Intercontinental Monterey would qualify, sadly) and features an award winning 36 hole golf course along with a great spa and relaxation center. Of course, it’s not cheap on any front, and it’s even harder to book with points now. However, if you do get the chance…

We were given the King Coastline with the Fire Pit room, which was actually an upgrade. I had booked this via 70,000 Marriott Bonvoy points (lucky me, this was before the debacle of revenue based points) and was quickly ushered by the system on the day of for a complementary upgrade. Turns out, this was a fantastic choice because the cash rate on that given date went from $850 to $1,200 real quick!

The Room

The view is quite scenic upon entry. We were given room 549 and faced the other golf course and the ocean views from the gorgeous public beach. My dog had the best time running around like a maniac across the ocean sands - even I had a blast running around during the daytime! I must say, it’s really beautiful during the day and at night.

The room itself is inspired by a series of subtle blues and gray colors that create a tranquil and relaxing atmosphere. The 400 thread count Egyptian bed sheets and the soft feather pillows makes for sleeping a breeze. There’s even a white noise machine in case you fear late night party goers. The room is luxurious with all the given amenities, from the Ritz Carlton branded glass water bottles to the Nespresso Capsule coffee machine to the super soft slippers.

Outside is the fire pit that overlooks the golf course and had two lounge chairs for one to enjoy. We were even given a s’mores kit that we should have used at night, haha. However, it was great for me to quickly zip in and out with Katsu and walk the trails and the road back down to the outdoor terrace for some quick R&R while watching the sunset.

The Bathroom

Back in the room, the bathroom is luxuriously decked out. There is a large soaking tub decked out in all the marbles and quartz one one can feast their eyes one. Purple Water Asprey is the selected toiletries of choice, although it was interesting seeing a new temporary brand, Zero% for the shower gel and shampoo. It smelled great, so I had no problems there. Shower pressure was great, albeit a bit cramped for the shower stall.

The Walk

Since we arrived in the afternoon, we went off for a stroll around the resort and the public beach, which features an insane coastal trail and a beautiful each access. Walking around the area was very picturesque and beautiful, and the weather was probably the best it was gonna get for the area.

The resort has just about everything you need to relax and unwind. From a series of restaurants indoors to the outdoor bar that serves oysters and drinks to the great spa and salon to the free bicycle rentals and amenities, you can pretty much do a lot of things around the area. If you’re just strolling around the hotel grounds, you also won’t be disappointed. It was luxurious but quietly private. It’s personal yet refined to undertake massive amounts of day-tourists on the weekend.

The Amenities

There’s also a fitness center that’s within the Spa Center on the 2nd floor, though I didn’t have a chance to use it during my stay. However, a series of resistance machines, free weights and cardio equipments like the Stairmaster and treadmills are ready at the whim. You can also partake in their daily exercises or use the six tennis courts near the guesthouses.

There’s even a heated indoor pool that one can go swim for laps or for family recreation in the latter half of the day. There are available beach balls and amenities for the family to go around.

I had a chance to the enjoy the spa and it was great for the expectations that I had heading into it. While it’s not on the level of any high end Asian hotels, it’s a perfect place to unwind after a day of golfing or sightseeing around Half Moon Bay. The spa features a dry sauna, steam room, hot tub and a cold plunge. Unfortunately, the men’s hot tub and cold plunge wasn’t working at the time, and the attendant apologized profusely. No worries there! You can also join with a co-ed room that also has a massive hot tub that is surrounded by a series of shower stalls.

Navio | Dinner

We had a dinner reservation at their flagship restaurant, Navio as it was our wedding anniversary. Navio in Portuguese means “Ship” and the theme definitely matched, with its towering ceiling that looks like a ship’s hull and the windows to represent the ocean front view.

We chose the three course meal and boy was it the right choice. All courses were beautifully prepared and almost made my wife and I not want to eat them, as they were too beautiful in their own right. Each dish was prepared just right and the timing of each was fantastic. The sea bass was glorious, but the sourdough bread and butter is just the best.

Conclusion

There you have it. That’s the Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay for you. You get what you pay for - lavishly expensive and beautiful all around, there’s no doubt that this luxury resort is in high demand from the weekend Silicon Valley crowds to events and conferences, so it’s rare for us to actually apply points for a stay. Given this situation, it’s an excellent hotel and it definitely matched my expectations.

The quality of service if phenomenal, the accommodations are beautiful and the environment is almost unbeatable and rivals world-class views from around the world. If you have the chance to splurge or find yourself looking at 70k to 85k redemptions, this is place to redeem your Bonvoy points at.