After the last few years of stories about staffing shortages and customer service fails, my expectations were fairly low for our first (and last) hotel trip before our family of three becomes a family of four. Lido House in Newport Beach not only met my expectations; it far exceeded them. The Marriott portfolio property truly earned its Autograph Collection status with exceptional customer service in a uniquely designed hotel that was just a few blocks from the beach.

That’s The Point(s)

We were heading down to Orange County for a friend’s birthday party and wanted to extend it into a mini beach vacation. Luckily, Chase Ultimate Rewards was offering a whopping 40% bonus on transfers to Marriott Bonvoy points. Normally, I would never swap Ultimate Rewards for Bonvoy because of the value difference between the two. With the bonus, though, I was able to turn 50,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points into the 70,000 Bonvoy points I needed for a standard King room at Lido House. These rooms retail for anywhere between $900-$1100 per night, so I was still well within the $.02/UR redemption value that I look for. Score!

Set Up for Success

Point value aside, what impressed me most about Lido House was the guest experience focus that began even before we stepped foot on property. The birthday party we were attending was scheduled from 11am-1pm and my son’s nap time is usually around 1:30pm. With 4pm check-in time, I was nervous that we were going to have to settle for a dreaded stroller nap on the beach. So when a Guest Relations Coordinator reached out early in the week to ask if I needed anything before our visit, I made some very specific requests.

Fruit Plate FTW

I explained that we were hoping for an early check-in in addition to a pregnancy pillow for my wife. I knew it wouldn’t be a guarantee, but lo and behold, we were able to get access to our room even before the birthday party was over. In addition to that, they upgraded us to a modest suite and even sent an amenity as a congratulations on our upcoming baby. The fresh fruit plate was greatly appreciated by my son, a fruit fan forever. How’s that for making you feel welcome?

Happy is in the Details

For our entire stay, the staff went above and beyond to take care of every detail. I expected an extra level of luxury based on the room rate and Lido House didn’t disappoint. Champagne upon check-in, complimentary pastries in the morning, and an overall refined beach house aesthetic combined to form the perfect overnight for me and my family. The valet staff even provided beach toys for my son to play with when we headed out to Newport Beach. On top of everything, when my wife left a beloved necklace behind, they FedEx’d it to us immediately at no extra charge. I was blown away by the hotel’s generosity throughout our visit.

Overall, I’d highly recommend a stay here — especially if you can wrangle a transfer bonus when using points.