A rebrand on the bluff
JW Marriott and Aimbridge Hospitality will relaunch the Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort & Spa as The Ocean Cliffs at Dana Point, a JW Marriott Resort. The release carries a Dana Point dateline of 14 September 2026.
The property sits on a bluff above Dana Point Harbor. The release states it has overlooked the harbor for nearly four decades.
The work is already under way
The resort's own site states the project runs in three phases. Phase one covers the new event lawn and the resort pool. Phase two covers the ballrooms, the lobby and the restaurants. The final phase covers the entry drive.
The same page states the footprint stays the same and will not extend into Lantern Bay Park. Reservations continue through the property's booking page while the work runs.
What the release lists
The release names a new central pool, an expanded multi-acre event lawn, and enhanced ballroom and meeting facilities with a new 6,000-square-foot ballroom. Pre-function areas become indoor-outdoor space. A signature chef-driven restaurant is planned. All 371 guest rooms are due to be refreshed.
The event lawn moves beside the Richard Henry Dana Ballroom. The release states the position gives the resort room for larger groups and simultaneous events. The lawn sits steps from Lantern Bay Park.
HKS and ROAM hold the design brief. The release points their work at the town's painted cottages, the Lantern District and its surf culture.
No cost, no completion date
The release prints no budget and no completion date. Aimbridge's headline calls the job a multi-million-dollar transformation, and the body carries no figure to match.
The Orange County Business Journal reported on 14 September 2026 that the renovations are scheduled to finish in 2027 and tied the timing to the $600 million revitalization of Dana Point Harbor. The same report states the hotel was previously the 26th largest in Orange County. It becomes the region's second JW Marriott, joining the 466-room JW Marriott, Anaheim Resort.
The harbor next door is unresolved
The Log reported on 10 September 2026 that the hotel portion of the Dana Point Harbor Revitalization remains uncertain. The Orange County Board of Supervisors took up updated 66-year ground leases on 25 August, and the vote finished 2-2 with one abstention.
That plan would replace the Marina Inn with two properties from R.D. Olson Development. The Doheny carries 130 rooms. The Salt Haus carries 169. The Log puts the wider harbor project above $700 million.
Two copies, two portfolio counts
Aimbridge's copy of the release gives JW Marriott more than 95 hotels in more than 30 countries and territories. The Hotel Online copy, datelined 16 September 2026, gives more than 125 JW Marriott hotels in 41 countries and territories. Both copies describe Aimbridge as an operator of over 80 globally recognized lodging brands.
Ben Ly, general manager of The Ocean Cliffs at Dana Point, a JW Marriott Resort, said the renovation and the move into the JW Marriott portfolio show the resort's commitment to the Dana Point community.