Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort

We attended the ice skating rink at the fire and ice event at the Newport Dunes. The tickets included skates and the ability to add on a skate aide for children was nice . The music and surrounding fire pits with the option to have s’mores was a nice touch . The poor rating was for the condition of the ice . The ice skating rink at night was so poorly groomed and managed it was dangerous. I was not the only person who felt that way as several people around me said the same thing . It was absolutely disappointing because the setting was so perfect with the music and lights on the water . I paid 80 dollars for an hour and half of skating for myself and two kids to have a holiday skate experience and we couldn’t use the full time because the ice was so bad we had to leave.

I don't recommend the holiday outdoor ice skating rink here. It was incredibly crowded, to the point where it felt dangerous to be on the ice. I asked the capacity they allow and it is supposedly well over 100 people, which is not ideal for such a small rink. They had a skate guard and security guards on the ice but they were pretty useless in my opinion. They did nothing to ensure the crowd was all skating in the same direction so it ended up being very chaotic on the ice. They also didn't appear to be checking on anyone who had fallen down (which was happening often and people were even hitting their heads). They also allowed adults to be riding on the skate aids/seals. They seemed more focused on filling small holes in the ice, which were the least of the safety concerns in my opinion. Oh yeah, the skate guard also ran into me at one point while I was skating. I'm a skilled figure skater and I felt very unsafe on this ice rink. I only lasted 20 minutes skating here and then got off the ice and requested a refund. The quality of the ice was also terrible. It felt like I was skating on rocks. I've been to numerous other outdoor rinks in Southern California and all of them had smoother ice quality than this place. The only caveat to my review is that I went on the first night they were open - I hope they will improve the experience over the season, including both the safety aspects and the ice quality.

We stayed about a week and was very disappointed with the condition of the resort. The pool was dirty and so was the jacuzzi. The bathrooms were littered with debris. The garbage was overflowing and smelled bad.

I went to the pool twice. One time it was closed despite the operating hours said it should be open. I found out the lifeguard did not show up. Poor planning. The second time the pool was dirty and the jacuzzi was not heated. The maintenance in this place was poor. No lights on our site despite me telling the office several times about it.

We like staying at Newport Dunes because there is lots to do, and we can easily watch the kids play on the sand or ride their scooters behind the cottage. We bring our own fire pit. Flip side, it is expensive even off season, and the beach front cottages are cute, but small and vintage. Sofa sleeper not comfortable and very little in the kitchenette to cook with. I asked for a can opener and they brought me a wine cork screw. No oven cookware or sharp knives, or cooking utensils so byo. The kids love the 4' high loft, but you have to bring your own mattresses and bedding. The pool is nice and love the 2 jacuzzies. However, we only booked for one cottage night instead of two next fall because price seemed higher this year. I love the pizza and hamburgers sold by the beach and price isn't bad. Also I took kids 5,6,7 & 8 on the water park last year, and wouldn't do it again until they are much older. I had a hard time watching them all, and I couldn't even pull myself up on the platform. Great for older kids and young adults.

Management did not return my calls regarding amenities not functional or not available during my 5 day (rather costly) stay. Shame on you for the lack of customer service. Pool wasn't heated, Jacuzzis were closed for maintenance the majority of our stay. We were a large group and your lack of follow up is atrocious.