Amplified by the
redevelopment of
Dana Point Harbor.
The listing describes the position as “further amplified by the $400+ million redevelopment of Dana Point Harbor — a massive revitalization project ensuring sustained uplift in upscale tourism, retail and hospitality demand,” roughly two and a half miles up the coast. The program was originally budgeted near $337 million and has been publicly reported in 2026 at over $700 million.
A project already
well underway.
- June 14, 2024
California Coastal Commission unanimously approves the R.D. Olson Development, City and County proposal for two new harbor hotels, the “Dana House” and “Surf Lodge,” including a community benefits package investing more than $6 million in Orange County service organizations over the life of the project.
- July 2, 2025
Phases 1 and 2 of the Commercial Core complete — the three-tiered parking structure, underground utility infrastructure and the new harbor entrance at Golden Lantern and Dana Point Harbor Drive.
- October 1, 2025
Marina Phase 9 opens for occupancy. The Marina at Dana Point is rebuilding 15 phases of docks and slips.
- February 2026
Phase 3 landside demolition begins for the new Commercial Core — over 100,000 square feet of new waterfront development.
- May 15, 2026
Marina Phase 11, the East Basin Island, opens for occupancy.
- June 1, 2026
The Marina at Dana Point passes two-thirds completion and begins Phase 12.
- Fall 2026
Phase 4 construction of the Wharf buildings is slated to begin. Wind & Sea closes on the Wharf September 15, 2026 ahead of Building 1; remaining Wharf retailers and restaurants close October 31, 2026. Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching and Catalina Express relocate to temporary facilities and continue operating seven days a week.
- August 11, 2026
The Orange County Board of Supervisors was scheduled to take up the 66-year ground leases required for the two harbor hotels, continued from June 23, 2026. As of the date of this page the outcome of that hearing had not been publicly reported. The hospitality component of the harbor program remains on hold pending that decision — confirm the current status before relying on this page.
The three components
- The Marina
- A 15-phase rebuild of docks and slips begun in August 2022. The final West Basin Island phase opened July 2025, completing 8 phases and 1,115 new slips; Phase 11 opened May 2026; Phase 12 began June 2026.
- Commercial Core
- Phases 1 and 2 — a three-tiered parking structure, underground utility infrastructure and a new harbor entrance — completed July 2025. Phase 3 demolition began February 2026 for over 100,000 square feet of new waterfront development. Phase 4 Wharf construction is slated for Fall 2026.
- Hospitality
- The California Coastal Commission unanimously approved two new harbor hotels — the “Dana House” and “Surf Lodge” — in June 2024, with Dana Point Planning Commission approval following in June 2025. Those hotels are currently on hold: the Orange County Board of Supervisors continued the vote on the required ground leases from June 23 to August 11, 2026 while terms are renegotiated. Their delivery, and their timing, remain unresolved.
Harbor milestones per Dana Point Harbor Partners published construction updates as of July 2026. The “$400+ million” figure is the language used in the offering materials for this property; the program was originally budgeted at roughly $337 million and has been publicly reported in 2026 at over $700 million following pandemic, inflation and regulatory delays. In other words, the capital going into the harbor is larger than the offering describes, not smaller. Buyer to verify independently.
Demand, not supply.
The harbor program adds attraction — a rebuilt marina, a new waterfront commercial core, a wider public promenade — while the room count it was expected to add is, as of August 2026, unresolved and on hold. For a boutique hotel two and a half miles down the coast, that is the favourable side of the equation: rising visitation into a market where new keys remain difficult to entitle, finance and build.
Dana Point accommodations consistently command premium average daily rates and robust occupancy.
Harbor hotel status is a live matter before the Orange County Board of Supervisors and may change. Nothing here should be read as a prediction of that outcome.
