Alila Marea Beach Resort Encinitas

The hotel gives you adult only vibes, but don't be fooled! This is far from an adults only hotel. The pool area was the most disappointing. Hotel staff allows young children unattended in the hot tub and pool area. Young children were swimming.... yes swimming under water in the hot tub, which was frustrating trying to enjoy the view with a cocktail and then watching not to step on a child. I was hoping the staff would say something but no one did. I feel like it is the hotel's responsibility to have all their guests enjoy their stay, not just the families. In the room: The fire pit and TV did not work. Then we realized our phone did not work in the room at all, which was frustrating to contact the text number to order room service. It took forever to place the order, then when it arrived, came cold and not what we had ordered at all. We had to go back out to actually get something to eat. We did let the front desk know of the items not working in the room but only the fire pit and TV were able to be fixed. They gave no explanation of the phone so we weren't able to use it for the remainder of the stay. Would we stay again? No- mainly for the pool/hot tub vibes. I understand that it is a family hotel, but it should not be acceptable to ignore the young children in the pool/hot tub behavior. Room service should be on point for the amount they charge of the food. It gave Hyatt Place vibes, not Alila vibes. Hard pass for future visits.

Have stayed here several times. There are a few great things about the property, for sure. Its location and the beautiful oceanside views, plus access to the adjacent beach. The design of the property is modern and appealing. The staff has been friendly to us on our visits, but while they do a solid job of setting a welcoming vibe, the property always seems to come up short - far short - when it comes to practical things. We had issues with the shower in our bathroom, as well as the tea kettle (all the rooms have a nifty modern electric tea kettle, but it never seems to work in any of the rooms we've stayed in). Housekeeping has been missed on most of our trips at least one day of our stay. "Maddeningly inconsistent" is more true of this property than any other property where I've stayed. The Marea and/or Hyatt (as its owner) are trying hard to make the property be all things to all people and it isn't working.....they want to be a hip resort where influencers take Instagrammable photos as the place everyone wants to be, and wants to be known as an "adult oriented property" (that used to be on their website) but the pool and other areas are always filled to the brim with young kids and strollers. It wants to charge a premium room rate as well as a resort fee and a now $60 parking fee to park your car 20 feet away from the front entrance......but it provides an experience that isn't more elevated than properties at half the price. This property really needs to find its focus and do it well.

We highly recommend the restaurant. The food was excellent and the staff is very attentive. Our room was large and comfortable. They thought of all of the details to make it a pleasant night - and the bed was super comfy! Great choice of places to stay.

Truly a coastal hideaway that blends into the surrounding cliffs. Board formed concrete and simple elegance that extends throughout the hotel. Staff is friendly and helpful. Spa was first rate with a smallish, yet well appointed relaxation room with tea and snacks that can be utilized before or after treatments. Food was delicious at the main restaurant, VAGA - the bar was busy with a nice outdoor space filled with space heaters and fire pits. Even the pool bar had a tasty selection although wait time for the food was long but in the end deliciously worth the wait for ceviche and steamed clams. Overall an excellent experience that is worth a revisit, hopefully soon.

We arrived yesterday and had a very poor check-in experience. We arrived at 11am and the man at the front desk seemed to have no regard for our request to check in so that my daughter could take a nap. There was no consideration, no care, no effort to go above and beyond. We were originally told that our room would hopefully be ready by noon, but it wasn’t. Again, the guy seemed to have zero care in the world and made no effort to accommodate us. By 1pm, I finally found another front desk agent (the other person was alone until then) and he actually made an effort to do something for us. He finally got us an ADA-accessible room we could check into. Not my top choice but I was desperate for my daughter to take a nap by then. We had no introduction to the hotel in any way. For example, I read something online about a complimentary sunset hour beverage. Nobody has made any mention of this to us. I later saw other people checking in and it appears they had an entirely different experience. I overheard someone being offered a $150 resort credit and others being offered beverages during check-in. The room, although modern, absolutely reeks of Febreeze. I even asked them to change the sheets, and although the sheets are fine now the room still stinks. It’s nauseating. What smell are they trying to cover up? The walls are thin and there’s a family with loud children next door. It’s incredibly disruptive. When I asked the change rooms, they said they were at capacity and could potentially accommodate a request later in the evening. Howervwr, my daughter goes to bed at 7pm and this wouldn’t have been practical. I was told they’d be leaving today, so I’ll keep my fingers crossed. The property is beautiful and the restaurant— Vaga — is spectacular. However, I would rate the service as marginal. The original front desk agent I interacted with at check-in, who was unfortunately not wearing a name tag, is a terrible ambassador for the property. I know this hotel is currently undergoing review by Forbes. Based on my experience so far, I don’t think it should make the four-star cut.