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The whole reason my mom and I recently traveled to California was to stay at the Alila Ventana Big Sur, which is probably my favorite Hyatt property in the US. I wrote a detailed review of this hotel just over a year ago, so this time around I’m going to be writing two installments on the property, focused on specific aspects of the experience:
- In this installment I’ll review the Big Sur Suite, which is the standard suite at this property if you’re applying a suite upgrade award
- In the next installment I’ll review the hotel’s new all-inclusive experience, since stays here now include all meals
Why we visited the Alila Ventana Big Sur
I had visited Big Sur for the first time in late 2019, and became hooked. As someone who loves nature, this is simply one of the most gorgeous places in the world, especially if you get perfect weather.
Ford and I loved coming here, and I knew my mom would love this place too:
- While she can’t really hike, the beauty of Big Sur is that you can just drive up and down Highway 1 and pull over just about anywhere to enjoy the endless views
- Being in this environment is just such a nice change of pace from Florida, in terms of how mountainous the area is, the trees, the air, the climate, etc.
- Big Sur is pretty accessible, and isn’t far from some gorgeous towns, like Carmel
Views along Highway 1
Views along Highway 1
I had been wanting to take my mom here for a long time, so this seemed like the perfect opportunity for a mother-son trip.
Redeeming points at the Alila Ventana Big Sur
The Alila Ventana Big Sur is a Category 7 World of Hyatt property, meaning that a free night in a standard room costs 30,000 World of Hyatt points. For context, I value Hyatt points at 1.5 cents each, so to me that’s the equivalent of paying $450 per night to stay here, which is beyond incredible.
The hotel has been in that category since it joined World of Hyatt. However, last year the hotel started making rates all-inclusive. For those booking stays with cash, rates roughly doubled, while the points requirement stayed the same.
Award availability can be tough to come by at this hotel, though I managed to find space just a couple of days before arrival. There is often some availability at the very last minute, as people make cancelations before the deadline. We planned this trip last minute, and that worked out perfectly for us.
So I redeemed a total of 90,000 World of Hyatt points for our stay, and then also applied a suite upgrade award to immediately confirm an upgrade to a Big Sur Suite.
For context on how much our stay would have cost if paying cash:
- A standard room would have cost $2,250 per night, plus taxes and service charges
- The Big Sur Suite I confirmed an upgrade to would have cost $2,450 per night, plus taxes and service charges
- As you can see, while those prices are steep, the suite sells for a modest premium over a standard room when paying cash
Big Sur Suite at the Alila Ventana Big Sur
Now let’s get into the review of the Big Sur Suite, which is the standard suite at the Alila Ventana Big Sur (again, I recommend reading my full review of the hotel from my last stay).
The hotel tries really hard with Globalist upgrades and often even upgrades beyond the standard suites when available, though:
- We booked last minute, and I think we booked the last suite
- There are a lot of Globalists staying at the hotel — on FlyerTalk someone claims the manager told them that on weekends 75-80% of guests are Globalist
Anyway, the Alila Ventana Big Sur is spread out over 160 acres, with several buildings housing the hotel’s 59 accommodations. This time around we were assigned room 49, located in the Sycamore House.
This was a bit further from reception and the Meadow Pool (the main pool), but it was right next to the Mountain Pool, and also a shorter walk to the path leading to the restaurant. Here’s a map of the property:
The Sycamore House has a total of four rooms on two floors, and our room (#49) was at the very end of the building on the second floor.
Alila Ventana Big Sur Sycamore House
Alila Ventana Big Sur Sycamore House
The door to the room faced the hills, while the balcony faced in the opposite direction.
Alila Ventana Big Sur Sycamore House
Anyway, the Big Sur Suite is 619 square feet — it’s a single room, so it’s only about 50% larger than the standard room, but then again, when paying cash this is also less than 10% more expensive than a standard room.
Our Big Sur Suite was great — it featured a comfortable king size bed, a table (or desk, if you prefer) with two chairs, and then two leather chairs facing a TV and fireplace.
Alila Ventana Big Sur Suite
Alila Ventana Big Sur Suite king bed
Alila Ventana Big Sur Suite living area
Alila Ventana Big Sur Suite table with chairs
I loved the fireplace. We turned it on in the mornings and evenings when it was cold, and it was a great way to heat the room the old fashioned way.
Alila Ventana Big Sur Suite sitting area, fireplace, and TV
Back near the entrance was a minibar setup. Since the hotel became all-inclusive, all snacks and non-alcoholic drinks in the minibar are complimentary. There are also two reusable hotel branded water bottles, which you can take with you, as well as a pack with some PPE.
Alila Ventana Big Sur Suite minibar
Alila Ventana Big Sur Suite in-room coffee machine
As you can see, they loaded up our minibar with Diet Coke and sparkling water. A Hyatt hotel left some note in my profile about a decade ago about my drink preferences, and some hotels still catch on (go figure in the meantime I try to drink less soda, but…).
Alila Ventana Big Sur Suite in-room fridge
Alila Ventana Big Sur Suite complimentary snacks
The bathroom was over to the side of the room, and was large — it featured double sinks, a tub, a shower, and a separate room with a toilet.
Alila Ventana Big Sur Suite bathroom
Alila Ventana Big Sur Suite shower & tub
Alila Ventana Big Sur Suite tub
Toiletries were in reusable bottles, as is the norm in California (and as you’d expect in a nature-focused property).
Alila Ventana Big Sur Suite shower
Alila Ventana Big Sur Suite toilet
The Big Sur Suite also had a lovely deck, with two chairs and a hammock.
Alila Ventana Big Sur Suite deck
Alila Ventana Big Sur Suite deck
Our room overlooked the Mountain Pool. On a clear day you could see the ocean in the distance, though the reality is that there are so many opportunities to enjoy views from this hotel, particularly from the main pool and restaurant.
Alila Ventana Big Sur Suite view
Alila Ventana Big Sur Suite view
All things considered I thought our suite was great — I love how the rooms here have a sense of place while still being very well maintained and having all of the luxuries you’d expect.
Highway 1 closure near Ventana Big Sur
While throwing this in is kind of random, I figured I might as well address it, since I’m sure the question will come up.
Storms a while back caused Highway 1 to close approximately 13 miles south of Ventana Big Sur. If you’re coming from the north (like Monterey or San Francisco), this isn’t an issue. This only becomes an issue if you’re coming from the south, in which case a detour is required.
Highway 1 closure near Big Sur
There’s ultimately still plenty of Highway 1 to enjoy in terms of the views. It would be nice to drive a bit further south, but I don’t in any way consider the Highway 1 closure to be a deal-breaker in terms of enjoying the area, or anything.
Views from Highway 1
Bottom line
I was happy to have the chance to stay in the standard suite at the Alila Ventana Big Sur, after redeeming points and using a Globalist suite upgrade award. The rooms at this resort are great — they have a sense of place while being luxurious and well maintained.
But of course you don’t come here for the rooms, you come here for the location and the incredible views, and then the price also factors in that this place is all-inclusive.
Stay tuned for the next installment, where I’ll review the food & beverage experience at this hotel.
If you’ve stayed at the Alila Ventana Big Sur, what did you think of your room?
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