Alila Resorts In California No Longer Adults-Only, But Kids Not Really Welcome

Bougie throuples are going to get hosed by this policy as well

I was unfamiliar with this law. So are retirement communities in CA being challenged, too? Can adults become cub/brownie scouts? This seems like it could have a lot of unfortunate consequences.

I think you are underestimating the power of money. These hotels are nice enough that wealthy couples with small kids and nannies won't think twice about booking a nice room for them and one or two rooms for each kid with a nanny to be with them. There is enough money in LA and SF that a couple would love to get a weekend out of the city. I have stayed at many nice hotels in Europe which usually only allow 2 people in a room and I have seen many families with up to 3 nannies taking care of their kids while the parents sip wine and drinks by the pool without been bothered.

Back in May of this year I was at the Alila Napa Valley and noticed a family of four at breakfast with kids. I was wondering about the policy change, so I appreciate this article.

I'm all for it. We need more places that are children free.

I've stayed at the Encinitas property with my 2 pre-teens and wife for a night, they understood it was a quiet adult-focused property and they actually enjoyed it as a quiet getaway.

We stayed at the Alila Napa in a room with two queens as two couples on a trip to Bottle Rock (adult music festival) with no issues or questions. Everyone had breakfast and used the spa too. YMMV i guess,

As a father of an adult child, I can say that I applaud hotels/resorts that cater to adults-only. 99% of hotels/resorts welcome families with children; what is wrong with a very select few properties designating themselves as adults-only?

We traveled extensively with our daughter in her younger years, and enjoyed many wonderful trips across the US, and in Europe and South America. We never felt like we had a limited selection of great properties to choose from because we had a child.

I think it is unreasonable to expect that all travelers are okay being in an environment where children are a factor. Yes, we all know, adults can behave badly. But when a child has a meltdown (which is far more common) it can easily ruin a lovely poolside oasis, or a special dinner at a hotel restaurant... and there is little recourse other than to just turn away and try to pretend it isn't a big deal. When you are spending hundreds or even thousands of dollars per night, accepting the sometimes disruptive behavior and noise of young ones should be something that can be avoided by selecting an adult-only property.

Airlines on routes that have 3+ daily frequencies should designate some flights adults only. I bet many would happily pay a premium for that flight, and parents could breathe a little easier knowing others could have taken an adult only option if they so desired

I've stayed at the properties. Encinitas w our little one when they 1st opened and they were amazingly accommodating and it's a perfect place for kids, I could see why people would be upset they changed the policy, it's a very kid friendly property. As for the other in NorCal I would support those staying adults only there is very little for kids to do at the properties or in those destinations and I could see kids being very annoying at both of those properties. Napa and Big Sur are really more adult locations. San Diego, however is so kid/family focused it seems absurd and bad business to make it adult only. I think they had it right in the beginning and messed it up trying to change things.

There are many luxurious and beautiful hotels and resorts that make children feel very welcome. Is it really that much of an ask for a few properties to have an adults-only policy?

A great solution. It is ridiculous that we can't have nice things, so an apartment complex must allow kids. There will always be those who rent to families to kids. They want to make money. And, forcing them to take kids is stealing the surplus from the rest of us. Why should I have to live in an old folks community (I hit the minimum age 15 years ago) to not have this headache?

Illegal my ass. What next? Family friendly brothels?

Servicing adults only is not discrimination

so technically a family of four can buy two rooms with one adult registered to each room with a kid, and still enjoy the property together as a family.

I've been wondering for years how these properties have gotten away with being adults only. The comparison to landlords isn't really the best, as the law expressly prohibits age discrimination in the sale or rental of housing in Civ. Code Sec. 51.2, and "familial status" (i.e., having kids) discrimination is illegal under both the California Fair Employment and Housing Act and the federal Fair Housing Act (these latter two laws prohibit both intentional discrimination and disparate impact, so the protections for housing are much more robust). That said, the Unruh Act has been pretty broadly interpreted to include various forms of not-expressly-listed "arbitrary" discrimination, including age discrimination. While having reasonable restrictions on age (or other bases) is permitted under the Unruh Act, exclusionary policies are looked at more skeptically than inclusionary policies (e.g., a senior discount program is considered less skeptically than a no-kids policy) and you do need to have some sort of legitimate reason backing the policy. The court will also typically weigh whether the policy fits the purpose.

In 2018, the Court of Appeal allowed an age discrimination case against Tinder to proceed based on the company's policy of charging users over 30 more than younger users. In finding that the plaintiffs had stated a viable claim, the court said the following: "Unlike children's and senior's discounts, which are justified by compelling societal interests that can be gleaned from statutory enactments, whatever interest society may have—if any—in increasing patronage among those under the age of 30 who may be interested in the premium features of an online dating app, that interest is not sufficiently compelling to justify discriminatory age-based pricing that may well exclude less economically advantaged individuals over the age of 30 from enjoying the same premium features." [internal citations omitted]. So yeah, basically the court decides if your reason is good enough, and there's not really a great way to know in advance if your reason is going to be good enough -- so it's better to just avoid the discriminatory policy altogether unless you want to get sued.

If I had to guess, the properties probably got a compliance warning from the state's Civil Rights Department. They are pretty active in searching out discriminatory policies (and anyone can submit a complaint, also).

There's a specific law that authorizes senior housing. There are specific requirements that have to be met.

In terms of cub/brownie scouts, these are likely not "business establishments" regulated under the Unruh Act, if I had to guess, but even if they were, you can overcome an Unruh claim by having a sufficiently compelling interest -- and having an age-appropriate environment in which children can develop news skills, confidence, and social connections would likely pass the sniff test if challenged.

Adult-only hotels are common in Europe and even have that in their name.

Depends on jurisdiction. There are some member states where it's illegal.

Sure, if the parents are complete a-holes…

It is in California…

Good. Take your noisy kids elsewhere. There are very few accommodations that cater to adults. Get over it.

Wah, wah…get over it. There are very few accommodations that cater to adults. Everyone doesn’t care to be subjected to your kids.

Oh, California. The most liberal and inclusive state in the union. And yet, they still openly discriminate against children. Weird.

That’s like saying there’s thousands of bars in California. So why can’t I open even one bar for men only? Or god forbid, whites only?

Sometimes it's just the cost of (wonderfully) being a parent.

Oh, the people that can handle the fact that some people don’t wanna be in a resort with families and screaming children running up and down hallways, restaurants and pools. The vast majority of all hotels and resorts are family friendly, yet people still have to complain about the few that want to provide a relaxing, adult only environment. Get over it, not all of us like kids or wanna be around them when we spend our hard earned money on a vacation. I applaud any hotel trying to provide a more sophisticated and relaxing environment, away from entitled parents and their “perfect” offspring.

Nobody wants screaming crotch goblins.

It's possible the family of 4 was staying at the property, although maybe even more likely they weren't hotel guests and just decided to have breakfast at a restaurant open to the public.

Interesting that you bring up the poolside and dinner scenarios. I was recently at the Alila Ventana Big Sur and had my breakfast experience disturbed by a family who felt everyone should love their giant dogs as much as they did (one of the dogs was shaking its slobber all over next to tables that were already set for the next guests...kind of gross), and a poolside experience disturbed by a small dog that barked every couple of minutes, courtesy of one of the guests had poolside. Admittedly I'm not a dog lover, but I find it a bit curious that kids are restricted, but dogs are not and can be as distracting as the owner allows.

Huh? I didn’t make a statement of preference re the adults only policy one way or the other, I was simply providing information on how California law works.

Not that it matters, but I’m happily child-free by choice.

I don't have an issue with it. I also don't really get annoyed with kids. I'm not sure if we're staying at different places, but screaming children have been pretty rare for me. They mostly seem to just be hanging out.

I could do with a resort that doesn't allow seniors, though.

Raise up a child… it’s a law and if you’re that passionate about it then petition to get it amended or become a stakeholder to the major brands that are acquiring these types of properties. It doesn’t matter what the price point is. Children should know how to behave in different settings. As a travel photographer my toddler recognizes settings from Marriot Luxury Collections to Sesame Place, Napa Valley wineries to Chuck E. Cheese, country clubs to a simple playground. When you hit ‘book’ you should know and be comfortable in knowing that your kid is going to behave correctly from check-in, pool side and table side. 80% of the time people are on their phones anyway and don’t notice things. Kids will be doing the same as well. The only time I worry is when I see my kid watching other kids behaving poorly in a setting that doesn’t call for it and receives a mixed message. No shade to others parenting skills.
#respectfully