Review: Alila Marea Beach Resort Encinitas

Why are the televisions mounted so high?

Agree with the assessment that this is generally a sort of weird a hotel.

I was down in this area in June for the US Open and was choosing between here and Park Hyatt Aviara. I ended up going with PH Aviara and had an incredible stay and the best dinner and breakfast ive ever had at a hotel restaurant.

I'd also recommend giving them a try if you haven't already. It sounds a lot quieter.

I'm actually here now and on my third stay since it opened in the spring. I use it as a base for meetings and work in San Diego as I'm not a big fan of the city or La Jolla hotels here. For that it serves a purpose for me. For anyone though thinking of a true beach getaway this is not a property for that at all. Maybe a one night staycation, ok. Or a get together spot for a few friends over a weekend. Santa Barbara though this is not.

Yes, Vaga is fantastic. The chef is quite genius and I love that she is local. The bar is very nice as well albeit a bit quiet and lacking any buzz . Agree that the rooms are not at all private, which is why I tend to opt for the third floor as you are at least a bit up from the walkways etc (and there is no key access to the hallway on 3 as Ben's floor had due to the restaurant). While the rooms with fire pits on the ground floor have great outdoor space be warned that the trade off is you are right on the public walkway and there is ZERO privacy.

While I like this property for work related stays in the area I have a hard time believing that this particular Alila will survive as a "beach resort" and continue with the pricing they get. I see it eventually rebranding as an Andaz or Destination and reducing prices to lure in more meetings and local business travel.

The new Hyatt in SoCal though that should be on everyone's radar is The Shay in Culver City. I have had two stays there so far and it's my singular new favorite Hyatt property in North America.

We passed on this one earlier this year and stayed at the Park Hyatt Aviara instead. Sorry, but this is a hotel plopped down in a residential neighborhood - coastal, but still residential - and it's overpriced at every stage. Rooms, parking, dining, all of it. If you want to be at a resort / hotel-captive, the Park Hyatt Aviara is a better place to do that on all fronts except maybe being able to walk down to the beach. If you want to be at the beach, you really are better off staying at any of the non-resorts close to the coast where you don't have the friction of valet parking and can get out and explore the area. It makes no sense to be resort-captive at this property in the coastal Encinitas/Carlsbad area.

Location wise, you described it well. But this is indisputably North Coastal San Diego county, not Orange County or LA. Electra bikes are headquartered here. Vaga's chef Claudette Zepeda is a San Diego native and makes the restaurant a tribute to her hometown. And Park Hyatt Aviara three miles to the east labels this location San Diego north.

It's stuff like this why I come to the comment section! Thank you, Stuart, for your local perspective.

Sorry you got a couple of chilly days - Sunday was decent

The decor is a missed opportunity. So grey, cold, not the boho Leucadia vibe they could have really keyed into

Curious about Stuart's Culver City recommendation

If you're back in the property, Valentina nearby is a great European style restaurant - good value wine and food - and chill enough to be in the East Village in NYC

Highly agree about the Shay - I live in the area and it’s a great location. Etta downstairs is delish as is the rooftop restaurant.

All beaches in California are public not just in Southern California. All beaches must have access to them which is good. Nature is for everybody not just rich people.

Yes! Etta is fantastic. Buzzy, great food, and a really nice diverse Culver City local crowd. I recently tried the original Chicago Etta in Wicker Park as well and it was also fantastic. Here's to hoping Hyatt partnering with Etta in the future for other properties as well.

Greg, thanks for the beta on Valentina. I was looking for something in the neighberhood this evening to try and this is perfect. Appreciate it!

Based on the pictures, it kind of almost looks like a glorified Hyatt Regency of sorts? The rooms seem a bit generic, and the pool area... bleh. Thanks for that review, because I adore Alila Ventana Big Sur and would have somewhat expected something similar based on the Alila branding.

I live in Encinitas so a tip for anyone using the e-bikes: You’ll have a much more pleasant experience riding north from the resort along the Coast Highway, rather than south. Wide separated bike lanes all the way into Carlsbad Village, lots of open ocean views.

In contrast, the ride south into Encinitas offers no views and forces you to ride with traffic, and much of the route is currently under construction (to make it safer for cyclists, yay).

Ben and Ford, you deserve medals for braving that stretch south of the resort without it apparently feeling too stressful for you. I ride bikes like it’s my job and I actively avoid it.

Tiny pool is a deal killer for us, we swim laps regularly.

Wow, thanks for the review! I'd been really curious about it since it opened. I'll keep it in mind, but doesn't seem like a must do hotel in Socal.

My wife and I will be spending one night next week for fun. We just live up La Costa Avenue so it’s a nice staycation and we have reservations at Vaga.

The hotel is in an area actually referred to as Leaucadia by locals even though it is part of Encinitas. I watched this thing get built over the years. It had to be quite a project to stabilize that bluff and there was a massive retaining wall. We’ll enjoy our stay and check another box on brand explorer

Honestly, for the price point I much prefer Alila overall. Park Hyatt Aviara is to me the weakest PH property in the world. Dated design and cookie cutter California McMansion feel to it. It trends for me more to a RC factory. As well, not sure how you compare them from a residential feel as the PH is in the midst of a huge development of large estates and homes. Yes, bigger grounds and pool etc. But I find it lacks any character at all. At least Alila does have that, if also flawed. (Mind you, I last stayed at that particular PH in June of 2019...so I can't say if there was a renovation or dining changes since then).

Jillians Blend cabernet for $15 / glass is a nice pour even if you don't eat

My wife and I stayed 3 nights in November. We hit great weather, mid 80s, so the pool was packed. We arrived after midnight and the lobby staff was surprised since i had checked in online and they didn't expect us. That late there was no parking valet nor bellman to take our bags. The hotel was full that weekend for an unadvertised event (more on that later) but we (globalist) were upgraded to something they called a suite but that was smaller than a Hyatt Place room. Our 2nd floor coastal view room was pretty shielded from the pedestrian path but we had headlights from the 101 shining into our room. The local commuter train was right there as well. But the room was fine.

The chairs at the pool were claimed very quickly though we were told the beach attendant would get chairs arranged for us if we'd like. We ended up not doing that. The hot tub was about half as big as the pool and was so hot it was really only enjoyable after dark. The flip side of the pool view rooms' lack of privacy was the creepiness of those guests sitting on their balconies and staring down at us...We didn't spend much time at the pool.

Parking service was very prompt, a text to the valet and within a few minutes our car was ready.

Breakfast was fine, at least it was free. The first morning was really good. The second morning i tried something unique and it just tasted like more of what I'd had the day before. The third morning i just got some a la carte eggs, a plate of fruit, and some pastries, definitely the best choice of the three days. But then I had to convince the hotel to remove those charges from my stay... They didn't want to since what i ate, though less expensive than the full meals, didn't fit into the free breakfast options. Again, the food was fine.

I didn't try the spa, the only way to access it was to buy spa services. I really just wanted to sit in the sauna but that was not possible.

The last night of our stay the pool area was very noisy and busy; a stage was being constructed with tons of lights that cut into the night. We passed a worker in the hallway and he told us it was a launch event for the new Toyota electric car later Sunday afternoon. Sure enough, they worked until after midnight. Then we were woken up Sunday morning by the beeping of the electric Toyota semi trucks as they moved around the beach parking lot, taking pictures with the cars. Nice way to wake up at 8 on Sunday... We asked the front desk about it, they did nothing since Toyota had bought up so much of the hotel space that weekend. Even when I complained to Hyatt about it they put me in touch with the hotel manager who told me tough luck, when refused to compensate with any points to offset the terrible experience.

I have no idea how they call this place a resort. It's ocean front but that's about all. While the stay pales in comparison to other Hyatt properties I'd probably stay here again. But if i weren't globalist and staying on points I'd find somewhere else to stay

Yes there's been a major renovation completed at the PH Aviara since your last stay. Overall, the feel of the hotel hasn't changed much, but everything is newer and the rooms look more modern. The pool area has had a major makeover as well.

You got me thinking but I think I’ll keep our suite booked for mid February in Oceanside at the Mission Pacific. Closer to amenities and perhaps more entertaining

While requiring that all beaches are public is good, I wish more of these California resorts were more directly on the beach/water rather than a few hundred yards back. Seems decent but I wouldn’t fly cross country for it.

Having grown up in this area (in the early '90s), it's sad to see what it has become. I agree with your assessment that this "resort" is completely out of place. But I'm even more dumbfounded by the layout, and would never consider booking here, irrespective of price. Why would anyone want to stay next to (and look at) at a swimming pool when you're at the beach? Given the multitude of properties around the world where you could spend $1,500 a night, I'm left with only one thought: there's a sucker born every minute.

Thanks for the review. Just booked two nights during Thanksgiving next year for 42k points and applied my suite night upgrade. Should be a good value at least!

I stayed there a couple of weeks after opening and my stay was similar to yours. I thought the gym was great and my room was on the north side of the hotel with a service road below, and while it was the first floor nobody could see into the room. I also enjoyed chilling on the patio with the firepit to take the chill off at night.
Our experience was also similar with the restaurant and bar service. Weather was warm enough for us to use the pool, and it was not crowded at all, though the bartender mentioned the previous weekend was a little busy. The hot tub is massive and a great place to chill and take in the view. Even if it was cold outside I would take advantage of the hot tub.
Since I live two hours north I will be back, though I would likely not visit if it involved a longer day of travel.

PH Beaver Creek is the worst PH. Its maybe a mid tier regency at best.

Wow, this place doesn’t appeal to me. At all. Check out google maps and you’ll see that almost all rooms overlook the public beach parking lot next door. Relatively few overlook the pool like Ben’s did, and as he mentioned, not much privacy there. Otherwise, although on the coast, this is suburbia. And the exteriors look like a bland, beige, fancy Hampton Inn. I just don’t get it.

You are looking at Google Maps as a decisive factor? I am sitting here in a room at Alila and can tell you that despite its faults, and a bit over the top categorization as a beach resort, it is far from being some dismal suburban property. Let alone a Hampton Inn, lol. There is a place for constructive criticism of properties from experience. But there is no place for someone generalizing a business that has never even set foot on it and posts a review based on Google Maps.

I stayed here a few months back and honestly decided to check-out after 1 night after being there 30 minutes. I think this is a major disaster for ALiLA and Hyatt.

The hotel has brutal architecture and doesn’t fit with the area at all (you’re placed on a freeway so really nowhere walkable either). The views from my room were of freeways and car parks, as you show. To call this a beach resort is a joke - postage stamp sized pool and a rocky beach with no service. I will say the restaurant was a highlight.

Personally it’s a ‘avoid like the plague’ rating for me, and unfortunate they attached the ALiLA name to this property. 🙂

We stayed 7 days in June, we had in my opinion the best rooms at the hotel. It was a suite connected to a 2 queen room that overlooked the walkway between the beach and hotel. I liked the two fireplaces that we had and although not private by any means wasn't that big of a deal for our family most of the time. We were woken early one morning as they had an event there and you could hear every chair that was being moved, low whispers, etc. The hotel did comp us 50,000 points which was equivalent to 1 night (we had two rooms). Got plenty of value out of the breakfast ($100+ per day), use of the surf boards, reasonable priced surfing lessons, nice gym. Looking over the parking lot would have been a big bummer. I agree with many others this will become a corporate hotel for events.

The Peninsula has moved to those toothpaste-style shower toiletries as well.

I'm more curious as to the weird branch hanging from the showerhead-which-looks-like-a-security-camera.

Looks like a nice resort, but I agree with your assessment of it being a little odd/random. Despite that, I look forward to checking it out.

You didn't mention that the gym equipment is TechnoGym. That's pretty high end stuff that you don't see in the USA that often. They should definitely be commended for shelling out for that.

The gym equipment is fantastic, TechnoGym machines and two Peloton bikes. Agree with Ben about the lack of natural light, but I really liked the gym.

Lucky I am staying here now (what I bummer I didnt get to meet you). This hotel feels more like an Unbound collection (gives me The Confidante vibes) like a $200 a night hotel. Not a Cat 6 $800 a night hotel. Super let down with service, food, everything. The only nice things are the room and view. But even then, the hotel is like in a public area that is so awkward. I like the Ritz much more than this one sorry. Also in SAN I got a VW Atlas in the Emerald Elite Isle.

Well, to be fair, the rooms look pretty gorgeous to me, but I just meant to state that the exterior has elements that remind me of a “fancy” Hampton Inn. And I admit, I’m a bit of a map junkie and constantly use google and other mapping apps to see where a hotel is situated in relation to other landmarks (such as the ocean), what’s in the surrounding area, etc. At any rate, Based on Ben’s and other reviews I’ve read, this is not a place I’m dying to spend $600+/night to stay at. But that’s just me. Shrug.

Having been to quite a few proper 5-star hotels around the world and just coming back from Asia, many so called "5-star" hotels and resorts in California (other than some exceptions) are really beyond embarrassing. The design sensibility of the common areas here is 4 star at best. The pool area is so uninspiring, just completely meh. They could have extended the pool close the edge or built an infinity pool that overlooks the ocean. Nope just a bland set back pool with an equally bland walkway in front of it. Nowhere is the difference between 5 star hotels in California and other parts of the world more apparent than in the coffee bar and bakery. This literally looks like a small Starbucks. I just came back from the Park Hyatt Saigon which has an absolutely stunning coffee bar and bakery with incredible house made cakes and baked goods. This looks like a joke in comparison. The rooms are certainly ok so I have to give them that. I hate to say it but living in Los Angeles now it's super apparent that many families living in CA are really quite insular with much of their travel. Which is why few "5-star" feel the need to up the game. Beverly Hills for example has many international guests which is why the 5-star hotels there are generally on a higher level (Peninsula, Beverly Hills Hotel etc).

Summer 2023 review here.

The pro of this property: it's a new hotel with nice, modern design and rooms are available for under $1000. Strangely, this is not an easy thing to find in Southern CA. LaJolla, for example, has a lot of terrible, run down hotels. And we were looking for something quieter than the Gaslamp area (busy, traffic, airport nearby) or Hotel Row (Sea World, etc. and a sea of kids). Many similar hotels and true, actual resorts in this area tripled prices during COVID, while cutting services. So the Alila Marea seemed promising.

The previous issue with seeing into rooms may have been modified? The windows are tinted now, so you can't see in.

I have no comments on the restaurants - didn't go (SD and the area have lots of amazing places which we prefer).

I really wanted to like this place but agree, the layout is confusing, the pool is tiny. We specifically requested a quiet room (anniversary) but got stuck in a room that literally overlooked the pool.

Ultimately our experience was exceptionally negative. The worst part of the whole experience is that the hotel states on its website that it is an "adult focused" hotel, yet loud, screaming, crying children filled the hotel during our stay. (Including the room adjacent to us.) I don't want to sound like the "hey you kids get off my lawn" guy but literally, we could have stayed in literally ANY other hotel in the area for hundreds of dollars less and had the same experience.

This place has serious confusion as to what its mission is - it wants to be a resort, but is a hotel at best, one that believes a few restrictions of amenities (parking, ice, water, etc.) will make you the guest rely on their service for interactions and thus provide a resort feel. I'm disappointed as I thought we'd found a new quiet, upscale place in this area, but we won't return. Back to the drawing board....

Leucadia is a section of Encinitas, if I understood it correctly.

Update as of March 2025: it looks like the property has FINALLY implemented an adults-only policy after numerous complaints from guests.