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The Alila Marea Beach Resort in Encinitas, California is one of the most luxurious hotels in San Diego County. The “adult centered” resort is perched on a bluff overlooking the ocean, within walking distance of multiple surf breaks, and close to delicious restaurants and boutique shops.

Our decision to visit this Alila hotel was partly due to a need to get away for the weekend and our hometown’s horrible surf conditions. For those who know surfers, you know that they get a little grumpy when there is no surf. So, it was time to find a luxurious vacation destination where the surf would be consistently reliable.

After checking the surf forecast, we quickly decided that the Alila Marea Beach Resort would be perfect for a two-night getaway. The ocean-view luxury beach hotel in northern San Diego County is only an hour and a half away from Los Angeles.

Did you know the Alila resorts are part of the Hyatt hotel brand family?   

The Alila brand is a luxury chain based in Asia that Hyatt acquired to provide its loyal customers with additional hotel luxury options. In addition to the Marea hotel, there are two more Alilia hotels in California:  Ventana Big Sur and the Alila Napa Valley. 

How many points will it cost to stay at the Alila Marea Beach Resort?

Since the resort is a luxury hotel, it’s no surprise that it will cost at least 35,000, but realistically, 40,000 Hyatt points per night to stay in an entry-level room.  But I would opt for an ocean view room.

My First Impressions of Alila Marea

I have driven by the Marea Resort on numerous occasions, but this was my first time inside the hotel. As we crossed Highway 101 and drove up to the valet stand, I was impressed that the architect could make the 130-room hotel feel like a boutique hotel. The design team did an incredible job blending materials to give this upscale hotel an elegant yet laid-back California vibe. The focus on natural stone, warm woods, and clean lines emphasizes the stunning views of the Pacific Ocean.

This California luxury resort puts the scenic coastline front and center throughout the hotel, letting the beauty of the ocean captivate and relax its guests. 

Types of Hotel Rooms and Views

There are several different room types available at the Alila Marea Beach Resort. We opted for a king ocean view room with a balcony. Our room was on the second floor, overlooking the pool and the ocean. The photo above was the view from our room.

I loved our view, but as a surfer, Gary would have preferred the rooms on the “Coastline” or north side of the hotel (see below) to see the surf breaks from the balcony.

View type is a personal preference, and it’s hard to please everyone, especially when the two people staying in the same room prefer different views!

Many of the rooms on the first floor have firepits. While the firepit is nice, if you opt for a garden view room, you cannot see the ocean. I’d rather see the ocean from my room and take advantage of the large communal firepit next to the pool.   

The hotel also offers suites and studios with firepits and a view. However, some rooms, especially on the first floor, lack privacy. The Coastline rooms are along the fire access driveway, which the public can use to access the beach. 

Pro Room Tip:  Book an ocean view or Coastline room on the second or third floor. 

King Ocean View Room with a Balcony

Encinitas is a surfing mecca, and the hotel rooms were designed with surfers in mind.

Our well-appointed room was large and tastefully decorated. The room, which still feels new after a couple of years, came with amenities typical of this hotel category, like robes, slippers, a safe, a coffee machine, and free water. There was also a carefully curated mini bar that included everything from alcohol to snacks and even a facial cleansing kit for purchase. 

Three of my favorite room features include seeing the ocean from the bed, sitting on the ocean-view balcony and listening to the waves, and the fresh eucalyptus hanging over the rain showerhead. Gary was particularly impressed with the wetsuit rack on the balcony. 

Our room did not have a bathtub, which works great for me because I am not a fan of the shower/bathtub combinations. For those who love a bath on vacation, opt for a room with a separate shower and bathtub. 

Amenities outside of the room

One of the drawbacks to luxury hotels is the high resort fee that gets tacked onto your hotel bill. I’d rather the nightly room price include the resort fee rather than see a separate charge, but unfortunately, that is not industry standard.

But I digress.  At the Alila Marea Beach Resort, the resort fee is $55 (at the time of writing). However, to its credit, there are several amenities included in the fee that other luxury hotels charge guests extra to enjoy. Here are some of the unique complimentary amenities included in the resort fee:

• Use of Almond or Firewire surfboards
• Surfboard storage
• Electric bike rentals
• Concierge available through text message – which I used constantly during our stay – loved this service!
• Pick up/drop off at nearby restaurants with a Tesla or golf cart (we used both, and were big fans of the golf cart)!
• Ocean view yoga (great teachers and I saw a whale during yoga)
• Complimentary beverage at The Pocket (more surf lingo) at sunset
• Beach concierge with beach chairs, plush towels, umbrellas, and beach games
• Sound bath
• Fitness Studio – good size, equality equipment, and a variety of workout options

Surfing in Encinitas, CA

One of the major draws to Alila Marea (in addition to the hotel itself) is its proximity to consistent swell. It is the most luxurious hotel in the area and is right above several surf breaks, so Alila Marea is like a moth to a flame for surfers who appreciate luxury. Knowing this, the resort has multiple surf excursions you can book, or if you prefer, you can book a surf lesson through Viator. 

Ponto Beach and surf break are just down the large set of outdoor stairs from the hotel. The swell at Ponto Beach is known for its dependable shape and size, and there is access to multiple breaks from the beach. If Ponto is not going off, several other famous breaks like Beacons, Cardiff, Grandview, and Swami’s are within a short drive from the hotel. 

Pro Tip:  I highly recommend bringing booties because Ponto Beach and some other nearby beaches and surf breaks are rocky. 

Dining options at Alila Marea

VAGA

A popular question is, what hotel is VAGA in? VAGA is an upscale restaurant in the Alila Marea with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Ponto Beach. It is an extremely popular restaurant in Encinitas. We attempted to eat dinner at VAGA on a Sunday night without a reservation, but to my surprise, it was packed even during a slow travel period. We wrongly assumed we could walk in without a reservation. Fortunately, there is a full dinner menu from VAGA at the ocean-view Bar & Lounge just past the hostess stand where we had dinner. 

Pro Tip:  Make a dinner reservation if you plan to eat at VAGA. 

Lounge & Bar

We ate at the VAGA Lounge & Bar twice while staying at the hotel – breakfast and dinner. For breakfast, I had avocado toast, which was really good and large enough to split. But what I liked most about our experience was the relaxed atmosphere and the ocean view. 

Our dinner was good, but the menu was somewhat limited. I was glad that we decided to try other restaurants while in Encinitas, too. After all, part of the fun on vacation is finding the local spots.   

Pro Tip:  Even though there are heaters, the Lounge & Bar does get cold at night. Bring a jacket if you plan to sit outside.

The Pocket

Perfectly described as Après Sea, The Pocket is a terrific place to unwind after a day in the water. The casual bar and restaurant offers small plates, like mushroom lettuce cups, or more substantial fare, like burgers and the swordfish club sandwich. We ate at The Pocket a couple of times during our stay. We enjoyed poolside drinks, food, and a snack at the bar. 

Pro Tip: Don’t forget to head to The Pocket for your complimentary sunset drink.

Coffee Box

The Coffee Box is a grab-and-go coffee shop featuring a local Encinitas coffee roaster, Lofty Coffee. The Coffee Box is located to the north of the hotel driveway. You don’t need to be a guest or visit the hotel to enjoy the Coffee Box. 

In addition to coffee, you can find tea and a small assortment of pastries while shopping at the Coffee Box. At the back of the store, you can discover hotel-branded Vuori products – shirts, shorts, jackets, joggers, etc. For those unfamiliar, Vuori is an athleisurewear brand based in San Diego that has skyrocketed in popularity. In my opinion, the soft material is what separates them from their competitors. You can find souvenirs and little things you may have forgotten at home at the Coffee Box. 

Alila Marea pool and hot tub

The hotel was built as an adult-focused hotel. So, while it is not an adults-only hotel, it is not an ideal family-friendly hotel – a plus in our book! We saw a few families while staying at the hotel, but when the kids splashed in the pool or hot tub, they seemed out of place. 

If you are a surfer and looking for a low-key, less expensive, family-friendly hotel, you might opt for La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club. The hotel has tons of activities to keep the kids busy, and it is a short walk to the La Jolla Shores surf break.

At the Alila Marea, private cabanas are available for rent on the south side of the pool. Complimentary rows of lounge chairs can be found on the north side of the pool.

One of the things I loved about our stay was the oversized ocean-view hot tub. I spent time in the hot tub every day. Even on our last day, I took one final dip before heading out. It was incredibly relaxing and one of my favorite places at the hotel.  

Alila Spa

The hotel has a spa where you can relax and indulge. Unfortunately, we were so busy relaxing and checking out the local area that we ran out of time to enjoy the spa. However, next time, and there will be a next time, I plan to make a spa visit a priority. 

Nearby Activities

If you are not into surfing or hanging out on the beach, there are several other things to do in Encinitas or nearby Downtown San Diego, La Jolla, or Carlsbad. Locally, you can bike, walk south into Leucadia to check out the cute shops and restaurants, or head out for a hike. If you are going for a hike, you might want to stop at the Cardiff Seaside Market to pick up a picnic. The plethora of prepared food options at Cardiff Seaside Market is off-the-charts amazing. If you are a meat lover, you must try the Cardiff Crack. It has too many spices for me, but people go crazy for it. You can get it precooked at the counter in the back. 

If you are willing to take a short drive, a popular activity is exploring the La Jolla Sea Caves by kayak, taking a food tour, or, if you are with your family, checking out some of the local amusement parks like the San Diego Zoo and Legoland. 

Pro Tip:  The Go City Card has package deals for places like the San Diego Zoo, Legoland, and Seaworld that are great for families. 

Service at the Alila Marea

While most of the service was terrific while staying at the hotel, we did have a few minor issues. None of these are deal breakers, but they were a little annoying. Here are a few of the service problems we experienced:

• We were not offered temporary keys to access the pool while we waited for our room. It wasn’t until I thought to ask for them a couple of hours later that they were given to us.
• Even though the front desk asked for our cell phone numbers so they could reach us when our room was ready, nobody contacted us. We had to check back to find out the room status.
• Our luggage took over 20 minutes to be brought up to our room.
• The phone in our room did not work and was never fixed, even though I reported the issue.

I sensed that the front desk was not fully staffed during our stay between Thanksgiving and Christmas, which is a traditionally slow period.

We plan on returning to the Alila Marea and believe these issues were a one-off and not a consistent problem.

The rest of our experience was seamless, including a super kind employee we met on our way out. We discussed how Gary hurt his back while surfing (a fluke), and she went out of her way to send us home with CBD ointment from the Alila Spa to help his back. Her genuine concern was thoughtful and appreciated. For those worried about Gary, he is better and back to surfing!

Alila Marea’s commitment to sustainability

Alila Marea also has a sustainability focus. Below are a few of their sustainability awards and features:

• Recognized by AFAR Magazine as “Best New Sustainable Hotels”
• Working to achieve Earth Check Silver Level Status
• Solar pre-heating of water and pools
• Motion sensor LED lighting
• Added 50,000 cubic yards of sand replenishment to South Ponto Beach during the build phase

Should I rent a car when staying in Encinitas, CA?

If you are flying into San Diego and staying for a weekend, I wouldn’t rent a car. Parking is $60 a night, so you might be better off using Uber and taking advantage of the hotel’s free drop off/pick up at local restaurants.

The parking fee includes electric charging for your car. 

The Trav Nav Takeaways

Despite a few hiccups on our arrival, our stay at Alila Marea was wonderful. So, if you are looking for a San Diego, California luxury hotel on the beach, the Alila Marea Beach Resort in Encinitas should be at the top of your list. I know the next time I need a hotel in Encinitas, I plan to return to the Alila Marea. 

If you enjoyed this blog post, you should check out my blog posts about other places to visit and stay in San Diego County, such as San Diego, Carlsbad, and La Jolla. You may also enjoy my blog post about California’s best places to visit. 

If you are a surfer, check out my article on the best surf breaks in Punta Mita or Gary’s guide to staying and surfing at Namotu in Fiji.