Alila Ventana Big Sur

I had been looking forward to this resort for years and finally booked a night in a spa suite to celebrate my birthday while on a weekend road trip along the California coast. Overall, I was disappointed, but it was not a horrible experience. To start with the positives: most of the staff were helpful, and the grounds are beautiful and peaceful. The room is clean and has nice amenities like the fireplace, tub, outdoor balcony, and jacuzzi. Unfortunately, when I arrived to my room (43) I was disappointed to see it was a lower floor unit that got very little sunlight and had a musty smell. I asked if they had a room with more sunlight, but they were fully committed. I noted in my reservation that I was celebrating a birthday and staying with a pet (theres a $150 pet fee). When I entered the room, there was a note on the table wishing me a happy birthday which is nice in theory, but I’ve stayed at other hotels for work or special occasions that add a more thoughtful touch like a little treat or bottle of wine, and this felt very low effort. The room was not set up with the dog bed and bowls as described, so I texted to ask for it and had to follow up about an hour later. When it did arrive, the bowl was dirty with some debris (most likely from storage) and the bed was a foam pad (I’ve actually ordered from Amazon in the past for a crate) and the cover had a hole in it. Again, this all felt very cheap considering the $150 fee. At dinner, the meal was okay - a kale salad, calamari, and a chicken dish. The chicken had no flavor and the sauce on it tasted sour or off. The restaurant staff were very kind and attentive though and even put a candle in my dessert. The next morning, I ordered breakfast to the room for a $10 delivery fee and it arrived as a nice set up but unfortunately the food was no longer hot. They do warn you of this on the menu - it’s a trek down from the restaurant. The “Japanese baths” were nice as was the pool area and grassy lawn at sunset. It’s great that they give you reusable water bottles you can refill on the property. I would’ve loved to have taken the morning yoga class or done one of the afternoon activities, but they were fully booked. All-in-all this was a very mediocre stay for me. If you have a better room, are able to sign up for activities and/or spa treatments, and don’t expect any bells and whistles, I think it can be very relaxing and enjoyable stay. After my experience, I’m okay crossing this off my list for the future.

The bed was heavenly. Walking on the trails were great. The meals were all included. Staff were responsive & excellent. Very restful and healthy getaway.

The price doesn't match the experience. The people are great, the rooms are amazing, and the property is fantastic. But it's not a Four Seasons-type experience. You have to get up and go order your drinks at the pool; no one is coming to check on you; drinks at the pool are very limited. Food menus at breakfast and lunch stay the same, and the dinner menus barely change, so if you were there more than a few nights, you might run out of interesting food options, and for the price, that isn't acceptable. Food is good but not great. The food was overdone or underdone several times, and even when I sent it back, it came back wrong again. I think a lot of this feedback seems very rediculous, but when you are paying over $3,000 a night you are going to have high expectations and when its just good not great, well then that is not acceptable.

The only place to stay in Big Sur. The property feels very remote, yet close to the coast highway. Panoramic views of the forest and ocean. Didn't realize that meals were included when I booked. The food was fabulous. They make changes to the menu each night. Poolside menu great too. Wonderful massage at the spa. Our room had spectacular views, comfortable bed and furnishings. Everything in the room was clean and showed no wear. Activities included if that's your thing. We chose to chill by the pool, enjoy the spa, and take in the scenic beauty. The resort is geared for adults. Would not recommend for the kiddos but highly recommend for a nice adult getaway.

I found this to be very mediocre. There is nothing terribly wrong. Everything was "nice", and nothing more than that. It certainly did not wow us or exceed any expectation. For nearly $3,000 a night, it felt like a waste of money. We came from the Four Seasons San Francisco Embarcadero which was 1/6 the price and a bit more polished. At this price point. one would expect something amazing, but this stay did not deliver in that regard. It's certainly not a bad place to stay. If this was an $1,000 a night experience I'd say it's ok, but at the league they are playing in price wise, the level of service is not there. This was not like a world class Aman or Four Seasons property despite being priced comparably.