Alila Ventana Big Sur

As a long time Hyatt loyalist, this is the only "flagship" property we haven't visited. We have been to all inclusives, Miraval's, Europe multiple times and we decided to venture here for a 3 night stay. The resort is small. Think 50ish rooms and secluded. You are in the mountains. This is a compound that is beautiful and nature driven. If you don't like nature, don't visit. The rooms are beautiful and spacious and updated. We were upgraded to a suite and the room exceeded our expectations. The food was far superior to every all inclusives we have visited in Mexico and much better than any of the Miraval resorts. Would we go back? Maybe. We like to try new places and see new things. It is a bit of an ordeal to get there as it is 2+ hours from major aiports (LAX or SFO) but I am glad we went and I can see why Hyatt peeps love the resort. Service was awesome, food was awesome, room was awesome.

The property is beautiful and dining was top-notch. Our room's balcony overlooks the hills and forest, which was amazing. The outdoor Japanese hot bath was very relaxing. We signed up for a couple of add-on activities - cold-pressed soap-making and dive into the beehive - both of which were very enjoyable. The only blip we encountered was the incorrect charge on our final bill, which we had to go back and have it corrected.

This place is amazing, and the food is fantastic! Dris has a wonderful kitchen in the morning. Sophia was so helpful in getting us a nice table at the Sur house, and Carlos was outstanding in serving us at the restaurant.

If you're looking for a Big Sur getaway with a luxury feel, Alila Ventana is the place. We had our wedding ceremony at one of the venues on the grounds and it was spectacular. The staff was unbelievably accommodating. Everyone seemed genuinely happy to assist with any request we had. The food was incredible, ambiance and views second to none. We will certainly be back.

I used 90k Hyatt points for a two-night stay. Since meals were included, I think a 3-star rating is fair. If I had paid cash, it would definitely be a 1-star stay. From check-in there were problems. Then the toilet was broken, and even after one repair attempt it still didn’t work—someone had to come again late at night and spent more than half an hour. We were also woken up by a knock late night because room service delivered the neighboring room’s order to our room by mistake. There was no bottled water provided; we had to walk quite a distance to refill it ourselves. To top it off, the final billing was incorrect. Big Sur is really nice, but that’s not because of the hotel. The only thing I can genuinely praise is how quickly they responded via text message. If you plan to pay cash, I think Post Ranch Inn is much better—service, views, everything.