Alila Ventana Big Sur

We had an amazing stay at Alila. It exceeded all my expectations. Upon check in we were upgraded to a pacific house suite, and the addition of having our own hot tub was such a great perk, we never even ended up using any of the other pools since we had our own. The staff was amazingly helpful, and made it feel like a 5 star property. The lack of variety at the sur house never bothers us because the quality of the food was so good, for 3 nights we could try a variety of things and were happy every single night. Waiting on a golf cart was never an issue, I don't think we waited longer than 5 minutes ever; and they said they were at 90% occupancy while we were there so I don't understand the complaints about waiting. It's a beautiful property that feels 5 star. I wish there were more free experiences every day, as is true of other all inclusives, but I recognize this is not your typical property.

DO NOT BOOK! They canceled our booking TWICE! We had our honeymoon trip planned months in advance and a week before our booking, they canceled our reservation because “they overbooked.” We had to change our flights and trips, so we rebooked and then they canceled a second time! No reason! The customer service is terrible. I don’t understand how they can treat customers like this- we are once again at a loss and have to replan everything. They cost us money and stress and did nothing to make it better. Do not waste your time.

We had a wonderful time at Alila Ventana. The food was five star chef quality and the customer service was top-notch. It was a very relaxing getaway which is what we were after.

I booked this stay a year ago and luckily found the only 2 nights available using Hyatt points. My wife and I were really excited as this property is absolutely beautiful and the all-inclusive aspect was intriguing. The actual property itself is just stunning. The trees, trails, views, etc. The onsen was absolutely a deal maker, however the gym was tiny and often in use so it was tough to find time and space to use. Mario, the valet, was just a lovely human, so warm and helpful. We found nearly all of the staff to be welcoming. However there were a few shortfalls on service: 1) clearing the in-room dining in a timely manner (we were told to leave on doorstep and they never collected it after multiple requests and animals got into it overnight); 2) miscommunication on where to pick us up in the shuttle from the Sur House; and 3) the hot tub in our room did not work. We had a Big Sur Spa room which was over 600 sq feet with a fireplace (THANK YOU!). However the room was directly below another and there was ZERO insulation between floors. Unfortunately the guests above us were trampling around and moving furniture or something at 3 a.m. which was not great. New guests arrived the next day and we did hear them rolling suitcases and walking but it wasn't as loud as the prior guests. We also took issue with the consistency of the food at The Sur House. We were only there 2 nights but at 6 meals there. Our first day the CA vegetable salad was amazing, fresh and simple. I ordered it the following day and the lettuce was wet, wilty and literally tasted like dirty water. The 2nd day our breakfast was so-so but the following day we ordered the same thing and the bacon was cooked to perfection. If you stay there BE SPECIFIC with your orders. Meaning....say you want cooked bacon, or dark toasted bread, or light on dressing. And order it the way you want it every meal. Finally, we travel all over the world and frequently stay at Marriott properties but Hyatt is a terrific option especially if you have status. I would say, however, that the price for the value just wasn't there in my mind. To pay over $2000 a night for a room is steep, off season and all. There is an exclusivity to paying more but it just didn't feel like the price matched the experience.

Amazing place, we've been here 3 times and every-time it's unique experience. Very kind and helpful staff. Highly Recommended.