Alila Ventana Big Sur

My partner and I are Hyatt Globalists and stayed here for our two year anniversary road trip just after Highway One reopened. This hotel made the experience even more special. The hotel wad surrounded by big redwoods and beautiful views of the Pacific sunset, it was incredibly peaceful, we also enjoyed watching stars from the terrace at night. The food was excellent, and the hot pools were so relaxing in the evening. A big thank you to Rubi at the front desk for her warm and thoughtful help. She introduced us all the details for property and activities when check in. And also recommended the big sur wild bee honey and a local coffee shop for us, it was really good! We traveled all over the States in 2025/2026 and this is our favorite hotel so far. Not only because of the beautiful view, great food but more important is the people there who treated as like friends, thank you again Rubi :)

I had another good stay at the resort, this was my fifth time visiting the resort to celebrate our wedding anniversary, but I have noticed a few differences over the years since our first visit in 2020 for our honeymoon. We booked the forest shower suite, the room was comfortable and clean, and the outdoor shower was fun to use. The towels are in need of upgrading, their age and poor quality is very obvious. There is an issue in certain rooms with noise, due to the older construction of the building. I prefer the single standing suites for this reason. The property itself is beautiful, perfectly situated in the Ventana wilderness with views of the ocean and forest. Walking around and taking the path from the hotel to The Sur House is a very relaxing and peaceful walk. We received conflicting information regarding the poolside lunch hours and whether or not it was included with our stay. As the years have progressed, less meals are being included as part of the all-inclusive program. We used to be able to have both breakfast and lunch on checkout day and now it is just breakfast (brunch) and the person at reception told us that our first lunch wouldn’t be included as well. I miss the separate breakfast and lunch menus as there was more variety than is currently available on their brunch menu. In regard to dinner, It would be nice if there were more vegetarian options available. In previous years we were able to add a side with our main entree order and there are no longer sides available with entrees. You are charged a $10 fee for any in-room dining order which is kind of ridiculous considering the cost per night at this hotel. Regarding the poolside lunch, the tables are not attended nor cleared promptly. There were a lot of dirty tables that weren’t cleared and towels were missing throughout our stay, maybe hiring more staff would solve that issue. Other than the slow poolside service, the rest of the staff is great, from valets to housekeeping, and restaurant staff. I was sad to see that the customized fresh flower arrangements are no longer placed in the rooms, as well as a change in the signature scent of the toiletries. I used to associate the eucalyptus scent with the property and now it’s just lemon which reminds me of bathroom cleaner. It seems the resort is no longer adults only which is concerning because there are “clothing optional” areas in the resort. The incoming survey no longer features a special requests section as well which is a downgrade in a previously available service. The high-quality complimentary reusable souvenir water bottles have been replaced by cheaper bottles made of thinner metal that cannot be taken home and reused. There also used to be a happy hour before dinner that featured a special drink inspired by the coastal fog which is now gone. Due to the price per night of this property there is an expectation of excellence in every aspect of our stay. I still look forward to returning to this property, but I have noticed a dilution in the services available at this property while the prices continue to increase and I just hope it doesn’t continue to diminish the overall experience. I just want management to know that these cost cutting measures are noticed by returning guests.

This was the best hotel experience I have ever had. There are many cabins built in the forest on the mountain, which makes the place very peaceful and beautiful. The valet staff were very nice. When we checked in, they had already helped move all of our luggage to the room. There is a trail through the forest that leads to the pool and the sauna. There are also hammocks between the trees. Lying in the hammock, listening to birds singing, and watching the sunlight come through the trees, I wished time could stop at that moment. Along a small stone trail, you can see beautiful calla lilies blooming in the valley while birds sing in the forest. The restaurant is built on the top of the mountain. From there you can look over the Atlantic Ocean and watch the sunset. The meals at the restaurant are included, and the ingredients are very fresh and perfect. The staff are very professional. After dinner, you can sit by the fire and roast marshmallows. If you do not want to walk back to your cabin, you can call a golf cart to pick you up. Riding in the cart, you can feel the cool mountain wind as it drives along the winding mountain road back to your cabin. One time we only went out for dinner, and when we came back the room was already perfectly cleaned. Even the clothes I left around were folded neatly. My suitcase that was on the floor was carefully placed on a luggage rack so we did not need to bend down to organize it. Every staff member was kind, careful, and professional. I will definitely come back again. Even if I am not traveling, I would come here just to stay a few days, because this is a place where I can truly relax.

Worth the long drive. Download directions before you go, cell service is Big Sur is basically non existent outside of buildings. Welcoming staff, beautiful rooms and views, pools are heated, Japanese baths and infinity hot tub were wonderful. Food was delicious as always. Alcohol is not included in your booking so bring your own for the room or splurge a little on drinks.

My wife and I just returned from a two night stay at Alila Ventana Big Sur. We had a fantastic time and would recommend this property to others who are looking for a special place to relax, unwind, and connect with Big Sur. Pros: Service - Staff are great and incredibly accommodating. The concierge was super responsive to requests via text message which made ordering items like room service, fire bags, or arranging transport super convenient. Room Upgrade - This is the second time (2/2) we've received a room upgrade. It was not expected but it was greatly appreciated when celebrating a birthday. Pools - The pools are great. Very easy to find seating and they were generally very quiet. Sur House - My wife and I both liked the food at Sur House. We found the staff chatty and friendly. The views are fantastic. To Be Improved for Next Time: - There were some small maintenance things which could be better with the rooms like a very squeaky door, window slat in bathroom being broken, and the curtains being generally hard to open/close (to be fair - we didn't report any of these things). - Room service was great but there were some times where one part of the order would arrive before another part. We found that a bit odd. Overall a great stay and we already booked for next time!

This was our third visit just in this year to Alila Ventana Big Sur Resort, and it just keeps getting better every time. What made this stay especially memorable was Jade at check-in. She was incredibly warm and welcoming, and surprised us with a room upgrade — completely unexpected and so appreciated. It genuinely set the tone for the entire trip. Thank you, Jade! You made our birthday celebration for my husband more special in our favorite place! We also brought our dog along, and as always, the resort made it so easy and enjoyable. The pet-friendly setup is truly thoughtful — it never feels like an afterthought. Our pup was just as happy as we were. If you’re looking for a place that feels like a home away from home, especially if you’re traveling with your furry family, Alila Big Sur is the answer. We’ll absolutely be back for a fourth visit.

This place feels straight out of a movie. It’s truly magical — the kind of place where, whether you want to or not, you completely disconnect from daily life. The rooms are beautiful, peaceful, and incredibly relaxing. The property offers so many unique activities, from hikes and jewelry making to meditation, chakra alignment, and more. The food is amazing — even though the menu doesn’t change often, every dish is full of flavor and absolutely delicious. What truly makes this place special is the people. Everyone is incredibly knowledgeable, friendly, and always willing to help. My husband and I celebrated our anniversary and birthdays here, and it was a truly magical experience. A special shoutout to our servers Michael, Paco, and another wonderful server during dinner whose name we unfortunately forgot — they were all outstanding and made our stay even more memorable. This place will forever live in our hearts, and we will absolutely be back when the opportunity arises.

We were able to get a 2 night stay here with Hyatt points just after Valentines Day. It was 45,000 pts per night, or would have been $1800-2800 per night for the stay. Due to the high prices, we had high expectations and have also wanted to visit this property since before COVID. We arrived on our first night a little early (2:30pm), and were told our room was not ready yet. This was fine as check-in is at 4pm and we were given a welcome drink as well. It was raining pretty good the entire two days of our stay, so we unfortunately were unable to enjoy many of the activities, pool areas, etc. We were able to get into our room a little early, I think it was around 3:30pm. We were given an upgrade to a King room with a fireplace which was a nice touch. The room itself was great (other than noise)! The bed was extremely comfortable for starters! We got a downstairs room which made it a bit more private but also made it so you could hear your neighbors upstairs all night. I mean, practically every move they made, the ceiling was creak. There was also a pass through bathroom with a large soaking tub which was nice. They include a little bag of wood for your wood burning fireplace, and a record player in the room (you can borrow records from the main lobby area). Our room also had a nice and comfortable couch, as well as a small balcony with seats overlooking the redwoods. Overall, the room was amazing and well past our expectations. Our main complaint was with the toilet paper and the showing age of the property. Right away when we walked into the room, we tried to dry our hands on the hand towel and the holder came right off the wall. The toilet paper was expected to be comfortable for the price of the rooms, but instead was harsh and very thin. Sort of a weird place to try to save on money. To get around property, they offer you little golf carts which was also a nice touch. We were looking forward again to walking the property which got ruined by the amount of rain and wind. There was very limited self parking, as it did seem to fill up each night. The Sur House restaurant was quite a distance away if you chose to walk (about 10 min) which isn't too much fun when you arrive soaking wet. They do provide umbrellas as well, but our pants were wet by the time we got there. The Sur House was a bit of a let down for us. The food itself was good and filling. But the breakfast and brunch menus were the same, and options for both breakfast/brunch and dinner were a bit limited. You also had to pay $10 for room service which was odd for being an all-inclusive type property. But perhaps the biggest issue with the Sur House is how they seemed to try to pressure you into giving a tip at the end of the meal. The property is an all-inclusive resort with tips/gratuity included, and they give you a bill at the end to leave additional tips. I get it, if the service was exceptional. But never was the service exceptional, until right before they would bring the bill, they would try to make small talk and be really helpful. It just struck us in a bad way. As I had mentioned, we didn't get a chance to do any activities or use the pool due to the weather. But I feel like was still enjoyed our stay. We were able to stay and relax in the room for one full day (with room service), using our wood burning fireplace! To be honest, I'm not sure we would come back. It was great getting to experience it, but the price is quite high. For instance, for 90,000 pts, we could get 4-6 nights at a really nice Hyatt Regency, or even stay at a Andaz property for 3-4 nights. And then the little things not really adding up to a luxury experience for us (horrible toilet paper, can hear everything above you, pressure from staff at the Sur House). I guess what you are paying for is the area of Big Sur and the views, which were amazing.