Alila Ventana Big Sur - Inclusive Resort

This is avery special relaxing reset retreat set in the beautiful coastal redwoods of California's Big Sur coast. This is a 5star luxury resort, and in rating it against other 5 star properties, I had to give it a 4 after staying at Singapore's Marina Bay Sands. Alilia is a place to reset your life- nestled in the magic of the coastal redwoods, with 2 great pools, and our room had a private hottub on our deck which was super nice and we used it a lot. Meals were in the restaurant, and you picked items off the menu (no breakfast buffet, but you could order as many items as you wanted. We enjoyed the naturist pools and the Japanese bath house, which had most excellent hottubs with great jets. Definitely recommend for anyone stressed by society and looking for a reset. Namaste

Overall my experience is good. I would like to share some feedback regarding my check-in experience, as I felt uncomfortable with how I was treated. Before I check-in, the concierge kindly helped me book a lunch reservation at The Sur House at 1pm. However, when I check-in at 1pm and asked the staff member at the front desk (a lady with black-framed glasses) for directions to lunch, I was only told to go to the Sun Deck without being informed that there were two dining options. Unaware of this, I proceeded to the Sun Deck and placed an order. Later, I saw the reminder about my reservation at The Sur House and asked the waiter if I was in the right place. The waiter explained that the Sun Deck was a more casual option while The Sur House offered a wider menu. At that point, I approached another front desk staff member, who clarified that both dining venues were available—The Sun Deck until 4:00 PM and The Sur House until 3:00 PM. She then kindly assisted us in switching to The Sur House for our meal. While I truly appreciate the help I received in the end, I couldn’t help but feel that I was not treated with the same level of courtesy and transparency as other guests. The way the first staff member handled my request left me feeling excluded, and I am concerned that implicit bias may have played a role. I wanted to bring this to your attention because I believe that every guest should feel equally welcomed and informed.

There were so many wonderful pieces to our weekend getaway. Every person we encountered was friendly and welcoming. Michael in the spa, Angel at the Sur House, and Riley were exceptional! There were a couple of things that were disappointed with. 1. Construction at 8 AM in the morning on a Saturday in such a serene environment is not ok. Customers are there to relax, not listen to upgrades going on. 2. The food at The Sur house is hit and miss. My halibut was so overdone that it was the consistency of chicken. I was unable to send it back because my server didn’t return to the table in time. The Hen Of The Egg appetizer sounded amazing, but ours came with popcorn instead of polenta. 3. The bed was rock hard and the extra blanket that they gave me had someone else’s hair on it. Don’t get me wrong, we had a relaxing weekend. For the amount that you are paying for rooms here, I expect perfection!

We had a fantastic experience. My husband referred to it as living like movie stars. The staff was exceptional. The dining was great. The activities were also good. I especially liked that i could send a quick text for a ride to other parts of the resort, meal orders and any questions

Our stay was very disappointing. Room service food was delivered COLD for breakfast, which in talking to other guests apparently that's a known thing, you just don't do room service, unfortunately we didn't read reviews before going. They spent $25K on these high tech golf carts (as told to us by the staff) and yet they cant keep food warm when delivered to the room. You have to fetch your own water that is inconveniently down the hill same with the ice, they have a stocked fridge with soda, but water you have to get yourself, at a wellness hotel. No Gluten Free Snacks available in the fridge, when we called they apologized and said they don't have anything, i asked, not even nuts? NO. The dinner at the Sur House was disappointing, the waiter the first night couldn't remember what we ordered, took over 30 minutes to take our order and was scatterbrained, the 2nd night Mike our waiter made up for it. The food didn't have much flavor and was overcooked. Our cauliflower both nights was mush, a baby with no teeth could eat it no problem. The staff isn't very friendly, when you talk to them its as if you are bothering them, and we had just spent 5 days prior at the ritz, night and day different over at the Ritz everyone was very friendly. The Japanese baths we went three times were dirty, no towels, and we went at different times. When talking to other guests they were disappointed with food and the spa as well. The sauna is only big enough for 2 people at a time, 4 could fit but you'll be touching others. One one bathroom for the pool & spa. The whole experience was not worth the cost or the drive. The scenery is gorgeous, but save yourself an hour on the road and stay at the Ritz at Half Moon Bay 10x more worth it! Oh and our room had a roof leak, fortunately it wasn't raining!! Would not recommend

this is a great place to relax, very quiet, service and food were great. This is the way to visit Big Sur. The spa was relaxing and plenty of activities to those that are interested. This is a private, unique experience for those that want something out of the way.