FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Alila Marea Beach Resort Encinitas, CA REVIEW MASTER THREAD
Old Jun 4, 2023 | 12:03 am
  #322  
ralphs
All eyes on you!
10 Years on Site
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: SNA
Programs: AA EXP, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 1,258
Originally Posted by saecotech
Awesome resort to say the least. Lots of positives and a couple negatives. We checked in on a weekday for our anniversary as globalist and used a free night costing us 25k points. They upgraded our room automatically to a 2nd floor ocean view king (#262) which directly overlooked the pacific ocean (one of the rooms next to the grandview suite). I inquired about upgrading to a suite, but Amir (front end manager) convinced us that the upgrade we were automatically placed into would be awesome so we went with it. He was absolutely right - such an epic view with the sounds of the ocean lulling us to sleep.

Pros:
+ Awesome resort staff very accommodating and taking their time to explain details - Dave from the valet team in particular was very humorous and talkative
+ Welcome amenity of a small bottle of champagne
+ Breakfast at Vaga was nice with a specific menu for globalists (the resort sees approximately 60% globalists on a daily basis per the front end manager)
+ Views were epic overlooking the pacific ocean (wife even thought it was much nicer than Ventana)
+ Pools were empty for the most part which added to our relaxation
+ You can rent out the electric bikes on the property which can take you into Encinitas downtown where there are plenty of shops and food spots. The bikes make riding effortless.
+ Gym was large and capable with Technogym equipment
+ Complimentary cocktail at the bar "Pocket" between 7 pm - 8 pm
+ Requested 12 pm checkout and was granted without hesitation
+ Ambiance was amazing - has that exclusive, contemporary vibe you find at nice Four Seasons hotels

Cons:
- Expensive ($20+ for a cocktail)
- Food at Pocket was lackluster (we ordered the chicken bites and churros)
That's great. Maybe the secret is to come on a weekday - we've been a few times as Globalist and have yet to receive this kind of upgrade or the level of superlative service you've described. However, I think all of our stays have been weekends.
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