Alila Marea Beach Resort Encinitas Goes Rogue: "Kids No Longer Welcome Overnight"

In early February, Alila Marea Beach published a banner on its landing page indicating that the resort would be transitioning to an adults-only property. 

As this news has made its way around the internet, it's caused a great deal of commotion, with many folks applauding this update, others bemoaning it, and many calling into question the legality of this 'adults-only' policy. My initial thought? Did the Alila Marea GM hit reply all on a Friday afternoon 'one-meme' email featuring one of the world's most famous athletes?

Let's jump into it!

Alila Marea Beach Resort Transitions to Adults Only 

Effective February 14, 2025 individuals younger than 18 can no longer stay overnight at the Alila Marea Beach Resort Encinitas. Quick moment to acknowledge the choice of effective date by the Alila Marea team. Truly:

If you're saying to yourself - gee, that sure is worded carefully, give yourself a pat on the back. The resort seems to carve out an exception from altogether banning children from the property in that nothing precludes them from visiting the resort during the day for an event such as a wedding. However, if those under 18 would have to find other accommodations when the sun goes down, it's much easier if they don't make the trip. 

As for the hotel, Alila Marea claims that this decision will 'allow us to provide a serene and tranquil environment tailored to adult travelers seeking relaxation, exploration, and a peaceful stay at the beach.' Preach.

As you might expect, there's been a ton of discussion about this decision, with folks voicing their opinions. You have the expected cheers of 'this is unfair' and 'What about the children?' battling against the echoes of 'leave those kids at home' and 'find a different resort.' Then there's the legal angle - with many folks claiming this policy runs afoul of California state law and is discriminatory. Others say that having an adults-only hotel is an established accepted practice, and you need to look no further than at other California properties within the Alila brand - the Alila Napa Valley and the Alila Big Sur - to see that this is business as usual.

At the end of the day, the hotel has not backed down. The changes are present throughout its website and other booking channels, such as Amex's Fine Hotel and Resorts. 

Ahem: I Cosign This Decision

This might upset some folks, but I'm a fan of this decision. You might say, "Well, that's not surprising; you don't have kids - you wouldn't understand." That's fair - you might be right. Do you know what I might be right about, though? Having kids run amok all around a resort while their parents' check out' severely damages the experience for everyone else. To be clear, this isn't something unique to the Alila Marea. I feel that all these 'luxury' points hotel brands charging a similar price point, anywhere from $500 - $2500, do their brand a major disservice while trying to cater to different cohorts of travelers - families w/ children and travelers without - at once. As properties like this already become attractive for the 'value' they offer, it becomes too much adding in families rolling two to five kids deep and all that necessitates - kids clubs, six mini pools, sippy cups strewn about everywhere. Inevitably, the system will break, the experience and brand will degrade, and the guests will suffer. It's why 'luxury' properties like the Park Hyatt St. Kitt's and various other St. Regis's, Ritz-Carlton's, and Waldorf Astorias across beach and ski destinations are so mid. It's hard to harmonize that idea of luxury for everyone. Ultimately, the brand takes a hit because you're inevitably left saying, "Wait, this is a Park Hyatt? What am I paying for?".

I find that the most successful situations are where the hotel chain/owner/management team does one of three things: 

• Build a separate sister property in the same (or nearby) area that caters to one specific group.
• Price the property to thin out demand, thereby allowing the team to offer a more luxurious experience to all types of travelers.
• Do what the Alila Marea is doing here and make the property adult only. 

While it's not always feasible to build a second resort (for a whole host of reasons—resources and physical space being the top two), when done well, you tend to have happy customers. Just look at the Hyatt Ziva and Hyatt Zilara properties in Jamaica. 

I can see why Alila Marea made this decision from a business standpoint. Following this announcement, Alila Marea became the only luxury resort in Southern California that is adults-only. That's a massive draw for both guests traveling from out of the local market and for luxury-seeking travelers looking for a comfortable staycation. I wouldn't be surprised if demand for this property increased tremendously after this decision. 

Finally, this decision comes at the right time for a property early in its lifecycle. The Alila Marea will celebrate its fourth anniversary this month, having opened in March 2021, the heart of the pandemic. Accordingly, if you take away the weird travel environment of the pandemic, it's had what - possibly two years to figure out what 'normal' looks like for its demand cycles and customer preferences. If the team at the resort has gleaned and determined in this time that it can be more successful catering to an adult-only crowd, then the time to make that shift is now, before a lasting reputation - one management may not want - sets in. 

Conclusion
 

The Alila Marea Beach Resort Encinitas has transitioned to an adults-only property, which has caused a little bit of a stir. I'm a fan of this move, and hopefully, I'll get a chance to enjoy a 'serene and tranquil environment' during my 'peaceful stay at the beach' once I get around to booking a stay. Feel free to hit the comments with your thoughts!