Luxury resort in Encinitas celebrates grand opening

ENCINITAS — The Alila Marea Beach Resort finally opened its doors March 17 and welcomed members of the public to tour the hotel grounds.

The 130-room hotel sits between South Ponto and Grandview Beach, complete with a pool deck overlooking the ocean, a bar and restaurant, ballrooms and meeting areas and more. The resort will utilize local businesses for many of its guest services, including Elektra Bikes, Lofty Coffee and Vuori.

The Alila Marea also worked with the Rob Machado Foundation to promote sustainability practices. No single-use plastics can be found anywhere on the property, General Manager Benjamin Thiele said.

The resort hopes to embody what the city of Encinitas stands for, working with residents and local businesses to better the community.

“Our team is honored to open our doors to the local community and travelers to experience our new luxury resort in this breathtaking location,” Thiele said.

Members of the Encinitas City Council and Planning Commission attended the grand opening, and Mayor Catherine Blakespear participated in the ribbon-cutting ceremony. The city has never had a hotel or resort of this capacity, she explained.

The resort brought over 100 jobs to Encinitas and the transient occupancy tax expects to bring in $2 million dollars a year to the city.

“It’s exciting for us to be able to elevate the level of accommodations that we can offer,” Blakespear said. “I appreciate the integration into the seaside bluffs, the earth tone colors, and the integration with the local businesses to provide services on site.”

Hotel developers have been working to develop the seaside bluff for over 20 years. Time and time again, projects were considered and then fell through for one reason or another.

The Alila Marea dream became a reality through collaborative work from JMI Realty, Fenway Capital Advisors, Suffolk Construction and Hyatt.

“It is incredible to see Alila Marea Beach Resort Encinitas, a project over two decades in the making, come to fruition,” said John Kratzer, CEO of JMI Realty. “We look forward to sharing this special place with our guests and neighbors in the San Diego community.”