Monday, August 31, 2026

The Best Hotels in Encinitas, by the Record

The best hotels in Encinitas, by the professional record: Forbes Travel Guide and Michelin Guide have both weighed in, and their honors are what rank this list. Alila Marea Beach Resort Encinitas comes out on top.

Categories

  1. A modernist resort on a coastal bluff between San Diego and Orange County, Alila Marea sits just high enough above the Pacific that even the pool feels like a vantage point. Rooms run toward calm minimalism with floor-to-ceiling windows, and not every one faces the water directly, though the tradeoff is rarely painful. The spa, a poolside bar, and VAGA Restaurant round out the property for guests who'd rather not leave.


  2. Four rooms, each named for a classical element, in a rebuilt 1958 modernist house a short drive up the coast from San Diego. Twelve Senses is a tiny, philosophy-forward retreat whose design draws on the teachings of Rudolf Steiner, which is either exactly your thing or something you'll spend the weekend quietly Googling. The Michelin Guide has it among its selected hotels, which fits the energy of a place that clearly has a point of view.


Browse a location

Current Location

Cities within San Diego

Metros

Recents

  • No recent searches yet.

Eat Score

The score comes from the awards it's won, weighted by who gave them: a Michelin star outweighs a listicle. When you sort by what's nearby, distance changes the order, never the score.

    How we score →

    Drink Score

    The score comes from the awards it's won, weighted by who gave them: a Michelin star outweighs a listicle. When you sort by what's nearby, distance changes the order, never the score.

      How we score →

      Stay Score

      The score comes from the awards it's won, weighted by who gave them: a Michelin star outweighs a listicle. When you sort by what's nearby, distance changes the order, never the score.

        How we score →

        Do Score

        The score comes from the awards it's won, weighted by who gave them: a Michelin star outweighs a listicle. When you sort by what's nearby, distance changes the order, never the score.

          How we score →

          Best Place Score

          The Best Place Score rates the area around a point, not any one place. It runs on the scored places nearby: more good stuff within reach, higher score. If it looks low, we probably haven't found enough critics out here yet.