ST. HELENA, Calif. – An upscale luxury hotel brand has made some of its California locations kid-free. Alila Hotels is part of the Hyatt family and has three locations in California, including one in the Bay Area in St. Helena.

What we know:

The Napa Valley site has in place an adult-only policy, banning anyone under the age of 18 from staying at the resort. 

The hotel boasts being in the heart of Wine Country, offering the best of the region. 

“Alila Napa Valley is a journey of epicurean discovery in a scenic landscape rich with culture and history. Here, expansive vineyard views and golden sunsets showcase the region’s unspoiled beauty,” the hotel’s website said.

The hotel also notes, “Alila Napa Valley is an adult-only hotel (18+).” 

It’s unclear how long the no-children policy has been in place. 

But the Alila’s Marea Beach location in Encinitas, in San Diego County, recently adopted the rule, making the change to becoming an “adult-only” resort last month.

On its website, the hotel wrote, “This transition allows us to provide a serene and tranquil environment tailored to adult travelers seeking relaxation, exploration and a peaceful stay by the beach .”

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Policy shift 

Alila also has a third California location in Big Sur. The resort, which previously had an adult-only policy in place, said it recently made a shift in its rule, to allow children at its site, accommodating families with suites set aside that are more kid-friendly.

But Alila Ventana Big Sur also noted it does make sure guests know that the site may not be suited for children, explaining it has a clothing optional area that parents may not be comfortable with. 

The property is situated on the rugged Pacific Coast, surrounded by nature and wildlife, which can also be a deterrent for families with young kids, Alila Ventana Big Sur said. 

The hotel explained that for its guests considering bringing their children, it offers information about its nearby sister property, Carmel Valley Ranch, which has kids’ activities on site and a property geared toward a family atmosphere. 

Pets allowed

At both the Encinitas and Big Sur properties, Alila does allow pets for a fee of $150 per dog.

The Napa Valley hotel does not allow pets.

Dig deeper:

There are questions about whether the adult-only rule violates any discrimination laws.

KTVU reached out to the California Civil Rights Department and asked about the lawfulness of Alila’s policy.

In an email, a spokesperson responded, “We’re generally unable to provide legal advice or analysis regarding specific applications of California’s civil rights laws,” but the agency went on to share a fact sheet on California’s Unruh Civil Rights Act which seeks to provide consumer discrimination protections by businesses.

Under the Unruh Act, California businesses, including hotels, are required to provide “full and equal accommodations, advantages, facilities, privileges or services” without discriminating based on more than a dozen criteria, including sex, race, disability, and immigration status.

The list did not include age as a “protected characteristic.”

An example of a violation of the Unruh Act would be if a hotel charged an extra service fee only to guests of a certain racial group, but not to other guests.

‘Reasonable’ service restrictions allowed  

The law also noted that businesses are allowed to limit access to who can receive services, but there has to be a rational reason behind the restriction. 

“A business may establish reasonable policies that are ‘rationally related to the services performed and the facilities provided,’” the Unruh Act fact sheet stated. 

The example used is a rental car agency that refuses to rent vehicles to drivers under the age of 25.

KTVU reached out to Hyatt and Alila for an official response as to whether there were any concerns about violations stemming from the adult-only policy but had not heard back in time for the publication of this story. 

Front desk representatives, who were not speaking in an official capacity, noted that from their experience, they had not heard of any complaints about the kid-free rule.