Lotte is a rock star in the managing of restaurants!…read more The Sunday buffet is excellent and well presented!! There are enough servers making sure things are covered. I'm a one plate guy and the staff was explaining that I could get more. LOL...Now thats funny! The views are great and very chilled. Great place for a Sunday breakfast.

Extremely disappointing experience at Mission Ranch…read more We were genuinely looking forward to eating at Mission Ranch while visiting Carmel, but the way we were treated completely ruined the experience. We arrived with our child and were told the wait would be about an hour and a half. We understood that the restaurant was busy, so we decided to wait. Two hours later, we still hadn't been seated. What made the situation especially frustrating was watching the woman at the front seat people who had arrived after us, while repeatedly seeming to look us over and pass us by. After waiting well beyond the time we'd been quoted, with no meaningful explanation or acknowledgment, we'd had enough. We left. A long wait at a popular restaurant is understandable. What isn't understandable is giving guests a 90-minute estimate, leaving them waiting for two hours, seating later arrivals ahead of them, and failing to communicate what is happening. For a place with Mission Ranch's reputation, location, and prices, I expected a much higher level of hospitality and professionalism. Instead, we walked away feeling ignored and unwelcome. We never even got the opportunity to find out whether the food was good, because the front-of-house experience was bad enough that we weren't willing to give them any more of our time. Two hours wasted in Carmel. There are far too many wonderful restaurants in the area to spend an evening waiting around somewhere that doesn't seem particularly concerned whether you're there or not.

Sofanya came through for us to make our wedding dreams come true despite super chaotic…read morecircumstances. When our wedding venue fell through a week before our wedding because they refused to let us put up a canopy to get out of the rain, she was kind enough to let us rent our cottage two days early and gave us several location options for our ceremony, whatever would suit us best. She helped me get ready & offered as much love, kindness & support as she could offer. Then, when the weather turned south & started storming extremely heavily during our outdoor ceremony, she generously opened up her own home to us in the top floor of the beautiful dome house to complete our special day. She truly saved the day for us, and treated us like family. The location couldn't be more beautiful. Everywhere you look, beautiful art peeks through the landscape as if placed thete by fairies, and the beauty of nature here creates a sense of tranquility among the redwoods crawling with ivy. Beautiful photo opportunities everywhere you look. A true hippy paradise! The Cala Lily Cottage was cozy, private and intimate, and we felt right at home. PLEASE avoid wasting your money at overpriced, inhospitable cabins/campgrounds out at big sur and come here instead, where you'll be treated like a treasured guest. My new husband and I look forward to returning on an anniversary!

What an aptly named little slice of paradise. Only a few minutes from breathtaking views of the…read morecoast, you take one turn and suddenly you are immersed in a lush redwood forest. This place is magical. I have so many good things to say about the Jewel in the Forest and Sofanya. I feel connected to them now as they are a part of my story, and I'm so grateful for that! On October 1st, I married my best friend in a small 10 person ceremony at the Jewel in the Forest. It was the most perfect day of my life, and there could not have been a better place for it. We rented out all 4 of the cabins on property to accommodate all of our guests. That allowed us to stay together and bond through the whole experience, while still providing ample privacy and sleeping space for our guests The Dome House is the most beautiful place I have ever stayed in my life. From the skylights that allow you a peek of the tops of the redwood trees, to the eclectic and beautiful furniture and decorations, to the wood burning heater, topped off by Sofanya's amazing artwork, it is truly an immersive experience. Sofanya provides games, movies, books, musical instruments, and a full kitchen. Everything you need for the perfect escape. We cut our cake and drank champagne as a group of about 12 in the living space comfortably. Most of our guests stayed at the Jasmine house, which has 3 private rooms and a large living space where we all enjoyed dinner the night before the ceremony. Sofanya even strung up the cutest string lights on the patio for us so we could enjoy the outside space as well. My parents stayed in the adorable Calla Lily cabin, which is perfect for a couple or small family. It is cozy and charming. Our photographer stayed up in the adorable Lotus Blossum, which had the most spectacular windows and a one of a kind outside bathroom. So cool! We held our ceremony near the stream amongst the redwoods. It was breathtaking. Overall, the space was beyond perfect for what we needed. Each of the cabins are unique and have so much character. I recommend that EVERYONE visit and escape from reality to this magical place at some point in your life. You won't regret it. Now, I have to say a few things about Sofanya. She is wonderful! She really went above and beyond making sure our wedding was perfect. She hung the aforementioned lights for me, provided several bouquets around the property, received packages with things for my wedding for me ahead of time, and ensured everyone's comfort the whole stay. Thank you so much for all you did to make my wedding truly perfect Sofanya.

Booked a stay at the Cypress Inn over the 4th of July weekend to enjoy beautiful Carmel and keep my…read morecanine BFF calm and safe. The historic building is impressive, as is the interior lobby, living room, restaurant/bar and 1st floor courtyard. Unfortunately, the guest rooms --or more specifically, Room 207 leaves a lot to be desired. As others have noted, the rooms are indeed small and in need of updating. Bed comfort is subjective. I've stayed at plenty of hotels and generally never had trouble falling asleep, but I did find both the bed and pillows to be overly firm and uncomfortable. The bigger disappointment for me was the noise. 207 is the closest room to the 2nd floor staircase landing, and there's a hallway bench right outside the room door. On multiple occasions, I had to listen to someone sitting on the bench right outside my door talking loudly on their phone before heading downstairs. The utility closet next to Room 207 also resulted in unwanted noise. And there was persistent noise coming from the alleyway directly below my room windows --loud talking, laughing, singing and coughing late into the night and early morning. The hotel staff I interacted with were all friendly and helpful and the building is ideally located in the heart of downtown Carmel. I expected more though for what worked out to be a $600 a night stay.

First off, I really like that the hotel is dog friendly and the Doris Day history is pretty cool…read more The lobby and dining areas are nice. But otherwise, the actual rooms are quite dated, dingy, tiny, and overpriced for what they are. The service is mixed: The bellboy was friendly and helpful but it was hit or miss with other staff -- some were friendly and some were kind of snooty. For example, I asked about Yappy Hour at 5 p.m. and was told at first "we don't do that anymore" and then weirdly said we missed it when other recent guests have said you can experience that at 5. So bizarre. A unique, historic hotel but the unfriendliness left me a bit disappointed.

The Sunset Center in Carmel is a historic venue for live performances and community events. Built…read morein 1926 as Sunset School, the Spanish Colonial Revival building was saved and transformed into the Sunset Center, giving it new life as a cultural hub. Good lighting and clear acoustics here, and performances are enjoyable from all 718 seats in the main room. For the show we attended, sponsored by Folk-Yeah, our seating was assigned & we picked physical tickets up at will-call --no electronic tickets. It felt relatively small and well organized for a concert venue. Wine is sold in non-spillable sippy cups, a smart, practical detail. For our show, the merchandise line spilled out the front door and moved slowly. More than enough bathrooms at the venue. The ushers are helpful, though pocket lights and seat assistance during the performance can be distracting. Overall, an intimate place to see a live act in Carmel.

I really enjoy volunteering here, for many reasons. The presentations and performances are top…read morenotch. Entertainers, artists, musicians, comedians and others adore visiting Carmel by the Sea and the Monterey Peninsula. The venue maximum is about 700 guests in the main theater and 50 for the studio 105 shows. So not overwhelming crowds, thank goodness. Many outdoor patio shows and big screen theater movies are complimentary, to all. As volunteers, we work usually less than 4 hour shifts and see the shows, for free. We earn credits for next season tickets, with Bravo lounge status. Maxed 4 tickets, 10 shifts per ticket. We choose the shifts and shows to volunteer, then get assigned. Older very nice group of people, the majority are women. Exciting to be involved with such a fabulous team. Thank you kindly!

Carmel Mission Basilica (formal name 'San Carlos Borroméo de Carmelo') is one of six minor…read morebasilicas in the state of California (five being former Spanish missions). It is the oldest one, founded in 1770, and elevated to basilica status by Pope John XXIII in 1960. My wife, her mom, and I visited it during a late Sunday afternoon during our first day in Carmel, and found it to be a great, worthwhile experience, especially if one is Roman Catholic. The basilica is still a working parish, so parking during non-mass hours was easy to find. A ticket booth was set-up at the visitor entrance, with cost of $15 per adult ($13 for senior). There is an adjacent gift shop that doesn't require admission and sells all the various religious items that one would expect from a religious tourist attraction. We ended up spending about 90 minutes here (there is a lot of information here, along with a lot to see). -- Founding priest was Junipero Serra ("Apostle of California"). He was canonized by Pope Francis in 2015, and his shrine/remains are interned here. -- Only U.S. church visited by a pontiff during a papal visit: Pope John Paul II in 1987. He paid homage to Father Serra, and laid flowers at the tomb. This visit is clearly commemorated. -- the Munras Family Heritage Museum is worth going to, to see a short movie about the prominent Monterey family, along with early California artifacts from the family. -- the Nativity scene was one of the most intricate -- the large courtyard is a good place to stop and admire the architecture of a California Spanish mission, along with a thick trunk Cork Oak tree By the time we were leaving, the ticket office had closed (last call is at 16:30, to allow everyone to have enough time before official close at 18:00).

My friends took me to the Basilica and we enjoyed walking around the grounds and visiting the…read morevarious Chapels within the site. It is also the final resting spot of Saint Junipero Serra, the Founding Father of California. Pope John Paul II visited here in 1987 and is recognized in the Our Lady of Bethlehem Chapel, which is a beautiful, small chapel with a confessional from years ago. The Mission Cemetery is the final resting place for some members of this Parish. It also includes a symbolic cemetery representing the hundreds of indigenous people buried here and the surrounding area. These grave sites are adorned with abalone shells as an honorary recognition of their cultural presence to the area. There are several museums on site, beautiful artwork and religious artifacts as well as an extensive courtyard to wander around. Finally, there is a display of the final resting place for Saint Junipero as well as reproductions of other parts of the Basilica back in the day. The price of $15 for adults/$12 for seniors may be a little steep for families, but it is worthwhile to explore the history of the renowned Basilica.

I visited Cultura with my greyhound, so we sat outside in the courtyard near the firepit tables…read moreshared with Vin, next door. It was a cool, breezy night, typical when the summer marine layer moves in over Carmel, but the propane heaters kept us toasty. If you prefer dining indoors, the interior bar and dining spaces had an intimate, funky, but very cool vibe. The host and servers were all extremely friendly and helpful. Despite being outside in the courtyard, they were also incredibly attentive, checking frequently to see if we needed anything. Their recommendations were spot on, too. I was wowed by the cocktail menu. I'll have to return to try more of their bar offerings. This trip, I took advantage of Happy Hour to order the blood orange margarita, and I was not disappointed. I ordered the ceviche appetizer. My greyhound thought it smelled as wonderful as I did. He rested his head between my feet in hopes of catching any ceviche dropping from my hands. This was so tasty, he was out of luck on the table droppings. I also had the chicken enchiladas for my entree. It was one of the best enchiladas I've had in a couple of years. My server, Mario, brought me out a small cup of their take on Mexican hot chocolate, made with oat milk, as an aperitif. It was so delicious, I almost wished I'd ordered a full cup as dessert.

Eh...we really wanted to like this place, but unfortunately, we're not fans and probably won't be…read morereturning. The atmosphere was cozy and inviting, exactly what we were looking for. The service was pleasant, although at times it felt a little condescending. They have their own very specific tequila collection, so don't expect to see many familiar brands. That's not necessarily a bad thing. We're always willing to try something new. The margaritas, however, were very tart. Just too much lime juice. We ordered tacos and asked for flour tortillas, only to be surprised when they arrived on corn tortillas. When we asked about it, we were told they simply don't serve flour tortillas. Fair enough, but that would have been helpful to know when we ordered. The good news: the chicken tinga, barbacoa, and carnitas were all excellent. Unfortunately, we just couldn't get past the corn tortillas which fell apart when you tried to eat the tacos. Ended up using a fork. For dessert, we ordered one of our favorites, churros. They arrived warm, but were very dry and tough. A churro should make you happy. These made us wish we'd stopped for dessert somewhere else. There were definitely some bright spots, especially the meats and the cozy atmosphere, but restaurants generally get one first chance to make us want to come back. Unfortunately, this one didn't.

Melody did the florals for my wedding at Mission Ranch, and I couldn't have asked for a better…read moreflorist. She put together several time-consuming installations, like the greenery on the beams and the chandeliers, as well as the chuppah. She was so easy to work with, and I am so grateful for her patience in responding to all of my email requests (there were quite a few!). From installations to flower selections, she definitely knows what looks best. She has done so many weddings at Mission Ranch, and she definitely knows how to make the already beautiful venue even more stunning. It was so reassuring to work with a florist who already knows the venue extremely well. Melody is incredibly talented, and I knew I was in good hands with her from the get-go. She is very organized and personable, and helped me work within my budget. One of the biggest highlights of the wedding day for me was the flowers. I love looking back on photos, and am still mesmerized by how beautiful the day was, all because of Melody's work and talent. I am so grateful that Melody was the florist for my wedding. Thank you, Melody, for all that you did to make the day so special!

What started off as a good experience then went bad real quick but it was too late to cancel Melody…read moreas a vendor as she had a large deposit. She said she would give a portion of it back but I doubt it was enough to make sense. Plus, since I showed her pictures and asked if she could do the job and she said yes, I felt that she would do the job correct. I was beyond detailed and had a binder of pictures of the flowers I wanted. I sent pictures to her email after our final meeting to ensure she knew exactly what I wanted. (due to covid we went through 4 wedding plans). In multiple emails her attitude was horrible to me. As a client I felt disrespected and like someone was trying to discipline me for telling her what I wanted. I am a paying customer. I specifically said I didn't want any yellow in my flowers (yellow in my white roses - some white roses have a yellow tint). I wanted mauve roses not purple. I got purple and pink roses. PURPLE AND PINK!! Two colors I absolutely hate. When I saw my flowers at rehearsal, I thought it was a joke and thought it was just a mix up and thought that maybe my mother in law asked her to do something different. My flowers got delivered on the wedding day, mind you Melody didn't even come over to say hello to me - she dropped the flowers and ran. I looked at my wedding planner and cried and said these can't be my flowers. The greenery looked dead. The flowers looked awful and the colors were 100% wrong. I hated my bouquet but had to use it. I had my photographer's assistant try to re do it to make it look better. My bridesmaids were picking out greenery from their bouquets because the flowers looked so bad. She did do 3 large arrangements for dinner which I liked (minus some of the flower colors) but thats all I can say I liked. I hated the flowers so much - we didn't use any flowers in ANY photos. Except me walking down the aisle and my bridesmaids. I didn't want pink and purple flowers in my wedding photos. I asked for a refund but Melody said no. Of course. Didn't think she would say yes. I know COVID had a part in florals and what not, melody did let me know smilax was frozen over - which I had asked another florist and they said they can get it. If Melody would've communicated that hey I went to market and they dont have the colors you want I would've been sad but understood and switched the plan within a couple of hours. I am open to that and understand COVID and Mothers day weekend. I get it but there was NO communication. Honestly a horrible experience in which so much money was spent. I believe the tab was around $4,500.00. Flowers was the one thing I cared about to help set the tone of a soft and romantic wedding and she completely failed to do that as well - had a horrible attitude with me the entire time. Melody can do nice arrangements, dont get me wrong. They were arranged nice but lacked what I asked for. I am a pretty easy going person and I'm matter of fact, and show pictures to confirm what I want so I wont be disappointed. I know there's room for error and I get that, we're human but this was way too much disappointment. Do not hire any florist for a big event without seeing a floral mock up! Huge lesson learned.

Great event space. Attended a function here with a ballroom with stage and a small patio. Also…read moreincludes a kitchen for food prep.

The Carmel Woman's Club is a gem of a venue in Carmel for any type of event, party, reception,…read moreetc....! Donna Jett is so easy to work with on the rental and so helpful with recommendations for vendors. The space has a beautiful patio area, stage, side room with a fireplace and full kitchen. It is so well maintained and I look forward to many more events there.

Great atmosphere and service, host was super friendly and knowledgeable and had other…read morerecommendations around Carmel for us. Wine tastings were very reasonable and enjoyed the rose the most.

We had such a beautiful experience at De Tierra! The wines were smooth, balanced, and thoughtfully…read morecrafted -- you can truly taste the care in every pour. The tasting room had a welcoming, intimate vibe, and the staff made us feel right at home. Perfect spot to relax and enjoy Carmel Valley wine country. Definitely coming back!

For me, a 5-star rating is perfect so I don't give many 5-star ratings. Well, the place isn't…read moreperfect, but it's pretty close. It's a new place. It's a very nice place. It's in downtown Carmel and has a good location. It's clean and comfortable. The staff was always friendly and helpful. We'll probably stay there again. That said, here are the few areas we didn't care for. 1) There are lights under the bed that come on when you get out of bed. We don't want lights on in the middle of the night if we need to get up for some reason because that disturbs our sleep. We asked them to disable that after the first night, which they did. 2) The thermostat doesn't seem accurate. It seemed to be 2-4 degrees warmer than the reading. For example, we set it to warm to 68 which is normally cool and comfortable for us, but when it heated the room to 66, it seemed on the hot side for us. We dealt with this by just turning off the heater. 3) There were literally 4 people standing there checking us in. Sometimes between two of them they even asked us the same question twice. We just want to check-in, park our car, and get the key to our room. We don't need 4 people to do that.

Small but gorgeous hotel. I want to give like a 3.5-3.8, but am doing a 4. While it has an intital…read morehigh end appearance and price point, the Stilwell Hotel lacks the some of the essentials of a true luxury stay. - Staff: during check in, we were helped by a tall blonde young man with a deep voice . He has 0 customer service skills and should not be customer facing. He had minimal eye contact, cold demeanor as if we were bothering him, mumbling, and just overall unpleasant. He had the demeanor of a bro cashier at a GNC. There was a guy next to him which I assume was IT or something since he was messing with something at the front. There was a woman who brought us a welcome glass of champagne, and Angel - who gave us a brief tour and brought our luggage to the room. Angel and the woman were nice. Champagne was good, however I wish they offered non alcoholic options like a juice or sparking cider. Throughout our stay, we encountered many staff on the property in passing - not a single smile from any of them. Even the housekeeping staff at a BestWestern are nicer than the staff here. - Room: gorgeous but small. Booking a room for 2 does not just mean having a big enough bed, but actually room for 2 humans to move around. There is not enough room to lay your luggage out anywhere, and the bathroom was narrow. I would've liked to have a towel bar by the sink instead of having a silly rock be what holds the towel up. The room is aesthetically stunning and the bed was very comfortable. I loved the ambient lighting options and motion activated under-lighting. I liked that we had a balcony. I enjoyed the soaps / lotions, as well all the nespresso in the room. Air conditioning worked well. Room was very clean. - Parking: parking was easy in the day. We lucked out at night but guests arriving after 8pm had nowhere to park, which we witnessed first hand. We saw a guest told the staff "the lot is full", and the staff said "just take the EV spot". What about your guests with EVs who need to charge their cars for the night? On another day, a large car was parked in the entrance into the hotel (not the street) and stayed there for 15 min which blocked entry for everyone else - i wish the staff came out to inform the guest that they couldn't leave their car the. The main lot is very tight with slim spots and awkward parking angles, but the back lot was good . While this wasn't an issue for me, I can imagine coming off of a long flight, finally getting to the hotel at night, and being frustrated at the lack of available parking. - Breakfast: this is the main reason we wanted to stay here. The breakfast itself is good, not great. The French toast, juice, chia pudding and eggs are best things - everything else is okay as I found some things to be stale such as the waffles and muffins. I did enjoy how the food is displayed, and there lots of variety. Staff is constantly refilling items so you never have to worry about things running out, regardless of when you arrive for breakfast. Breakfast is much later than it is at other hotels, and with a small window (8-10am), which can be an issue if you are planning to eat early prior to a hike. 2 staff stay in the area however they just stare at you from the corner of the room. No smile, no good morning. The first day, I felt like we were being stared at as if we were freeloaders sneaking in for free breakfast. It was very uncomfortable. Not sure if they were staring because we're younger than a majority of the other guests but there really is no excuse. I think they should do a wrist band system or something if they insist on eyeing people. Property- they have a cafe by the breakfast area where you can order hand crafted pizza. We didn't do this but it smelled great. The location is convenient with lots of restaurants within walking distance . As a hotel guest, you get a discount at the Foray restaurant, which is closed mondays and Tuesdays Overall: Beautiful, but I don't think I'd stay again. For the price point and all the amenities, I expected to be in love with this hotel. At other hotels with this price point, I'm usually like "I don't want leave!", but not here. It wasn't a bad stay, but the experience didn't match the price point. I hope they get better staff or else I could see this hotel failing in the future.