Had a pleasant time staying 2 nights here at this boutique hotel with our pup. We got a king sized…read morebed room with a balcony and enjoyed our time. They've designed their hotel to look and feel like a little oasis. The intention was effective because it did feel like an enclosed paradise, quiet and pleasing to the eye. Our service during our drinks and pizza at their cafe and during breakfast time (included in our package) was excellent and staff were really friendly! Complimentary bubbles upon arrival which i love! Dog blankets outside. Good looking bathrooms. Aesthetically pleasing place. Robes and slippers in rooms. Luxurious sheets. My husband didn't love the bed but perhaps he just has a sensitive preference for his back. the rooms were swanky but small but we didn't mind it for 2 nights only. we spent a lot of time enjoying the nice weather outside. Walking distance to many places in downtown and parking at the hotel was included in pricing.

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.

Love, love, love this beautiful boutique hotel in Carmel-by-the-Sea!…read more Villa Mara is a gorgeous boutique hotel tucked away in a quiet seaside neighborhood. It blends so naturally into its surroundings that we actually drove right past it the first time. I imagine the town has strict design guidelines to preserve the charm of the area. We stayed here for the first night of our Big Sur vacation, and it was beautiful. When we arrived, we were greeted by a gentleman who escorted us to our room. He appeared to be handling everything himself that evening, yet every interaction was warm and welcoming. His hospitality made us feel genuinely cared for throughout our stay. Our room didn't have a microwave, which honestly suited the elegant aesthetic of the room. However, at night we needed to warm our 17-year-old Yorkie daughter's heating pad for about 30 seconds before bedtime, since she's a senior and warming her tummy helps her sleep comfortably. He happily heated it for us each night. We also needed to keep her food frozen, but the room refrigerator didn't have a freezer compartment. When we asked, he kindly offered to store it in their large commercial freezer in the kitchen. Because this is not a large, impersonal hotel, the warmth and personal touches made our stay especially comfortable and memorable. The service was so attentive that it felt less like staying at a hotel and more like being welcomed into a friend's home. In the evenings, guests were treated to complimentary slices of cake in the lobby along with a glass of wine. Our room had a lovely private terrace, and at night, when we opened the window, we could hear the rhythmic sound of the waves crashing as if the ocean were right next to us. It felt almost magical, and we fell asleep with the window slightly open, listening to the surf. The bed was very comfortable, and the TV was great--it had everything we needed. I especially appreciated the Japanese-made air conditioner, which made it easy to adjust the room to the perfect temperature. I was also impressed by the beautiful Waterworks shower in the bathroom--it was exquisite. Every corner of the hotel reflected impeccable taste and thoughtful attention to detail. Another thing that stood out to me was the scent of the hotel. When I first walked into the lobby, I noticed a beautiful fragrance that I believe came from L.A. Lab candles. It instantly created a luxurious atmosphere, and that same refined sense of style extended to the soaps and bathroom amenities as well. Honestly, we wished we could have stayed longer. On our second night we stayed at Alila Ventana, but next time we visit Big Sur, we'll spend both nights at Villa Mara instead. Finally, I accidentally left my white Japanese hair dryer in the room. When I called the next day, a staff member who hadn't been there during our stay immediately knew what I was talking about and kindly offered to ship it back to me. Less than a week later, it arrived safely at my home- thank you!

Villa Mara is pure California luxury, and easily one of the nicest boutique hotels I've ever stayed…read moreat. Opened in 2022, it feels brand new yet already timeless, with design that's both elegant and warm. The rooms? Incredible. Heated bathroom floors (yes, heated floors), a complimentary snack bar and fridge stocked with goodies, a sleek Dyson hairdryer, and even a fancy bidet -- every detail has been thought through. Our patio looked out toward the ocean, and at night you could hear the waves. But the real star of the show is breakfast. The coffee is excellent, the quiches are light and flavorful, and the almond croissants... wow. Hands down the best croissants I've ever had. I would come back just for those. Service was top-notch from start to finish. The staff made us feel so welcome -- kind, attentive, and genuinely happy to help. Add in the location (just steps from the beach), and this place checks every single box. If you're looking for a Carmel getaway that blends luxury with charm, Villa Mara is it.

Husband is a huge Doris Day fan. We visited Carmel and the Cypress and Terry's was on his bucket…read morelist. We did not stay here as we are beach bum boys. The architecture is beautiful and well maintained. We sat in the living room, just inside the hotel while we waited for Terry's to open. Room was amazing. At the back is a huge fireplace. A piano off to the side. Doris movie posters throughout. It is on the list for at least a night or two just to say we stayed here.

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.

Loved hotel hopping in this area! Horizon was one of the spots we checked into first. Cute b&b vibe…read moreclose to the ocean. Cons: -No a/c (fans only and more by request) Pros: -Fireplace (would love to stay in cooler weather to use this) -Daily wine cracker cheese -Daily complimentary breakfast (so good!) -Private patio -Friendly staff -Late check out 12pm -Close to shops and restaurants -Easy parking in lot and on street Pros definitely outweighed the con list, so that says a lot!

Very cute and CLEAN rooms. Look at that tile, it's hella clean. Loved that the parking is right by…read morethe room for easy transport. LOTS of storage. Look at all the cabinets. There's a basic tv we won't use, a kitchenette with fridge, microwave, complimentary coffee with sugar and creamer, toaster, Keurig machine, ice and water machine in the outdoor lounge. Also in lounge is a hot tub open until 930pm. There extra storage in the bathroom - see picture. And the bathroom is CLEAN. CLEANER than most high end or chain hotels. $340 was price a night for king bed sized room. Came weekend AFTER July 4th so price might be cheaper than normal

Room interiors are nice…read more Easy parking Breakfast quiche is really good. Overall bf worked well. Everyone at the desks was nice Convenient location Massive downside is that our room was 80F even with the windows open and both fans blasting when it was much colder outside Probably a solid choice if you come a colder time Some other inns (eg vagabond) are more quaint Overall just feels ridiculous to spend $500 for a night when it's unbearably hot inside

Excellent everything!!! I have not stayed in a hotel with the service they gave. I felt like I…read moreWas in a luxury hotel. When we got in, It was about time for the wine social. They had offered us wine (red or white) and a whole variety of snacks that one Can find on a charcuterie board. They also have a coffee machine where they can make you a personal cup of coffee. Shayla had checked us in and showed us to our room and explained how things worked inside the room and where things were placed. We had booked the deluxe guest room. The room had a fireplace and a 2 person tub. The bed had fine Italian linens with down feather topper and pillows. I slept so well from the comfiness of the bed. They also included 2 beautiful robes and slippers. Parking was a bit snug, but there were 2 spaces that fit much larger cars. You can also park on the street as well. Location was excellent as we were just a few blocks from ocean Ave where all The shops were. The breakfast was amazing which included freshly baked quiches, muffins, croissants, granola and yogurt and more. They will bring the breakfast into your room every morning with your choice of time. They will also include two flasks where you can refill water in the station outside. I highly recommend coming here and will definitely visit again.

My wife and I spent four days here, and were delighted. As with other properties in the Relais &…read moreChateaux Group where we have stayed, service, standards, and care here are exemplary. They are also not "cookie cutter" in the same sense as, perhaps, Four Seasons or Ritz Carltons may be. L'Auberge is very European in its presentation, and the rooms intentionally reflect old world quaint rather than contemporary efficiency - which is to be expected given the history of the property itself. Service - excellent, personal, warm. Other guests - in our anecdotal, friendly, warm, and down to earth. We enjoyed after-dinner drinks with folks down at the small bar off the lobby one evening and had a delightful time. They have a car service (as well as mandatory valet) which made getting around to dinner and such quite easy. And, as I've reviewed elsewhere, the restaurant on first floor is the 2 Michelin star Aubergine, which is recommended if you want a fine dining experience during your stay. For special occasions (like our anniversary and my wife's birthday), consider L'Auberge in your possible options.

My husband and I stayed here for our 9th wedding anniversary a few days ago. I have to agree with…read morethe person on here who reviewed them low due to their zero amenities, outdated / needing to be updated, yet the staff was attentive and kind. The experience was also disturbed by how unwilling, and unhelpful the receptionist / front desk woman was when we attempted to check in (she was an older Hispanic, heavy set woman). We explained that we were also dining at their restaurant, Aubergine (on premises) and we were hoping to be let into our room only one hour before check-in (3pm vs. 4pm), so that we could prepare ourselves properly for our 2-Michelin Star meal there at 5pm. Mind you, we also requested this when our reservation was made directly through their website (2 months in advance) + we were some of the only dinner guests at their restaurant that were spending the night. This receptionist was unbelievably rude I had to remind her that I was the guest! Later, they were able to get us in. I didn't understand why she could not be professional given their claim to service and luxury, sadly we experienced neither from her. Literally everyone else, which happened to be male, was extremely kind, attentive and helpful! ***For the price per night, the quality versus luxury ratio was not there for us.*** And with the rude, unprofessional behavior that almost guarantees no return. Hopefully they can get better staff and upgrades underway. It would be a shame to keep "letting it go" as it seems that they are doing now.

My boyfriend and I stayed here for our anniversary and we had a nice time! The freshly baked…read morecookies were amazingggg and they change up the flavors which is fun. The people working the front desk were lovely and gave nice recommendations. The premium room itself was also nice, clean and spacious. The jacuzzi was clean and worked great. They turn on the fireplace outside in the evening and it's a nice way to end the night. Overall a great spot to stay at :)

Soft baked cookies and Mandarin oranges for the win here at the front desk with tea and coffee!…read more Signature, customized mugs in the room and ambiance of relaxing music was nice when entering the room. Double beds for the win. I like how they have makeup remover wipes. Walkable to downtown Carmel by the sea and beach!

We stayed at Carmel Country Inn from Friday to Sunday for a girls' trip, hoping for a relaxing and…read morerestful weekend. Unfortunately, our stay was quite disappointing. We booked one of the double rooms with a fireplace. While the room itself was fine, the walls and ceilings are extremely thin. From around 9pm to 1:00 AM, we could clearly hear footsteps from the room above us, along with conversations. It didn't seem like the guests upstairs were being intentionally disruptive -- it felt more like an issue with how the property is built and the lack of sound insulation. We did call the front desk and asked if they could notify the guests upstairs. After that, they were more mindful of their steps, which we appreciated, but we could still hear them trying to whispering. We chose this property because we were looking for a peaceful place to rest, reset, and enjoy quiet evenings. Unfortunately, that was not our experience. For the amount we paid for a weekend stay, we expected much better soundproofing and overall comfort. Sadly, we won't be returning or recommending this property to our family or friends.

The most DARLING bed & breakfast…read more I loved the tea, coffee, and variety of delicious homemade cookies in the lobby when you check in. The homemade breakfast is amazing - warm mini-quiches, yummy pastries, yogurt & berries. Don't go crazy on the cookies and pastries here though- I did and experienced the horrible sugar crashes everyday, sob. The rooms are adorable, clean, and updated - with the most cozy beds too. The staff members are also the sweetest. Sandy is wonderful and make sure to say hi to Butters too, her adorable pup. Walkable to downtown Carmel & easy parking.

Such a lovely hotel with friendly staff! Highly recommend and would stay here again…read more The location is wonderful!

Fantastic management. Friendly, kind and helpful staff. Great location, walking distance to hey…read morerestaurants and locations.

mission ranch was on every single carmel-by-the-sea itinerary that i had come across, so i knew i…read morehad to visit at least once! we came around 4 PM for the early grazing/cocktail menu and were seated right away with a front view of the ranch. we mainly came bc we wanted to see the sheep grazing, but we were unfortunately seated behind a giant fireplace and weren't able to see any sheep during our meal... it was also cloudy we went, so the views weren't as nice as i had seen in pics with the sun, but that couldn't be helped ofc! moving onto the food, i'd say that it was overall good but nothing outstanding that would make me come back solely for the food. i think mission ranch is definitely best for the views! - crispy calamari: had a crispy batter, and the calamari was soft with a good chew! - bbq beef ribs: these were really tender and fell off the bone! the sauce was a good sweet & salty balance. - clam chowder: this was okay, but it was missing some depth and clam flavor personally. there were definitely better clam chowders elsewhere in monterey bay and carmel. - garlic bread: good and crispy, but it was just bread LOL it was yummy dipping it into the clam chowder tho! - orange sunrise: this cocktail was kinda expensive for how little alcohol was actually in the drink, and it tasted alright. nothing memorable i'd say. overall, mission ranch was a fun place to visit for the vibes! i think it's a good place to visit at least once during your carmel trip.

My colleague retired so we celebrated her with dinner at Mission Ranch Inn. It was my first time…read moreand the day was overcast but it was still beautiful and we saw the sheep! It was hustling and bustling and we had to wait about 30 minutes for a party of 7. We ordered the filet mignon, prime rib, bacon wrapped porch chop, fish of the day which was sea bass. For dessert not pictured was the crème burlee, bread pudding, and affogato. Some of us got the same meal. I had the prime rib median well and I wasn't expecting it be so big! It was tender and came with veggies and a baked potato. I was pleasantly surprised by how good the veggies were cooked. I'm not a huge fan of squash but I really enjoyed it. I had left overs because of how big the steak was. We also had a basket of garlic bread which was good. It wasn't the best garlic bread I've had but it was and they gave us a lot. I tried both the bread pudding and affogato which were delicious. All were made in house including the ice cream. Overall, it was a great experience as the ambiance was amazing. It was like three different sections: outside, inside, and closer to the bar area which got really packed. I want to return to experience the Sunday brunch.