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.

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

I'm a very well traveled and discerning traveler. This property is a 10/10. The service was truly…read moreabove and beyond. Very impressed!! The owner should be very proud of their dreams coming to life here. Great job hiring a truly world class team. Love the renovation. Phenomenal taste!!!

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!

Very well run hotel, all around. Very good view rooms. Excellent restaurants. Good service…read more The piano player, Scott Brown, is excellent! So talented, very wide repertoire from Frank Sinatra to Beatles to Billy Joel to Bruno Mars! And both great singing and piano playing! He performs for 4 1/2 hours on Saturdays, from 5:30pm until at least 10pm. Also fantastic location, walking distance to local restaurants, Fishermans Wharf, Aquarium, and Cannery Row.

This hotel stay was plain and simple, not a good one. It was my last night in California during my…read morePacific Coast road trip starting in San Diego and it was my least favorite hotel. I was torn about whether to stay in Carmel by the Sea or Monterey so when I did a google search for hotels and saw this one had great reviews I picked it. I was on day 9 of my trip, was exhausted and flying back to New York the next day so I really just wanted a quality, safe, clean, nice hotel to end my trip and that didn't happen. The hotel is massive, it gave me real old school, resort vibes. Enormous lobby with televisions, dark wood chairs, giant bar and restaurant but it was horribly outdated. I mean, green carpet, I felt like I was back in the 90's. I checked in they could not find my reservation. I had booked on hotel tonight and they asked me what kind of room I booked. I told them one with a view and a manager came out and told me they didn't have any ocean view rooms. It was 10:30 at night, at this point I didn't care I just wanted to go to sleep. Eventually, after waiting at the front desk for a half hour they were able to locate my reservation. In the meantime I had left my luggage with the bell hop. They told me they would bring my suitcase up for me. I asked the guy to take it out of my trunk because I had just had surgery and couldn't do any lifting. Remember that for later. They gave me directions to my room and I couldn't believe the path I had to take to get there. Elevator up to the fourth floor, then I had to walk down an extremely long hallway, down another hall to ANOTHER elevator. Then I was to take that elevator DOWN a floor to get to my room. It felt like a joke. It was so unbelievably inconvenient. Throughout my journey to my room I noticed all of the windows in the hallway were cracked open. I realized quickly this was to air out the moldy musky smell of the hotel that desperately needed renovating. The carpet was filthy. My hotel room was so bleh. So outdated, the bed was so high I had to jump out of it my feet didn't touch the ground and I'm 5'8. The furniture was old, the carpet, I wouldn't take my socks off. I set up the luggage rack right in the front of the room so that when the bellhop brought my luggage up he could rest it on there for me since I made it clear I couldn't lift. I saw two bugs when I pulled down the comforter and at that point I was done. I went down to the front desk and told them about the bugs and that I wanted a new room. They couldn't help me. Completely ignored my request so I called the booking agency to tell them what was going on. I went back up to my room and saw my luggage in my room, horizontal on the floor despite the luggage rack being open and set up, right, next to it. Cool. I had to call someone up just to lift my luggage onto the rack because again, couldn't lift, post-surgical, made that clear. Whatever. Long story short by this time it was 11:30 pm I just wanted to sleep so I did that and left first thing in the morning. This hotel has absolutely no business charging the rates that they do. None. I would not stay here again.

The hospitality service workers were excellent and kind from the start of our stay. My girlfriend…read moreand I got into the area from San Jose. Hours before our room was ready. Their was a valet service to take our bags and park our car safely. While we relaxed, went to eat and have fun at the Monterrey bay aquarium for a bit... There was glasses of wine and a charcuterie Board of cheese and crackers there for guests when we came back to check in officially. The cheese was great, wish they had pepper jack. But that's just me being greedy. The room itself was lovely, cozy. And quite when needed/wanted. Especially since it was can be loud with the doors to the balcony open. The balcony of our room faced the main street (cannery row) which is perfect for us. We love people watching. Especially with a fireplace lit next to us. That was heaven, when we wanted to go to sleep. It was dead silent once we closed the doors to the balcony. No sound whatsoever from the street. Great wall mounted TV that we didn't even use. Just was happy to relax in that bed. Those pillows were very soft. The biggest surprise was the complimentary chocolates they gave us when we checked out. Not only was it unexpected. But those chocolates were amazing, absolutely to die for.

An absolutely wonderful stay and experience at the Spindrift. I can honestly say that I have a list…read moreof 2 hotels from all my travel experiences, that's I'd return to on a regular basis because of the quality of the hotel and experience staying there. Spindrift is one of those places. Extremely clean and updated room with comfortable bedding and furniture. My husband frequently took naps on the window seating (often dozing off while people watching). The fireplace was a great feature in the evening with a glass of wine and charcuterie plate. Staff were attentive and friendly.

Nice seaside room with a patio. There used to be a walking trail and the beach is just beyond that .read more

My wife and I came for my birthday I would highly recommend! Great service, clean rooms.read more

I love a company offsite and this one was for the books! I was lucky enough to stay at the Inn at…read moreSpanish Bay for work and even more lucky to dine at The Lodge at Pebble Beach for our team dinner. Arrived around 6:30pm and was greeted by the kind staff, everyone was so kind. To start we had a mini reception in the library room with a beautiful view of the ocean. So lovely. We all went crazy for the mini beef wellington's and I personally went nuts for the hamachi appetizer. For dinner we had lots of yummy thing, but i loved their romaine lettuce salad and fish. so good! Lovely little team dinner at The lodge! Hopefully I get the chance to go back.

Beautiful views, tons of history. Shipping, dining and of course golf…read more Guest parking available.

This is an interesting hotel to say the least. Most of the rooms do not have access via elevator…read morenor is there a bellhop. If you have mobility issues I would not recommend this hotel without confirming you have one of the rooms with elevator access. You should also understand that you will need to walk your bags to your room up and down stairs to your room. There is a massive upside to this hotel. It is right next to the Monterey Plaza Hotel with costs at least $1,200 a night to stay at. This hotel is about $300 a night. While this hotel is not fancy, it is clean, comfortable, and has FREE PARKING. As long as you have no mobility issues or can guarantee an accessible room, this hotel is a great option for getting around Monterey and Cannery Row.

This review will be TODDLER focused (aged 2). If you are single/couple/no kids, this hotel will…read moresuit your needs as it is in a convenient location and a typical Holiday Inn Chain. Toddler Notes for the Hotel: [[ Pro's ]] 1.) The room we got on the 3rd floor corner was very spacious and had a ton of room. We were able to set up a pack and play and still had a generous amount of room left to walk around. 2.) Blackout shades and see-through shades for double coverage which keeps the room nice and dark at night. 3.) Location is great as it's super close to Cannery Row, lots of restaurants, and Monterey Bay Aquarium which was our ultimate destination. 4.) Parking Garage is free and decently sized and can fit a mid-size SUV with no issues. It will get tighter if you have a humongous full-SUV though (see pictures). [[ Con's ]] 1.) So Many STAIRS. Like legitimately, there are so many stairs. I took a ton of pictures to give you an idea. Stairs coming down from the elevator, stairs between floors, etc. This is not very young kid friendly when you have a stroller, a bunch of kid items, etc. I'm not sure I would stay here again due to the amount of stairs and inconvenience. 2.) Noise Level - If your kid is sensitive to noise, be prepared to have a ton of sound machines because you really could hear a ton of things. Cars, honking, other people's rooms, etc. 3.) Shower - It did seem a bit rusty in certain places and our shower wouldn't drain so there was a big puddle the whole time we were showering. The steam also set off the fire alarm like another person mentioned. Quick conclusion - I think it's an okay IHG hotel but not very good for families with young kids. Good for the location though.

An absolute gem in Carmel! The ambiance here is so fun with lively piano bar karaoke inside and…read moreabsolutely beautiful views of the sheep and ocean outside. Since it was cold outside, the staff thoughtfully offered us blankets--which was such a sweet, cozy touch. The food was also incredible. We overheard a waiter mention that they make everything in-house, which is very impressive and you can definitely taste the quality! To top it all off, we spoke with a local earlier in the day who told us all about the rich history of this place and its famous owner (Clint Eastwood). Knowing the background made the entire experience all the more beautiful, fun, and relaxing.

This has to be one of the most memorable, wonderful dining experiences I have ever had!!! and I…read morehave traveled to 20+ countries! We absolutely loved our dinner at Mission Ranch. Before dining, we got to print around the property and taking the beautiful views and architecture, admire the sheep, take some gorgeous photos, and we even got to see a proposal!!! The ambiance in the restaurant was something straight out of a Hallmark movie and all of the staff were so wonderful. The food was so amazing and it was so beautiful watching the sun go down at the window while we enjoyed our meal. You absolutely need to stop here for dinner or brunch when you visit Carmel!!!

We have not stayed at this hotel in about 7 years, so it's been a while. The elevator is very slow…read moreat times, but they do have stairs to take if you don't feel like waiting. Hotel staff were very friendly and professional. This time we had the oceanfront room with the sofa bed. Beautiful views, of course, from the balcony. The room was clean, however there is an ant problem in the bathroom. It was not too bad, but we still weren't thrilled to see an ant here and there crawling on our things in the bathroom. It is strange that they use cloth shower curtains, so every time you take a shower they get soaked. Some toiletries are provided, but not as many as they used to. They used to give lotion, shower caps, shower gel, etc. Now it's just bar of soap, shampoo and conditioner. The bathroom is nice, though, with double sinks. Sofa bed worked out great for our 8 year old. She said it was comfortable, and we were also comfortable in the king size bed, which had a firm mattress. It can get noisy in the room with the balcony door open due to the seals and seagulls, but closing the door blocks most of the sound. We kept it open in the day and shut it when we went to bed. Breakfast - well, I guess you can't really complain too much when it's complimentary with the room, but it's really nothing to write home about. Hard boiled eggs, fruit plate, yogurt, and some muffins. Me, being a diabetic, I couldn't really eat any of it, except the eggs. Our daughter enjoyed it, though she is pretty easygoing. We had been hoping to save some money by eating breakfast at the hotel but we ended up eating breakfast out every day we were there. Be prepared to do A LOT of walking because this hotel is at the very end of Cannery Row -- although it's great exercise, and gave us a chance to work off all the calories from our meals. lol. The room was nice, we'd probably stay there again. One thing we were disappointed about was the hotel used to offer a discount if you bought aquarium tickets through them. They no longer do that. They also used to offer free bottled water in the room, which they also no longer do.

We really enjoyed our stay and would definitely come back!…read moreThe staff was incredibly friendly and accommodating. When we decided to extend our stay by an extra night, our harbor-view room wasn't available for the additional night, but they went out of their way to make it work so we didn't have to switch rooms. We really appreciated that! Parking was also very reasonably priced at $25, especially compared to other hotels in the area. The room itself was spacious, the bed was very comfortable (firm, just how we like it), and the harbor view was absolutely perfect. We were a little concerned after reading reviews about the sea lions being noisy, but we actually loved hearing them from the balcony! Once the balcony door was closed, we couldn't hear them at all, and they never disturbed our sleep. One of our favorite perks was the complimentary binoculars available to guests--they were a fun touch for watching the harbor. And don't miss the sunrise from the fourth-floor rooftop terrace--it's absolutely beautiful! There were just a few minor things that could be improved. The hotel only has one elevator, and it can be quite slow during busy times. We also wish the freshly baked cookies were available throughout the day. They were put out around 3:00 p.m., but they disappeared almost immediately because they were so popular. When we arrived, our room temperature was around 78°F. We called the front desk to ask about the A/C and were told someone would come up. Security arrived and explained that the hotel doesn't have air conditioning, so the options are to use the fan or open the balcony door. It would have been helpful if the front desk had shared that information when we called. We left the screened balcony door open while we were out the next day, and the room cooled down nicely. The only other thing we wished the room had was a microwave. Overall, these were very minor issues compared to everything we loved about our stay. The location, views, comfortable rooms, and outstanding customer service made for a wonderful experience.