The rooms were ok, good bed and spacious room. They could use nicer towels!! The breakfast was very disappointing!! Dry breads, no hot food, fruit. No amenities for my pet. They could put way more effort in for a more pleasant stay!! read more

I really loved my stay here. It was so cute and cozy and the location couldn't be better. We stayed in the smallest room, the katydid, and it did get a bit hot in there because the room faces the sun but we would just leave the windows open for a few hours before going to bed. It offers breakfast in the morning which was nice, but our favorite thing was spending the evenings next to the fire place every night. I will definitely be returning! read more

We stayed here for 3 days and we rented 2 rooms, the Tree Top and Dolphin.. Rooms were fine but was surprised by the lack of airconditioning.. My first time to see hotels/cottages without aircon regardless of its location.. Good thing the breeze became cooler towards sunset but afternoon was really dry, and can't even breathe at the hot air rooms even if they gave us fans.. Rooms were tiny, rustic and old fashion.. The per night was ok but with the complimentary breakfast, it wasn't worth compared to other cottages we've been to .. Bread, coffee , bagels, cream cheese, jam, cereals, egg and yoghurt, bananas and apples.. They open at 8-10am .. Cereals are 1/4 full, very limited eggs and breads like they restrict stocks for their guests who pay big .. Wondering why they leave the store pantry open until early evening but they gather all left over food at 10am and bring it back to their kitchen instead of just letting guests finish them for the day.. For me, it is very non-hygienic and unsafe considering food travels from one area to another making people believe that breads and jam left overs are being re-served (again) the following day.. That practice I know is not what other hotels and inns do.. Hope they look into that and change it ... Front Desk : 3 different women , they're all friendly and approachable Staff / Housekeepers : Only Margarita was kind of friendly and the rest frown their faces everytime, they are not pleased to see guests like they hate their jobs.. Parking : Small space. First come first served but there's always available spots at the front ... Lounge with fire pits : Great standy for families and friends.. Cool breeze and relaxing atmosphere.. Location : heart of the city, very close to the beach which is walking distance and several shops and restaurants.. Area is quiet and very safe.. I highly recommend this cottage/bed and breakfast despite some hiccups.. read more

Charming, rustic cottages. A very inviting, meandering layout. Very friendly staff. Comfortable beds and just a few blocks to gorgeous Carmel beach. read more

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Will 100% stay here again! This is our 5th or 6th visit to Carmel, but first time staying at Lamp Lighter Inn. This is our favorite lodging thus far. We stayed in the Blue Bird Cottage (two adults, one 9 year old + a dog). Here are the things to know. PROS: - Location: You are less than 5 minute walk to the ocean, 2 minutes from restaurants - Plenty of parking in their private lot (in front on Ocean and in back) - Very pretty, modern/European vibe to the property - Free light breakfast (oatmeal, pastries, coffee, juice) - FRIENDLY staff - Clean rooms - Blue Bird Cottage feels bigger due to the higher ceilings - Ice + filtered water available all day/night - Great cleaning staff - Small fridge - In the Blue Bird Cottage, the upstairs twin bedroom does not open up to the downstairs other than the stairwell, which is tucked away (i.e. upstairs is very private). THINGS TO CONSIDER: - The Blue Bird Cottage faces Ocean Ave and because it is so adorable, people stop to look/take pictures. You can hear them walking by. They cannot see through the windows, but can if you have the door open. Did not bother us. - Because Blue Bird Cottage faces Ocean Ave, you can hear every car all night/early morning. We brought a fan for white noise and the cars did not bother us. - Blue Bird cottage has a modern, very bright bathroom, but the ceiling is low. 6' feet and taller would have to duck in the shower. - Wish the Blue Bird cottage had a dresser downstairs; there is one upstairs for the 2 twin beds. - The bed was very uncomfortable, this was my only CON. The mattress is not a pillow top. It is firm and coiled. When someone moves, the entire bed shakes. Recommendation to Lamp Lighter: PLEASE upgrade your mattresses to something plush and higher-end. Otherwise, this place is an A+. read more

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How sad and travelers be aware! My husband and I were finally going to use the gift certificate our daughter gave us for Christmas a number of years ago. Our first conversation with the front desk we were hassled about the gift certificate. Then to make matters worse the cottage room we were to stay in not only smelled of mildew, but had what we think were termites flying and crawling all about. We could overlook the extremely well used furniture, but the reoccurring bugs on the bed and those crawling everywhere brought us to our decision to leave. I brought tissues full of the bugs to the front desk to show them and was told, "This has never happened before." That's the only response we got. Hmmm.... They reimbursed us for one night, but will "eat" the $300 gift certificate. Oh well, who wants to lie awake at night swatting bugs!! Thoroughly disgusting! read more

My advise is to STOP allowing pets in the rooms. We stayed there about a year ago and when we come back to our preferred, clean lodging that does not allow dogs - I still smell that horrible Hansel and Gretel room. They keep a bottle of pet odor eliminator in the closet. The carpet is grotesque.... likely urine, poop, vomit over the years. PLEASE : reupholster and redo rooms and then DO NOT allow dogs! best to not try to please everyone.... So much potential..... read more

Lamp Lighter Inn has always been my favorite place to stay in Carmel. I have been visiting since 2011 and have stayed many times. Unfortunately, my recent visit at the beginning of August 2024, has left me disappointed. The inn still has one of the cutest and picturesque exteriors in Carmel by the Sea. Other than that, not much draws an appeal over other places to stay in Carmel. Their pricing is comparable and even more expensive than other hotels/inn around the Carmel-by-the-Sea area. So to see them start cheapening out on enjoyable experiences, is sad. 1. They stopped doing the cheese and wine social hour. This is a standard and tradition among Carmel hotels that guests LOVE. Almost all of tother inn/hotel in Carmel provides some sort of evening wine social/happy hour. This was always provided and has since been stopped. I can only assume stopping this is to save money but it is definitely one of the unique, fun, and cute appeals Carmel hotels provide. 2. The breakfast leaves much to be desired. The breakfast consisted of: Instant Quaker oatmeal, basic yogurt, apple/bananas, and a few bread/danish items that did not look fresh and local. The worst offender, the only creamer option for coffee, was coffee mate. There was no half and half or other milk options. This is very disappointing as most people have moved away from unhealthy/chemical loaded choices. Other hotels I have stayed at, put a lot more effort into the breakfast. Offering champagne, local/fresh danishes and bread, fresh juice, arrangement of fruits, homemade items, and even warm breakfast items. We opted to skip both coffee and any breakfast item here, and buy it at a local coffee shop. 3. The rooms are incredibly noisy. I have stayed in 5 different rooms and all can expect to have noise. The stand alone cottages offer less noise, mainly just street/pedestrian noise. If you stay in one of the rooms that attaches, expect to hear every single noise from your adjoining neighbor. 4. Another odd noise issue, around 9/930 at night, in the housekeeping area, dishes were being unloaded. Dishes were clanking and making loud noises at this hour, seems very odd. If only "breakfast" is provided, why are the dishes and kitchen items being taken care off, later at night? Breakfast ended at 10 am...doesn't seem like the most appropriate time. 5. We had a dog, paid the dog fee, but had to ask for the included "amenities". Which is basically a blanket. Again, this hotel is very cute and everyone stops to admire it as they walk by. The Carmel-by-the-Sea experience has been stripped from the stay now days. Very disappointing to see, as this was a great place to stay. When so many other places offer so much more, I would say, I wouldn't choose to stay here again. read more

Very cute. Excellent location. Great service and friendly staff. Close proximate to the beach makes it that much better. read more

Lamp Lighter Inn - Bed & Breakfast Near Me - Carmel, California

The inn is such a charming place. The only complaint is our space heater didn't work so it was a very cold stay. However, I'm writing a follow up to my previous review because Mauricio was so kind to call and apologize for the inconvenience. I really appreciated the call. You truly can't beat the location and the courtyard is so lovely with the fire pits and comfy seating. This is a cute place if you want to walk to the beach, restaurants and shopping which is all there is to love about Carmel-by-the-Sea read more

The room was clean, staff was incredibly nice, people next door in room 112 sounded like they were moving furniture from 2am until 430 am on Saturday night. My dog was terrified. Needless to sleep was not to be had by me. The dogs we saw were all sizes and well behaved such a wonderful vacation. Thank you for such a nice place. I lost the key to the room I am sorry. read more

Excellent location, very clean rooms, friendly staff. We were on a girls trip and had 6 rooms. It's such a quaint adorable place that all day long people passing by on the sidewalk were taking pictures with their phones. read more

My dog, Kua, after reading all these reviews, asked that I submit his, as he noted the only thing missing was a dog's perspective: I get so happy when I hear I'm going back to Lamplighter Inn in Carmel! My mom has brought me here at least once a year in the past few years, and it's always my favorite vacation! The drive from the Bay Area is short, and there are lots of things to see from the window, as well as so many, many smells! Arriving here is so nice, the girls who work reception always have a smile, a pat, and a cookie for me. They always say I'm a very good boy. All the people here are so nice, everyone says hi, everyone is welcoming to my family AND me! Even the kitty who lives here is friendly to me, so long as I let them come to me, and don't get too excited with my sniffs. We usually stay in the Concourse Suite, (we also like the Porpoise Room) which is spacious for me and has a nice King bed, and a private outdoor little yard and deck, which is great for my potty needs late night! It also has a jetted tub my mom just LOVES. I prefer the outdoor shower, with hot water, a flexible hand-attachment, and free use of doggy towels, after we romp on the beach. The beach, btw, is SUPER close by, just a couple blocks down the hill, I LOVE that this hotel is the closest to the beach in all the town! It's also a short walkie from all the best restaurants; we don't use the car at all when we're here, I get all the walkies! My parents always enjoy the continental breakfast (included!), and occasionally dip into the (FREE!) in-room Adult Beverage. In the evenings, I get to Sit by the fireplaces in the courtyard, and enjoy a little cheese as my parents drink (free!) wine, and indulge in the wine and cheese hour with other guests. Sometimes I get to sniff other doggos, and it's always nice making new friends. This is a DOG FRIENDLY HOTEL - my favorite one ever. read more

I was expecting a lot more for the price. Definitely not worth the money, even though it's Carmel. Kind of deceiving pictures on website. read more

Lamp Lighter Inn - Our cottage on the main thoroughfare, pretty noisy in the morning. - Bed & Breakfast Near Me - Carmel, California

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One of the worst hotels I've ever stayed in, felt like I was about to be on an episode of Gordon Ramsay's Hotel Hell. If you make a reservation online you will end up paying 150$ more when you get here. I don't recommend anyone staying here. read more

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A few things annoyed me about this place. We got a room that had a king bed and a twin. We have a 4 year old and a 6 year old and the 4 year old slept in bed with us. They charged an extra $30/night for an "extra person". I left my charger and we called the next day to see if they could mail it to us. They said "Sure, we'll look among the 500 chargers that were left behind". We never heard back. How about just look in the specific room and the specific outlet that we mentioned that was found in the last 24 hours? We saw a bit of the same attitude while there. I expect much more when paying over $350/night. The location is really good. In our room we had a strong smell of cigarette smoke at various times. I'm not sure if maybe the room below us allowed smoking or someone was smoking illegally. The water pressure in the shower was pretty weak. It's great that it's dog friendly (reason we chose it) and a short walk to the beach (but pulling the kids in a wagon uphill on the way back was a workout!). read more

This place thought of everything! They have all the usual amenities plus... A gas fire pit and free house wine in the evenings, a lovely breakfast, a dog shower with warm water, pet tags with the hotel's info (so that people knew what hotel to return our pet to, in case she got lost), a mini fridge, an affordable selection of drinks and snacks in the room ($1 a piece - not the usual markup!), replenished firewood every day... We stayed in the Sea Otter room and adored it. A comfy king bed, a sitting area, a fireplace and plenty of storage space to spread out. Even a little ocean view. The staff were amazing. They made us feel right at home and offered up everything they could think of to make us comfortable, from dinner recommendations to a refill on wine. Next time we visit Carmel, I won't even bother looking at other hotels. It'll be the Lamp Lighter Inn every time. read more

Lamp Lighter Inn - My dog loved this place SO much that she refused to leave this morning. My husband and I felt the same way. - Bed & Breakfast Near Me - Carmel, California

Very clean room. We stayed in the Otter room which was bright and you could see the ocean from our room. Staff is super friendly and attentive and made sure we had a great stay. They offer beach chairs and towels if needed. Lovely outdoor fire pits to eat in the patio or hang out . read more

We came here on a last minute trip from the city, and managed to book a night in one of the suites. It was wonderful! The staff are so nice, the rooms and facilities super cute and cozy. After hanging out at the communal happy hour and going out for a nice dinner in town, we got home, shared a complementary bottle of wine, and made a nice fire in the fireplace in our room. Truly wonderful experience! read more

Lamp Lighter Inn - Bed & Breakfast Near Me - Carmel, California

This place is by far the worst customer service I ever seen in my life in all the countries I visited...!!! The lady at the front desk yelled at us and mocked us just because we asked her if we need to ware the mask...!!! She simply could have said yes, why the yelling and insult I have no idea...!!! Once we saw how rude these ppl are to their gusts we called Expedia right away and requested to cancel the reservation...!!! We end up staying at the Intercontinental Hotel in Monterey and they treated us like royalty. I don't recommend this place at all unless you like to be yelled at and insulted. read more

MELISSA!! A great host. I think I'm in love. A great spot to spend your week in Carmel, been to many hotels but this is definitely my favorite. Thanks for the chocolates Melissa! read more

I loved this place! Rooms were quaint, we had a fireplace, many places to hang around fires in the courtyard area. It's just downhill from town on Ocean Ave. where shopping, eating, drinking and people watching are all fabulous. If I get the chance, I'm coming back and staying here again. read more

I knew I had to stay at the lamp lighter inn as soon as I passed by on the way to Carmel beach! Literally just steps away and our room had an ocean view & fireplace. The cutest fireplace / seating areas make for a luxurious experience. Looking around through downtown shops and other inns I realized it was definitely the best one around. People are friendly and welcoming, plus I love that they are pet friendly. Dogs just make life better. read more

Lamp Lighter Inn - Bed & Breakfast Near Me - Carmel, California

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After many years of wanting to stay here I finally was able to. I rented the Hansel and Gretel cottage. Service was great, the outside of the building was cute and well kept up, they had little tables and chairs and fire pits in the common areas which was very nice. But I was very disappointed on the inside. The carpet was torn in a few different areas, the table top had been disfigured by damage. The older couch had a cover thrown over it rather than reupholstering or replacing. Paying over $500 a night I certainly expected this place to be kept up a lot better than it was on the inside. And the wear and tear on this was not just due to slow business over the past year because of Covid. This was years of neglect. read more

We recently stayed here. Pros great location, nice size room and clean. Cons: bathroom is micro size! Definitely can't have two get ready in bathroom at once. The outside sitting areas are really cute but when people are sitting you can here everything they say in your room they are in close proximity. One of the days staff had a 45 min meeting we heard every word they said we were actually trying to nap that didn't happen! I finally got sick of hearing them and went down to say it wasn't professional and it's not what I want to hear on my vacation. The gentleman apologized and said they would get up now! The one lady seemed irritated and a bit condescending towards me. She commented more then once this was a area where guest met and enjoyed. I should expect to hear things. Like I can't see that for myself! The next day guest had a get together in the same area we heard it all. Sometimes you just want to rest on vacation and nap! Not your place to stay if you want to have quiet and rest. The WORST IS THE MATTRESS! It's soft with no structure you roll into the middle feels like mush. My husband almost slept on the floor it was so bad. I totally get everyone has different mattress types but this was just awful! A mattress with more firmness and structure would be better. We both were not rested once we woke up and lack of structure your whole body ached. The cleaning staff was super nice and friendly! Check inn staff not so much. Parking is very limited. We would of checked out after the first night but I knew they would give us our money back. It's way to pricey for what we experienced I expected better. At $375.00 a night we way over paid! Such a disappointment since this is our first getaway it a very long time. So disappointed! I think check in staff should be a bit more professional, chipped nail polish and leggings aren't professional. read more

This spot is so cute! They have parking in the front and the back so it was reassuring to have parking THats SUPER close to downtown Carmel and the beach! The rooms were small but cute! The office manager gave us a huge fan because the weather was so hot (thank god). Honestly they have an outdoor area that you can sit and relax.. the bed was pretty big and the water pressure was actually strong. Honestly I enjoyed my stay!! So clean and convenient. It's small but honestly, I'm not mad at it. read more

What a wonderful experience at the Lamp Lighter Inn. 4 stars for the room but 5+ stars for the service!! The Lamp Lighter Inn is located in the perfect place. A couple blocks from the main area of Carmel and a couple blocks from the beach. If we were any further up Ocean it would have been too loud. It was nice not having a million people passing by our cottage on their way to dinner, or coffee, or shopping. We stayed in the Bluebird Cottage which is right on the main strip. It's an adorable two story cottage with a king bed on the main floor and two twins up in loft area. It's "shabby chic"...they have done some upgrading without losing the original charm. They nicely upgraded the bathroom with marble tile, but the shower was still a little eekkk. The have painted over the pink tiles with white, but it's cracking and peeling in some places so you can see the pink coming through. Also, I couldn't open the shower door when I was in. Thankfully my husband was right there to open it for me, but I'm envisioning a poor couple getting "cozy" in the shower and getting stuck in there...could make for a good story. Also, being on the main strip, we had at least 3 people off the street just try to walk in. I don't know if they thought it was a store or the main office or what, but they would open the door, see us lying on the bed or standing around and say, "I'm so sorry!" and run out. Kind of funny...but make sure you lock the door! But what really makes the Lamp Lighter 5 stars is the staff. We went to the office on Saturday night asking for tape to hang a sign for our daughter's 5th birthday which was Sunday. They asked who's birthday it was and how old she was and what her name was. We thought nothing of it until the next morning..... They hand delivered a BEAUTIFUL cake that said, Happy Birthday Ella and a card signed by everyone at The Lamp Lighter! Seriously, how awesome is that?! Adorable, and we will be coming back just the hubby and I to celebrate our anniversary. read more

Lamp Lighter Inn - Ella's cake and signed card from the staff! So Sweet!! - Bed & Breakfast Near Me - Carmel, California

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We loved the Lamp Lighter Inn. Close to all restaurants, shops and the beach. The Hansel and Gretel cottage was cute, clean and comfy. I would recommend this cottage with one suggestion. Bring your sleep mask. The establishment has tried to keep the light out for sleeping but the large, upper window in the bedroom is impossible to block all light. I am sensitive to light so probably more important to me. Also, Hansel and Gretel is on Ocean Street, the main drag so can be noisy during the day. read more

I am very disappoint with the service of this place. I was super excited to spend my anniversary here because I heard great things about it from my friends who stayed there multiple times. Even prior to checking in after we booked a reservation for the weekend over the phone, we were welcomed with the worst service ever. We were walking in and didn't notice where the office was, of coarse because there was no obvious sign, so we saw a door open with the lights on so we approached it and all of a sudden a screaming loud voices comes from across the garden. I was shocked because it sounded like a ghetto low class person which I would never expect Carmel to have. We backed away from the open door as if we were going to get shot and ran towards the screaming voice, which ended up being the receptionist. From the shock my husband put a foot into the door and then remembered he wasn't wearing his mask so he stepped back, apologized and pulled out his mask while asking confirming with the loud "lady" that he has to wear his mask. What was her response? "There are signs" as if we are illiterate who couldn't read. She didn't allow us to talk yet, so I told my husband that I no longer want to stay here, so of coarse the loud "lady" yelled out that" anyways I don't have anything". Well guess what miss rude , we already had a reservation and I would not be honored to spend one minute in a hotel that employs such low class disrespectful Levels of the community. I am very disappointed from this service. From this hotel and I'm not sure If management is aware of such unacceptable behavior or not, but nevertheless I will make sure none of my friends will ever come back here again. read more

Super cute spot and my kids loved the upstairs loft of our cottage. The big windows and outdoor seating were a nice touch and despite covid it still felt like a great experience. And I'm picky about hotel bathrooms and these were so well kept. read more

We were only set to stay 1 night but that quickly turned into 2 and then 3! They had availability so they upgraded our room on arrival to the Sea Otter which was adorable and had great views! We loved the wood burning fireplace! They no longer deliver breakfasts in baskets as other posters mentioned but the breakfast is set out early every morning to enjoy on the patio around a fire pit and there's a wine and cheese hour every afternoon. Drinks and snacks are available in your room with an honor system asked for $1 and there's also a decanter full of brandy to sip. The courtyard is adorable with 3 separate seating areas featuring Italian light and fire pits. We loved it so much! This is the perfect place to stay in Carmel, right between the beach and the shops and restaurants in town. read more

Lamp Lighter Inn - Sea Otter at Lamp Lighter Inn - Bed & Breakfast Near Me - Carmel, California

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Great location. We stayed in the Treetop room which was efficient in its compactness. Loved the tiny kitchen area with coffee maker, microwave, and fridge. The robes and wine glasses made it feel very welcoming. Comfortable bed, plenty of drawer space, and they don't skip on the hangers. We even had a lovely balcony. The only drawback that they really can't control is the size of the bathroom so just be aware. read more

We were taking some pictures on Carmel beach and stopped by this beautiful fire pit with a really nice ambiance and sat down for 30 minutes. We thought it was a public area, turns out to be a hotel. Melissa, the hostess was really kind to and even offered us chocolate. I will definitely be back here whenever I am in town. read more

Melissa is great front desk manager. She's kind and cute we'll definitely be back. Thank you !

This is a nice, cute, quiet relaxing place to stay for a few days just to unwind. This is an average priced place to stay that has a few good amnesties, like happy hour with wine and cheese by an outdoor fireplace. They also allow dogs no matter what size. The staff is very friendly and attentive to your needs. Keep in mind that these are cottages so the rooms are small and the bathrooms are tight but still very nice. It is also definitely close to the gorgeous beach. read more

What a wonderful experience at the Lamp Lighter Inn. 5+ stars for the service and amenities. The staff there was exceptionally kind and helpful. We were there for two days and stayed in the Early Bird room with two double beds. We LOVED the breakfast baskets with hard boiled eggs, OJ, and muffins delivered on time to our room. Even better... the wine and cheese happy hour time on weekends. Great cheese, crackers, and nuts to snack on before dinner. Our favorite part of the whole place (other than the friendly and accommodating staff) - the Lamp Lighter cat mascot, Shadow. Shadow lives on the property and was adorable. We let her hang out in our room with us when we were not exploring around Carmel. We miss her already. The only down side - I don't believe we had AC in our room. We didn't need it thanks to a trip in March... but think it may have been hot if we planned our visit later in the year. They did have fans in the room. read more

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This is my favorite place to stay in Carmel. We have been coming here for quite a few years and absolutely love it,the rooms are so cozy and nice and it's so central to the beach and the restaurants We have stayed in several different rooms and really love them all but our favorite I think is the dolphin and that's the one we usually stay in with our two dogs, it accommodates them perfectly. This last time we stayed in the dolphin the mattress had been changed it was so hard that I woke up the following day almost in tears....which is not like me at all ,my back my hips my shoulders, my neck,my husband had a really bad neck and backache. We had booked for two nights so we figured we would suffer through the second night somehow after dinner and some wine we figured it might be doable The following morning I mentioned it to the desk and they didn't seem to know for sure which rooms had the mattresses changed And really didn't seemed too concerned about my comments regarding the bed and let me know that maybe it was just me .. "everyone is different" We travel a lot and we stay at a lot of different places, different countries different hotels ,different towns and never experienced anything quite like this,we have been going to a chiropractor since we've been home. Makes me sad because I love this place, and not sure if I would put myself through that again I was t hesitant to post this because like I said I love this place but just make sure the bed works for you read more

We have been staying here for years and just completed another trip to Carmel and the Lamp Lighter Inn. We have always stayed in the Hansel and Greta cottage, whose door opens onto Ocean Avenue. We often leave the top half of the door open and laugh when people stick their heads inside. The quaintness of the LL draws them in and they are surprised to see that it is someone's room. The inn is located two blocks up from the beach and two blocks down from shopping. We simply parked our car on arrival and never felt the need to move it until it was time to go home. The property is nicely decorated. We saw countless people stop to take pictures as they walked by. The staff are typically very friendly and helpful. We only ran into one woman working nights who was not very personable. Heidi is always nice and the young lady who set up the breakfast was outstanding. She always went above and beyond. The happy hour could be longer (it really IS an hour) but the wine is very good. Our suite had a wood burning fireplace that we used each night. The wood was replenished each day. Our dog is always welcomed and treated very well. We enjoy hanging around the fire pit and we always meet nice people there. read more

This hotel surpassed my expectations and made for such a special stay in Carmel! I had bookmarked this inn as a place I wanted to stay for my birthday and my boyfriend "surprised" me by booking a room for a couple of nights. The pictures do not do this property justice! The room was so incredibly cozy, well decorated, and the bed!!!! The bed was heavenly...like I need that bed in my life! Not only is the property absolutely breathtaking and quaint, but they offer both breakfast and happy hour right outside on the patio, and there are plenty of spaces to sit and relax. I adore how dog friendly the City of Carmel is and although we did not bring our dog, it was nice to be in the company of other peoples' dogs while we were here! Such a lovely stay and really exceptional staff who were able to offer some awesome dinner suggestions. If the occasion arises where we get to come back, I wouldn't hesitate to make another reservation at this inn! read more

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I was really hoping to have a better review for the lamp lighter inn! :We booked the Hansel and Gretel Cottage 4 years ago (so maybe some stuff has changed !) to celebrate our anniversary. It was our first local getway with our toddler and we have enjoyed carmel in the past! We arrived on a Sat. for a two nights. PROS: + Only a 5-10 minute walk to the beach and cute shops and restaurants. Great location! Biggest + + Comfy bed! + Beautiful , clean, bathroom with great shower pressure and never ran out of hot water. + Lots of character! Adorable cottage and grounds! Easy parking. + Wine and cheese reception - check the start time it says 4pm on website but it was 5. I suggest they get more artisan cheeses like brie, goat cheese, etc. vs. standard prepackaged sliced ones they provided. This would add a classier touch to "wine and cheese." + Continental breakfast + check in. Very friendly, nice young, blonde woman who gave recommendations on restaurants and offered to make a reservation. Very nice to our toddler. The darker haired/manager or owner woman was nice (at first) and gave are our son a bear and book which was very sweet. + Most of the guests were all very friendly. + They left a bottle of wine in the room for our anniversary. + There's a decent sized table and chair to eat in your room in. CONS/ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT: - On our initial reservation attempt , a woman was very curt with my husband and hung up on him before he could secure a date. I had to call back to get a reservation. odd. - Hansel and Gretel cottage is is right on Ocean Ave. There is a bench nearly right outside the bedroom window on the street. Many people walk by smoking cigarettes or taking pictures of the room/peeking in if the shutters are open. Don't expect much privacy, and if you are at all sensitive to cigarette smoke and like fresh air then I would pick a different cottage not facing ocean avenue. I had a migraine most of the trip. This isn't the inn's fault but it is something to be aware of when choosing a cottage. - The decor in the bedroom is great, but the living room furniture felt old and dirty, and not in a good or shabby chic way. it is not the same, nice, furniture that is pictured on their website. Needs updating. - No window screens and no ac. We didn't get too many bugs but there were definitely some getting in. - No built-in fan in the bathroom or window. It's high ceilings and there is a window nearby in the hallway so it's not too bad but does get pretty hot and steamy. We moved one of the fans in the bathroom and just kept the door open as much as possible. - Bathroom could use thick cushy rug. - While the darker hair manager/owner(?) woman seemed friendly on arrival and was sweet to our son, she became increasingly less friendly. Our son threw up on Saturday night and when we asked if they had a laundry service. (they don't. another con. most hotels always offer this service and it's a good way for them to make extra money) we mentioned he got some throw up on the rug but that we cleaned it. At this point her demeanor changed a lot and she was very concerned about staining. Understandable but it really was very clean. I was just giving her a heads up. After that whenever we saw her she wasn't as friendly. My husband and I both picked up on this. When he asked for a beach towel it was given, but she pointed out the water shortage and that we already asked for "extra towels." during our check-in. Well we have three people (us and a toddler) and we were very good about reusing them, and it's not like we were constantly asking for towels or something.Plus, more are needed when you lack a thicker rug.. - No shutter or curtain on top window of the cottage (as seen on website) so tons of direct light comes in pm and a decent amount of indirect light in am. There is a beautiful view of the oak tree. They were great about putting up a sheet for us, but a shutter really needs to be put on as many people don't like so much light. They should put a shutter or curtain with a pole to open for those that need options. Just be aware if you are light sensitive or need it to be dark for a napping child to ask them to cover it if it hasn't been by your trip. - oldies music plays for most of the day/evening in the courtyard next to the cottage. we didn't ask them to turn it down but it wasn't very relaxing. :Maybe consider limiting it to the wine hour or maybe vary the music up with classical/enya. - When we checked out, no one asked if we had a nice stay or asked us to come back again. It was a very cold check out process with barely a smile and not even a have a nice day/trip. This is a nice, cute, place, but it is certainly not a 4-5 star experience as one would expect from a ~$400 a night room! I would have to explore other places to compare, and wouldn't necessarily rule out staying here in the future , as this may still be one of the best options for the location, but they can use some improvement. read more