We have been to Bernardus at least 5 times now, it never changes. The staff is awesome, the food is…read moreamazing, and the beauty is second to none. Starting with Michael in reservations, to the first impression with Miguel at the valet. The front desk is always smiling and welcoming, and is a fingertip away if needed. The management is wonderful, we will miss Alysse but wish her well on her new job. Wait staff is always amazing, Kerry and Henry (I am so sorry if I got this wrong) Housekeeping is so friendly, the turndown is the added touch to a wonderful stay. The rose garden is beautiful, and so peaceful. We will be back!

Service was great. Wine was phenomenal. We joined the wine club after our visit! Would highly…read morerecommend.

The reset our family needed. 10,000/10. We stayed at Carmel…read moreValley Ranch with our two young kids and grandparents, and it was exactly the reset and respite I needed. I'm a mom who works a lot, and being able to slow down, be fully present and make memories with my kids meant so much. My daughter is still talking about how much she loves the Ranch and how she can't wait to go back. The people made the trip. Simon with Bee-Lieve in Fairies, Bailey with beekeeping, and Salvador with Little Ranchers all deserve a huge thank-you. Both kids got to participate, explore and enjoy themselves. Cyrus, Nathalie and Isabelle in the Activities Department even put together an off-road experience for my truck-loving son, who is still too young for many activities. That thoughtfulness meant so much. The restaurant staff were amazing: getting the kids fed first, always friendly and always ready to help. The Biologique Recherche facial was the best I've ever had. And Kate at the spa front desk put together a little facial kit for my daughter, who had serious FOMO! Everything we needed was right on property, including kids' food, pouches and a kids' pool. It felt genuinely welcoming to children without feeling entirely centered around them, with plenty of places and experiences for adults to enjoy too. We could feel that the staff genuinely cared about making our time special and making our kids feel special, too. They seemed to enjoy creating those moments just as much as we enjoyed experiencing them. It never felt like they were simply doing their job; their warmth and enthusiasm were genuine. We came home with wonderful memories and a daughter already planning our return. 10,000/10. We will be back.

Not your typical hotel experience as the property is massive. Family pool and fitness center is not…read morewithin walking distance so expect to drive or take a shuttle. There are a few Tesla and ChargePoint chargers spread out. Tesla is free, while ChargePoint is $4.40/hr. Globalist benefit: Complimentary breakfast at Valley Kitchen, Market or in-suite dining ($50/pp, excluding service charge and delivery fee). They were quite generous with what was included. Initially, we reserved a St. Lucia room, but were upgraded to a 1-King suite, which is great when traveling with kids! Room itself was clean, but there are an excessive number of light switches throughout. Both the bed and sofa bed were very comfortable. You also get two complimentary drinks to use during your stay. Some great munchkin perks: Nina travel cot, white noise and night light, diaper pail, and you can even get a stroller to use. There's a shuttle service that takes you around the property and we typically didn't wait more than 5-10minutes after texting the hotel. Hilltop Meet and Greet: Able to get up and close to goats, sheep's, donkeys and mini horses. It was a lot of fun, but not ideal on super hot days. Make sure to wear closed toe shoes if you want to go into pens to avoid stepping in poop. Garden Meet and Greet: Was able to feed some chickens, and try some of the fruit that were growing nearby. Overall, it was a very comfortable stay that has a little something for everyone.

This place is really amazing. It is the perfect romantic getaway. We did not want to leave…read more The staff is extremely friendly, they just organize everything for you. They have one of those packages full of activities - wineries tour, picnic, horse riding - simply amazing. Sure it is not the cheapest place but no one expects it to be. They have beautiful gardens and the chateau was just heaven. Amazing food and very cute golf course. We are definitely coming back, it is totally worth it

I went to the Ferrari Challenge dinner at Stonepine a few weeks ago. The famous house and…read moreequestrian property is now a "Private Function" retreat only. No more hotel though rooms are available if part of the function. Think Weddings, Corp Events. If you ever read the Great Gatsby or saw the movie you'd feel like you were back in time. An elegance that felt more European than US.

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.

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

Amazing views! So close to the beach. It was a wonderful experience. Hundred percent recommendedread more

Quaint beautiful lodge with comfortable beds and large rooms. Pool was beautiful and well…read moremaintained. Everything was well maintained. Beautiful gardens. Good breakfast to start the day. All the staff was super nice. We enjoyed our stay very much.

We stayed here on our recent trip to Carmel Valley/Monterey and it was a really charming lodge for…read morethe weekend. It's not modern or new by any means but it has a nice country, cozy vibe and our stay was comfortable. The grounds are scenic with a small golf course and vineyard nearby. I went for a morning run and enjoyed the more quaint green landscape around.

I wish I could rate front of house and our food/server separately for this review, because it would…read morebe two completely different ratings. Starting with everything positive, which was the majority of our experience: this is one of the most stunningly beautiful restaurants I have ever seen in my life. I wish we had gotten here earlier before our reservation to walk down and say hi to the sheep and take pictures with the meadow, because it is a beautiful and extremely well taken care of piece of land. Our reservation was outdoors and during sunset, which was stunning. All of our food was absolutely delicious. The relish tray was nice and fresh to start, the jidori chicken was perfectly cooked and super flavorful, and the salad was huge and packed full of fresh ingredients. And be sure to save room for dessert, ordering the house made ice cream is a MUST! Special shout out to our server here as well, I forgot to write down his name, but he was extremely helpful in making recommendations not just about food, but also on itinerary recommendations for our trip. The negative to our experience here and only reason I am taking off a star for this rating is that we had a rough time getting checked in for our reservation. It was rather hard to make your way up to the host stand, and I was bumped by several staff members who were grabbing menus, etc. without realizing they were behind me. The front of house did not have our reservation marked as outdoors, and we mentioned that we were happy to wait until an outdoor table opened up since that was our preference to eat outside. Soon after checking in, we were seated at a table on the patio, but some unkind remarks were made about how us being placed there would make other patrons unhappy because now they would have to wait. Overall a good experience but a bit of whiplash between front and back of house. Did not ruin our night though as the food and service team were so great! Reservations are also a must, you can log in early AM online to reserve ahead.

This review is for the restaurant, bar and unfortunately the treatment of just one person who…read morealmost ruined the evening. I really hope whoever represents Mr. Eastwood and The Mission reads this and addresses it appropriately. We didn't have reservations, we had read the reviews and knew the food was good. We got there in the middle of the week, it was busy. We were greeted by one of the hostesses, super nice and were told the wait was 45 minutes. No problem, the bar was open and we sat to grab a few drinks. The bar staff, AWESOME and funny. This is when we met the lady of the house, the woman who I would describe as the lead hostesses. 5-5, skinny, sharp facial features, very pale and the attitude to match. She greeted several people who just walked in ( we had been waiting 20 minutes already), local patrons. She immediately ORDERED the front wait staff to sit 2 parties of 4, they got moved to the front of the line.She did not make contact with us, the simple people, she actually smirked when she looked in our direction. This is when I noticed the shift in attitude from the wait staff. Prior to her arrival, they were happily working smiling and joking with each other. She walked in and it's like Cruella had arrived . She disappeared back in the food preparation area and came back out and again, she took 2 parties ahead of us and seated them personally. They did not have reservations ( I overheard the conversation) . We didn't mind the wait, it was the attitude. When we finally were seated, the staff was " Johnny on the spot" with thier service and attitude. The food,off the hook. I had steak, done just right, buttery. She had fish cooked to perfection. When the waiter heard we were celebrating our anniversary, they brought a nice dessert, free. I watched in interest Cruella maneuver around the restaurant , I watched how the staff reacted around her and how she treated guests. Mission Ranch, if you are losing employees regularly, this person might be the cause of that. I don't want to play the race card but I will say this, those of us that were not a " Billy" or a " Buffy" were treated differently.

I wish that I could give more stars to this hotel! Not only is it absolutely stunning and…read morebeautiful. The customer service from all the employees there is absolutely spectacular! When I arrived with my boyfriend, we had one of the lower priced suites and we were upgraded to one of the most prominent suites there. It was amazing because it was our five-year anniversary together and it just felt so special! Also, I would love to give a shout out to one of the employees by the name of Hannah. When we left The Quail, we accidentally forgot our film canister in the refrigerator. So I called the customer service desk and Hannah was able to help me recover it and was so kind enough to mail it to my address along with one of The Qual's cozy robes! I definitely plan on coming back here again. Highly recommend!

Loved our stay here! Customer service, bedding, food, pool large with good towels. Good size rooms…read moreBar beautiful, S'mores and several community fire pits. Toilet room in bathroom alittle dated otherwise dice stars.

This is our 2nd time staying here. Friendly, customer service. Comfortable bed, spacious room with…read morekitchenette. Close to town for walking to restaurants, wineries, groceries, and a community center with hiking trails. We will definitely return again next year.

Super cozy, cute, and has really cute amenities. Loved our small walk to get coffee and bagels that…read morewere free and fresh. Customer service super nice and welcoming. Spa was not as hot as we hoped but we still enjoyed our weekend getaway.

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.