Carmel Lodging Location

We are planning to stay in Carmel for three nights probably the first part of October. We will be coming up the coast from Cambria, plan to spend a full day on that. My question concerns hotel choices in Carmel. If we want to have a beautiful ocean view, then Tickle Pink or Highlands seem like the best choices. But neither of those have access to the beach, that is, you are perched far above, is that correct? Also, we would have to go into Carmel for dinner each night??

However, if we stay in Carmel, then most likely we will not really have an ocean view,(may have a garden view or may be looking at the back of other buildings?) but hopefully would be within walking distance of many restaurants and shops. Are the shops open in the evenings? Also, is the beach at Carmel easy access and nice to walk along in the morning or at sunset? Is there a nice area along the beach to sit and watch the sunset?

I%26#39;m having trouble choosing the best lcoation for us. Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Carmel Lodging Location

You%26#39;ve summed it up quite well. Views from Tickple Pink and Highlands Inn are beautiful, but from high up. Higlands Inn has two good restaurants: Pacific%26#39;s Edge and California Market. So you wouldn%26#39;t have to go into town for every dinner.

The stores in Carmel do not stay open late--I think 6:00 is generally closing time. And it%26#39;s true that you don%26#39;t usually get ocean views. Take a look at La Playa Hotel, though. They claim to have ocean views from some rooms: laplayahotel.com/guest_rooms_and_cottages/gu…

_rooms_and_cottages.cfm.

Almost every hotel/inn/b%26amp;b in Carmel is an easy walk to town.

Carmel Beach is very accessible and a perfect place for strolls and seeing the sunset.

If you are looking for a romantic getaway, Tickle Pink would be very nice. If you prefer leaving the car parked and doing everything on foot, then Carmel proper makes more sense.

Carmel Lodging Location

CCKelly: Thanks for the post. I am having the exact same problem. I too am torn between the Hyatt and La Playa. I want a great hotel with great views, but I also want a great location. I%26#39;ve booked at the La Playa mostly because of the location. I%26#39;ve read that it is in the heart of Carmel and just a block away from the beach and great restaurants. I don%26#39;t think the La Playa is as nice as the Hyatt. I think it is more charming than grand. I hope I%26#39;m not disappointed in my desision. We are usually pretty spoiled with our hotel accomodations. I think I would change my reservations at the La Playa if I learned that the Hyatt was a lot nicer and the location was within walking distance to restaurants/shops/beach.

I don%26#39;t know if both of you have your heart set on Carmel. Another possibility is the Monterey Plaza Hotel on Cannery Row. It will give you the nice accommodations you want; it%26#39;s on the water so you can have an ocean-view room; and it has two good restaurants onsite. It%26#39;s not at all like Carmel, though, so if you%26#39;re after the ';village'; feel, you should stay in Carmel. You%26#39;re correct, Columbus, that La Playa is more charming than grand. As far as the Hyatt goes, I think Tickle Pink is a nicer hotel with nicer rooms. The Hyatt does have the two good restaurants I mentioned. But, as I said, you can%26#39;t walk to the beach. This area is unusual in that there are very few upscale, full-service hotels. You%26#39;ll find more inns and B%26amp;Bs.

The LaPlaya is an historic hotel and on the Register of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, so its ';niceness'; or ';not niceness'; will be very different from that of the Hyatt.

Apples and oranges.

Thanks for the replies. To confuse myself further, I%26#39;ve also become interested in Pacific Grove, specifically the Seven Gables Inn, which gets very good reviews and looks like it has nice ocean views. Now, I%26#39;m trying to picture the difference between Carmel and Pacific Grove.

OK, now you have added some grapes to the fruit basket....you have a nice variety....apples, oranges, grapes.

I think you would like the Seven Gables. It is right across the road from the Bay at Lover%26#39;s Point, where you can enjoy a small beach or walk along the shore, even to the Aquarium. Some of the rooms have ocean views.

You can also walk from there to the good restaurants in Pacific Grove, which PG can tell you about.

Here is what I would like about staying in PG if I were a visitor:

You can shop til you drop in Carmel, spend hours at the Monterey Aquarium, hike to your heart%26#39;s content at Point Lobos State Reserve, taste wine in Carmel Valley--and then come home to roost in a quiet, picturesque little town with gorgeous coastline and great restaurants.

This area is so compact that no matter which town you choose to stay in, you can go everywhere and do everything within minutes. From PG to downtown Carmel is about 10-15 minutes; from PG to Cannery Row is 5 minutes. From Seven Gables to the Aquarium is a lovely 20-minute walk along the water.

Restaurants in PG:

My three favorites are

Red House Cafe (lunch and dinner, breakfast on Sat %26amp; Sun)

Max%26#39;s Grill (dinner)

Taste Cafe and Bistro (lunch and dinner)

Good luck with your choice!

We have stayed at La Playa, Tickle Pink and the Highland%26#39;s Inn. The HIghland%26#39;s Inn is a full scale resort, the other two properties are very quaint and charming and more boutique-style hotels. The Highland%26#39;s Inn has amazing views of the coastline, the rooms are very large suites complete with fireplaces, small kitchens, living area, our room always had a very nice jacuzzi tub and the bathroom area is very spacious.

La Playa and Tickle Pink Inn have smaller rooms, our room at La Playa was especially small. We love all of these places in Carmel, let me know if you have any further questions on the rooms at any of these places. :)

La Playa really doesnt have what most people consider a water view. They have some very nice rooms in garden area. Tickle Pink has special views but your not in town. Alot of it depends on the vacation your looking for. If your going to get into your car and drive around each day go to the Tickle Pink, if you want to walk around town and enjoy Carmel go to La Playa.

As we have family in Carmel we usually don%26#39;t need to look for lodging when visiting. (Both my parents attended Carmel High School and my Grandfather was a Sargent in the Carmal Police.) But this December my mother celebrated her 80th birthday so there were way too many family members to stay in the house. Many of us stayed at the Best Western Carmel Bay View Inn. (I need to post my review on TA.) It is definitely not as upscale as Tickle Pink, Highlands or La Playa. But the top level rooms have a southerly view out over the Carmel River State Beach and Point Lobos. The room was nice - but we obviously spent most of our time with family and only used the room to sleep.

The Inn is also right next door to Bruno%26#39;s Market, a Carmel institution, so you can pick up supplies for your room easily. As you will be their during football season you will miss John Madden who often has his morning cup of coffee at Brunos. Katy%26#39;s - our favorite place for a breakfast that will last all day - is right around the block. It is a very central location to getting to shops and restaurants in Carmel. But as noted above don%26#39;t miss the opportunity to branch out on the Monterey Peninsula - we love Pacific Grove as well.

As for beach access - there is parking and access at the base of Ocean Avenue. But all along Scenic Road there is parking, a walking path and benchs to watch the sunset - a very popular thing to do in Carmel. There are also several access points to the beach - but it means going up and down stairs.