Carmel Bay View Inn

Nestled in a pine forest, the hotel’s lobby is bright and airy, with a cheerful yellow color palette and rays of sunlight coming through a picture window. A cute seating area consists of yellow and white checked armchairs in front of a fireplace. The mantle is decorated with pottery; an oriental-style carpet warms up the wooden floors. The hotel has a low-key vibe due to the fact that the lobby is the only common area and that there’s no lounge or bar on premises. The breakfast room on the second floor overlooking the lobby has the look and feel of a charming bistro. Outdoors, there's a pleasant garden patio and white gazebo. Families are welcome here, but the vast majority of guests are tourist couples. 

The Carmel Bay View Inn is celebrated for it's central location in the heart of historic downtown Carmel. The inn is one block away from charming Ocean Avenue that features numerous restaurants, bars, cute shopping boutiques, and world class art galleries. It’s two miles away from Pebble Beach, famous for its Pebble Beach Golf Course and 17-Mile Drive, a sight-seeing road that overlooks the Pacific coastline. Historic Cannery Row, the namesake for John Steinbeck’s novel, and the Monterey Bay Aquarium, are also two miles away from the hotel. In addition, Bruno’s Market, a small grocer, is conveniently located next door. Forge in the Forest, known for its outdoor dining, is across the street and serves brunch, lunch, and dinner. Mineta San Jose International Airport is over an hour away from the inn, it’s only 12 miles away from the Monterey Peninsula Airport. 

The 59-room hotel has spacious rooms and stylish updated bathrooms with shower/tub combos and white bead board paneling that gives off a beachy vibe. Satellite TV, flat-screen TV, free Wi-Fi, mini-fridge, and coffee/tea maker are nice added touches. The rooms, all of which are uniform, have yellow-painted walls and white plantation-style shutters on the windows. Gas fireplaces, standard in all but four rooms, offer a cozy feel. Deluxe Rooms feature balconies and distant ocean views, while Standard Rooms look out onto the parking lot and have obstructed views of the water due to windows that have views of rooftops.

The breakfast room, which has the look and feel of a bistro, offers a free daily breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, bagels, muffins, cereal, coffee, and tea. The spacious year-round heated outdoor pool overlooks tall pine trees and has poolside drink service, but there are few lounge chairs and minimal patio furniture that make it hard to sunbathe or hang out. The business center has one Apple computer, so make sure to bring a laptop if you plan on doing work or using the free Wi-Fi. Free parking is an added plus. A gym is noticeably lacking but guests can request free passes to a facility that’s a 10-mile drive from the hotel.