La Playa Hotel

Breakfast is amazing. Location very good. Staff excellent

Very over priced

Everything the staff was great and accommodating breakfast was excellent and location was amazing. Grounds were really nice, saltwater pool was comfortable.

It was a little expensive but for a reason

The breakfast was great. Location of the hotel was good as it was within walking distance to downtown Carmel area.

There were barely any amenities at the hotel. Considering nightly price of $1,000+, I would expect more amenities.

No elevator.

I know they claim that they did a $20,000,000 renovation, but this trip was so bad, that we had to check out a day earlier. The hotel itself is old and unfortunately that leaves little that can be done to fix it properly. The rooms are old, tiny and noisy. Also, very few amenities provided. There is very limited space to put luggage and clothing. Rooms 100 to 108 are under the bar/restaurant area and unless you go to bed very late you have to deal with constant noise. Our room (112) had a rancid new paint smell and was so bad that a staff member said they would bring in a fan while we were out for the day. It helped a little, but not nearly enough. The hotel pictures on line do not portray an accurate image of the rooms. Although the ambiance has old world charm, the price of $1,000+. Per night does not come close to justifying the cost. The only 2 things I must say were very - very good were the staff and breakfast.

Delightful stay with my husband and parents. Warm and welcoming ambiance. Hosted breakfast is a great amenity. Enjoyed the live music at the bar and comfortable conversation areas scattered throughout the property. Perfect for an adult get away. Well appointed rooms with Le Labo products.

All very good

The staff were incredibly hospitable and the hotel had a wonderful charm

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This was our fourth visit to this place and we were extremely disappointed. No welcome, no complementary happy hour or cookies. We paid $1300/night for room smaller than a European room with broken door lock. The entire place was blocked for back to back weddings. For someone looking for a romantic getaway it was a nightmare. Bar was reserved for weddings and so were restaurants. No accommodation was offered by management. Please check in advance if they have event there because staff and management will not tell you. For us it was a loss of 3k. Never going there again

I’ve been to Carmel several times, never knew this hotel was there. It’s tucked away on a residential street, just a few blocks from the heart of downtown Carmel, and is much larger than it appears from the street. They have a parking garage, but we never used it as we were able to find street parking. It is a lovely, nicely refurbished historical property with great service and lots of little extra touches (included breakfast, wine at happy hour, fresh baked chocolate chip cookies 7:30-9pm nightly). Breakfast is not as great as I expected from the reviews – it’s decent, including an omelette/waffle station, but the pastry selection is poor, there was no yogurt, and extra charge for a capuccino. They do include free champagne, if you’re so inclined. The weather was cool and a bit rainy, so we didn’t use the pool or sit outside on the terrace, but I imagine that would be really nice on a summer day. We had one of the best rooms in the house, on the top floor with a gorgeous view of the gardens and the ocean. The room was comfortable, and the bathroom had great counter space. They feature a signature “barmoire” combination bar + armoire, which has a collection of spirits and barware, plus a small closet. Unique, but I would rather have had a larger closet and some drawer space. The bed was comfortable and it was quiet. We really enjoyed our stay, though it is extremely expensive.

There are hotels that try to impress you. Vast lobbies with cathedral ceilings. Marble polished so bright it forgets to feel warm. Places that mistake size for grace. La Playa Hotel remembers older truths. The sort of truths that live in details. The linens crisp as fresh paper beneath your hands. Towels folded with quiet precision. Rooms appointed not to astonish, but to settle you. Everything carries that rare balance: timeless class touched lightly by modern ease. Nothing strains for attention. Nothing feels accidental. You can feel the bones of the place the moment you step inside. Not grand. Not sprawling. Intimate. Nooked and narrow in the best possible way, like an old country club preserved from a gentler age and taught, carefully, how to survive the modern world without surrendering its soul. This is a hotel built for conversation. For slow evenings and signature cocktails. For sitting beside a fire while the fog curls somewhere beyond the windows. For cards spread across a small table between you and the person who has walked longest beside you in life. And somehow the guests understand this instinctively. Voices soften here. Shoulders lower. People arrive weary from the world and seem to remember, after a little while, how to rest again. Of all the pleasures we found in Carmel-by-the-Sea, La Playa was the finest among them. Not merely a place we stayed, but a place we belonged to for a little while. And that is rarer than luxury.

First time in Carmel and at La Playa Hotel. Amazing place. The Hotel and the grounds were great. All the staff was amazing. It was a great location. Close to Ocean Ave and all the shops/restaurants. Close to the beach. Breakfast was included and the food was good with a nice variety. Would go back there again.

The location was walkable to everything. The hotel is beautiful with unbelievable landscaping. The rooms were well appointed. The amenities were perfect. Champagne breakfast every day, afternoon wine and evening cookies. The staff were friendly and professional. The value was in line with the experience. I would recommend this hotel highly.

Waited for check in until almost 3 pm. Place was crowded and deafeningly noisy with a wedding, crowds everywhere, could not walk to the room, constantly blocked by many people. It lasted until over 1 am. The ocean view is far away and very partial. The room was very small, on the first floor. Walking thumping noise from the ceiling. slamming doors on the hallway. Had to leave to find some peace and quiet. Upon check out, they refused to give me a bill saying it will be mailed to me. The cost was almost $1,300 for one night. We did get breakfast which was fine. If you are trying to find some relaxing time on the beach, stay away. They were deceptive not to say that a big wedding was going on. Sleeping was hard due to constant noise and the rooms are absolutely overpriced.

Breathtaking garden, friendly staff, everything is tastefully executed and ocean views for public rooms as well as some guest rooms. Lots of places for outdoor seating and relaxing and less than 2 blocks from the water! Unusually good breakfast with all kinds of options. A unique experience!

Bonita bem arrumada, bom gosto! O quarto com vista para o mar é linda!

I consider myself a world's best traveler. So my review is taken for six star travelers who expect the best. La Playa underwent a major renovation but missed a lot of spots: I stayed in an $800 dollar a night suite with no ocean view. The bed is extremely soft and horrible for bad backs. There is no espresso machine. The sink has zero to no water pressure. The robes are paper thin and will not keep you warm on a cold foggy night. They should offer slippers. There is no room service and to get to my room only a steep set of stairs... so if you have bad knees beware. They have no gym. It's strange they have a small pool and three rooms right there that should be a gym. And no spa. Health and wellness is very important to me and any hotel that does a $20 million renovation should include it. It was pouring rain one day and the hotel did not have umbrellas. The room feels a little moldy and it is small - again this is a $800 dollar room a night on a Sunday/ Monday. The positives: It is a nice walking location to the scenic spots. A nice bar scene. That said, the food is bar food so not exactly healthy. Conclusion: I did fine in the vicinity much nicer accommodations but won't mention them. Staff might respond to this with an I'm sorry note. Ignore it. These are just simple facts from the Worlds Best Traveler

Because my husband and I both have demanding, high-stress careers in the Bay Area, finding a place to truly decompress is incredibly important to us. Over time, this hotel has become that place. I come about once a month from the South Bay and a few times a year for longer stays, and we truly love Carmel. This hotel has become a second home—familiar, grounding, and restorative every time we arrive. The bar staff knows us well and always makes us feel genuinely welcome, which is a big part of why we return. On this recent visit, I had just arrived at the hotel for the first time that day after spending about three hours at The Refuge Spa, where I spent the morning getting a massage and going in and out of the sauna and steam room while also enjoying the sun. We were eager to get La Playa to enjoy our evening, While walking into the lounge area, I missed a tiny wooden step, fell, and initially tried to walk it off. Shortly after, I began feeling unwell and became very lightheaded while trying to get outside for fresh air. I was incredibly fortunate in that moment—two Stanford ER nurses happened to be in the hotel bar, and immediately came to help. The general manager also happened to be walking in and quickly assisted me in sitting safely on the floor as I became very dizzy. He reacted right away and called the fire department; The fire department evaluated me and confirmed my vitals were stable, but this was my first experience with significant dehydration. what stood out most was the calm, attentive care from everyone involved. I felt safe, supported, and genuinely looked after during a very unsettling moment. This experience only reinforced why we love coming here. La Playa Hotel continues to feel like home, and we are very grateful for the hospitality and care we always receive.

Great location, beautiful hotel

Room was tiny - no room for bags!

Great character hotel and great location

Ambiance, friendliness and helpfulness of staff, comfort.

Lack of good coffee and tea in the room.

Had a nice time this stay. We stayed in room 106. It was spacious and comfortable. We were able to store our bikes at a seating area in front of our entry way. The breakfast buffet was always amazing. We walked to the beach to view the sunset a few days. The pool was a nice reprieve with temps in their 80s. All on all this was a perfect spot.

Happy Hour

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Selten in so einem schönen Hotel gewohnt. Ein Traum! Die Zimmer sind wunderbar, das Personal unfassbar freundlich, das Frühstück ist außergewöhnlich toll und die Bar muss man unbedingt besuchen!

Elegant. Timeless. Peaceful. The perfect lodging.

Everything

Nothing

Staff, location, garden room, property

Classic room very small

The bathroom door was faulty and we had to deal with not having a bathroom door that can close the entire time. The staff was notified but were unable to resolve the issue and did not even contact us after we cheeked out of the hotel.

Very generous buffet. The food was continuously replenished with more when things got low. Good coffee! Lovely staff who came by to see if there was anything more that they could offer us. Wonderful view.

I’m not a breakfast food person, I would have liked a lot more fresh veg and fresh fruit. Sautéed spinach? Berries? Compote? Fresh cheese. Peanut butter over by the toaster with the jam?

Breakfast spread was delicious and the ocean views from the property were stunning. Plus free happy hour and front desk cookies were so darling.

非常喜欢

A beautiful boutique hotel. The staff was very welcoming and provided exceptional service.

The room is quite small. High price.

Aksam saatlerinde Carmel bölgesinde elektrikler kesildi. Fiyatların bu seviyede olduğu bir Otelde jeneratör olmamasına anlam veremedim. Elektrik saatlerce gelmeyince hem odanın soğuması hem de cep telefonunun şarjının bitmesi nedeniyle mechuren otelden gece saat 2 civarı çıkmak zorunda kaldım.

Qualidade dos amenities Le Labo.

Check out too early.

老宅子，位置非常优越，离海边近

老宅子，房间小。晚上的室外酒吧很吵闹，不得不把窗户关上。

Close to the beach and ocean ave

Parking

Room was so plush. Gorgeous view of the gardens and ocean. The breakfast was delicious and the swimming pool.

Nothing

Had a nice experience overall with the exception of the billing process. For some reason the hotel issued an upfront charge that was $900 over the confirmed price for the three night stay. We inquired about it at check in and were told it would be handled. When we checked out, the issue still remained. The manager could not explain why and the overcharge amount was not released for over a week. Our card continued to show both the agreed upon charge and the one that the hotel "created" in their system for over a week. It it not a confidence builder when the manager cannot explain how the wrong charge got created in the first place and gave no apology for the error. If we had not been on top of it, we would have overpaid by $900.00.

Everything about this hotel was amazing. The interior design is v chic, the staff are attentive and super friendly, and I am still dreaming about the buckwheat waffles at breakfast. Would recommend to everyone.

Went to La Playa Hotel for a recent wedding. The grounds are absolutely gorgeous and the outdoor wedding venue is perfect spot. All the food from the Cocktail reception to the diner was delicious. The hotel itself is in a great location as it is just a block or two from the ocean and a few blocks over from Ocean avenue where many restaurants and shops are located. The hotel itself is old but beautiful. The bar is cozy and a great place to hang out at.

Very expensive for mini-sized room ($1200). We reserved a room with an ocean view and if you stand in the exactly right spot and crane your head—you may see a bit of the ocean. Over-priced and under delivered. Plus—extremely limited parking (good luck finding a spot).

We stayed there for 2 nights and really looked the hotel. We booked an Ocean View King and were very pleased. The room wasn’t huge, however was decorated to a very high spec and the bathroom shower was the best. Breakfast was superb and was a buffet style offering very wholesome options such as fruit and oats,, alongside banana bread and pastries and toast. There is also an egg/omelette station. The bar is lovely and we had a couple of very nice cocktails. Every afternoon, Sangria or wine if offered and at around 7pm a tray of gorgeous cookies is made available in reception. The hotel gardens are lovely and there is a first come first served car park. The walk to both the town centre and the beach is very easy.

Historic restoration

My husband and I stay here for our first weekend away from our baby to attend a golf event. The hotel itself is beautiful, is a great area of Carmel slightly away from the city, and has a fabulous breakfast with a view of the ocean. However, we were given a hotel room quite literally in the hotel lobby. The entrance was next to the sitting area across from the front desk. While the hotel assured us that quiet hours for the lobby started at 10 p.m., I can confirm that the quiet period is not respected. We asked at check in and every day we stayed (three nights in total) for a different room and were not moved. At one point on Saturday night (or I guess Sunday morning at 12:50 a.m.) I was woken up by yelling in the lobby that was so loud I got out of bed to locate the desk attendant. When one was not there I tried to kindly ask the guest to please keep it down as I am sure they are unaware that the hotel had a horrible idea of putting a room in the lobby. As I was asking the other guest to be quiet, the desk attendant finally showed up. All this to say, lovely hotel but if you get room 200 do everything in your power to change as you will get no sleep. And I would suggest to the hotel to do something else with that room as there should never ever be a place where people sleep IN the lobby.

Property is quite nice good location and good bones. Restaurant is nice. Food was great. Service at restaurant was great. Front Desk did not honor my reservation. Said it did not exist and was very difficult. Said call Expedia and figure it out. Had to really escalate to just even stay there.

Beautiful hotel, great location and attentive staff

This is a lovely hotel, with the most attentive staff. Rooms and common areas are very well appointed and relaxing. The door to our room didn’t close tightly which was odd. Free parking and breakfast were included, except an expresso at breakfast was chargeable ($10) and there was a $60 ‘amenity’ charge added to the bill. These mixed messages put a cloud over an otherwise exceptional stay.

Arrived just in time for a complimentary cocktail which was very much appreciated after a long drive from Yosemite! We had chosen a basic room on the ground floor which we felt was style over substance, there was a bar area but lacking in space for clothes and the bathroom had no where to put toiletries etc, the bed was comfortable but as others have mentioned the sound proofing was shocking, I could hear every footstep from the room above when trying to sleep, very annoying! All that being said it is a lovely hotel with beautiful garden areas! The bar is great although very dark but a nice ambience. Breakfast was good, we only had a light lunch so can’t comment much on the food.

Location and old world feel.

Expensive!

Location was perfect for all

No gym

The hotel was quiet, clean and very close to the water. It’s an easy walk to downtown, to the water and shopping. The brunch they offer is amazing! Wonderful selection of fresh food!

物品落在房间，酒店寄回给我们，服务非常棒

价格小贵

The service was exceptional and the grounds were lovely

The amenities are well worth the fee. Loved the wine in the afternoons and cookies in the evening. Transportation to and from the downtown area was perfect since the are many hills in the area. The champagne breakfast was excellent - only suggestion would be to have protein available as stand alone item. If you want bacon or sausage it’s only available in the form of a breakfast burrito or omelette.

I stayed here for a few days in July with the kids and was very happy with the hotel. It was very well-located (2 blocks from the beach), great garden, super breakfast and had a free parkingservice.

This property was outstanding highly recommend to all

We LOVED EVERYTHING!

AMAZING HOTEL and stayed here for my wedding weekend! Everyone needs to either stay or visit La Playa Hotel while they're in Carmel. So pretty, quaint, artistic, and moving how the place has been decorated with a gorgeous view of the ocean, upscale bar and fireplace lounge area. The rooms were so clean, an ode to the classy past of Carmel, with modern aesthetics at the same time, making the perfect blend. Plus the breakfast is a must try. I will absolutely be coming back and recommending others.

Brunch : exceptionnel, la vue

L’insonorisation

This is a haven, a wonderful retreat away from the centre of Carmel (but easy to walk and runs a shuttle if needed) and close to the beautiful beach. It offers wonderful rooms with everything you need and more -- wine tasting in the afternoon (free!), cookies baked daily, a delicious breakfast bar with an incredible array of healthy offerings and stunning views/gardens. Very friendly and polite staff.

It was all perfect!

The staff is exceptionally tentative to your every need – a wonderful stay!

bit of the sublime and the ridiculous. Great location and parts of the hotel are really special such as the amazingly cool bar and the staff in the bar. Great cocktails especially. We stayed two nights for USD 3500. On our main Saturday night we had planned to eat and drink in the bar which is why we chose this hotel but at 8pm the bar was full and there was a very noisy wedding next to the bar which essentially took over the hotel and we were told to vacate the bar after finally getting a seat completely by 930pm as the wedding party had exclusive access to the bar. All night the hotel staff were more dedicated to the wedding party than their guests. No one told us this before we booked or when we arrived at the hotel that day. It was too late to reserve anywhere else. Our room had no bath and the shower didn’t work properly being too hot or too cold. The receptionist would not order us a car to the airport. Instead just gave us a number to call. Similarly would not make us a reservation at a local restaurant but told us to walk to the restaurant and enquire personally. The champagne breakfast is nothing of the sort but a fizzy white wine that was not fizzy. We had to ask for champagne glasses. Poor selection of pastries, but a good omelette and waffle station. The free cocktail hour didn’t exist on Sunday … there was a single red sangria cocktail hidden away behind reception which we only found out about because we heard someone else ask. The bar doesn’t open until 3 pm each day. No iron or ironing board in the room. We had to ask for our room to be cleaned when we came back after a long lunch at 330pm and then had to leave the room while the maid cleaned. Unbelievably despite breakfast being included in our 1750 USD per night charge, a latte or cappuccino was USD 7 extra! There is no gym which we knew before but we were told by the receptionist that they had an arrangement with a local gym close by for daily rate of USD 5. The gym was 1.5 km away and when we got there on Sunday morning it was closed to visitors! No service by the pool or outside. If we had paid maybe USD 300 per night then it would have been ok but USD 1750 per night is the most we have ever paid for a hotel. We were expecting a quirky but luxurious experience and what we got was pretty average and for the price a huge let down. Some of the staff were delightful especially in the bar area but the receptionists were positively unhelpful. Overall, must be better hotels for the price in Carmel. Worth visiting the bar if there is not a wedding….do check before on the weddings we were told they have one most weekends…..

The experience!

La Playa's location is great--close to the beach and can walk to Carmel's shopping area. The hotel's garden/outdoor area is gorgeous and the breakfast is fantastic!

One of the best hotels ive ever stayed in. Old workd California charm on another level. The staff was friendly and went above and beyond. The lobby and grounds make you feel like you are on the set of a movie. I cant say enough good things.

El estilo del hotel La piscina El confort de la habitación Los detalles, como cookies a la noche La ubicación, cerca del centro y de la playa

Todo me gustó

Beautiful surroundings

The good: Lovely hotel. Yummy breakfast (included). Great touches to the room. They had a car service that could drive you to and from the downtown area which was such a nice touch. We walked both ways but thought it was nice since it’s uphill one or both ways. The bad: My only issue is the WIFI. It was terrible in our room, we had no wifi and no service our entire stay. The TV also wouldn’t connect so we couldn’t watch a movie after getting back from my boyfriend’s birthday dinner. It was such a bummer. The hotel had the same response every time we mentioned it and that was to apologize and do nothing. My recommendation - don’t stay in Room 110 if you need any sort of cell service whatsoever. Expect to need to leave your room even to send texts. It was clear that it had been an issue before because the settings were open to the WiFi network connection so previous guests had tried to fix it as well.

Wonderful grounds. Dinner on the veranda at Bub’s was the highlight of our trip to Carmel. Great room. And for me…great coffee.

Beautiful property! Very clean and so incredibly charming. Would definitely come back! The views of the grounds are spectacular, and the included champagne breakfasts were the most amazing spreads along with the evening wine tastings or sangria. We chose this place because it is a very short walk to the beach and within walking distance to the shops and restaurants, but they do offer a complimentary ride service as it is a bit of a climb up to the downtown area. Carmel is so quiet and friendly and the staff were all so incredibly nice and helpful. Highly recommend!

Traveling with my best friend, the only option they had available was a king bed room, and the rooms are a bit tight if you like to bring big luggage. But we made it work!

A very unique property and experience. The breakfast was great.

The room looked nothing like the photos online. It was like a basement - very little light, but also somehow very loud / noisy b/c it was right off the main lobby. Staff was unhelpful and manager was unavailable. Terrible experience. Don't stay here.

The young man that was very helpful with the transportation. He delivered us, picked us up and delivered food. I apologize for not remembering his name.

Amazing hotel and staff. Their attention to detail in creating a very curated experience for their guests was amazing. Rooms are clean and well appointed. Grounds are beautiful. The hotel is located close to the beach and a short, but slightly strenuous (uphill) walk to the town center. During the evenings they provide free ground transportation to and from downtown Carmel. Be sure to take advantage of their breakfast! Highly recommend the La Playa Hotel. You won't be disappointed.

Both superb

Rooms are small and a little funky feeling which goes with the feel of the hotel overall. I requested a padded bed and it was perfect. The people who work there are very helpful and easy to deal with. The afternoon cocktail time was nice. We met some lovely people and even ended up going out to dinner together...twice! The champagne breakfast was wonderful. Not an overly huge selection but just right. The omelet station was great and the waffles (husbands fav) was really good... he said best ever! The servers were so sweet and guarded our food when we got up from the table for any reason (from the seagulls!) We had dinner there in Buds bar one evening and it was good...not great but good. The service was a bit lacking that evening because they were so busy. We did not get our food for an hour and a half which turned out to be fine as we were visiting with new friends. But it could have been problematic on a normal night. The bar was very loud and I asked for the music to be lowered just a little because the speaker was over our table they accommodated us and it was fine. Do your own homework for restaurant recommendations. The young people at the front were wonderful but their recommendations were hit and miss. aw shucks was recommended when my husband wanted oysters and it was a miss for us, however others we met liked it. The location is perfect! Walk everywhere! The beach a couple of blocks down and the village a couple of blocks up! They do have a car to shuttle you to your restaurant if needed. We left some items in the safe in the room and got the call when we were at our gate at the Airport. They were extremely helpful in figuring out how to return them to us! SO appreciated! We really enjoyed our stay and would love to return!

The breakfast buffet was a delicious work of art! Everything a body could want and the waffles were to die for!

I can't think of a thing!

We were very pleasantly surprised All the details of the hotel are great. The service was outstanding. Our basic room turned out to be much more spacious than expected. Very dog friendly too Would happily stay again any time