Carmel Fireplace Inn — Hotel in Carmel-by-the-Sea

When I need to short restful vacation, I am willing to drive 5 hrs to relax at Carmel-by-the-Sea for a few days. There are many charming motels and inns in this town so we just pick one with reasonable, clean accommodations at a GOOD PRICE POINT. I don't need to stay a fancy-pants hotel and pay double or higher. I'm spending most my time meandering around town, or driving 17-Mile drive, or to Cannery or Aquarium. I just want a clean comfortable room and free parking.

We picked the upstairs corner room with a peekaboo view of the ocean (slightly more per night.) We got a nice sunset view from our balcony. It had a nice living room with fireplace so our friends could come over and play card games with us after dinner.

The room was clean and the bathroom smelled clean. That's important. We also felt safe to take our shoes and not have to wear slippers, for fear of dirty carpets, but the floors and the 2 lazyboy recliners looked and felt clean.

Keep in mind that this is an older motel and doesn't have the luxuries of dual-glazed windows, air conditioning, nor central heating. But it has a working gas fireplace (with long matches and lighting instructions) and a small, recessed, wall-mounted electric heater next to the bed. I felt cold thr first night, but after I added the spare blanket in the closet, I was comfortable. Our bed was very comfortable.

They have a blow dryer, but no room safe, and their TV is not HD (all SD channels.) But they have free WiFi, which is more important. My wife can watch her Netflix K-dramas on her phone while I catch up in my news and sports online. The parking is very limited. Good luck.

Again, I am willing to overlook these little old-motel ecentricities because I'd rather spend my money on good food and gifts. This had a good price point and it was clean and comfortable. But should there be a heat-wave, I would choose a place with AC. How often does that happen at this charming coastal town? So keep...

We’ve been visiting Carmel several times a year for decades. The charming town, warm people, exceptional wine and food, and peaceful atmosphere have made it our favorite place to escape to. |Over the years, we’ve stayed in many different inns and hotels, but for the past 20+ years, the Fireplace Inn has been our home base. While it’s never been the most modern or luxurious option, it had something more important: character, charm, and consistency. Each room was different, and we had our favorites depending on the size of our group or the length of our trip. It was comforting to be able to choose exactly what we needed and know exactly what we were getting.|Recently, as we prepared for another visit, I tried to book a stay through their new website but ran into issues. I reached out directly and learned that the Fireplace Inn is now under new ownership and still working through updates to their reservation system. When the website finally did allow bookings, I was disappointed to see that room selection was no longer an option. You simply book and hope for the best, no ability to choose a room. I called to ask about reserving a specific room and was told we could make a request, but it wouldn’t be guaranteed even if that room was available at the time.|I understand that change is inevitable, and I truly wish the new owners the best. But for us, this change marks the end of a tradition that’s been part of our lives for so long. The charm of the Fireplace Inn wasn’t just in its walls, it was in the details, the familiarity, and the feeling of being known and welcomed.|Unfortunately, we’ll be staying elsewhere this time. Thankfully, Carmel has no shortage of beautiful inns, many of which still let you select a specific room. I’m hopeful we’ll find a new favorite in time. I’ll always be grateful for the years of memories the Fireplace Inn gave us, and we will miss it. On to new adventures, looking forward to being back in...

We’ve been visiting Carmel several times a year for decades. The charming town, warm people, exceptional wine and food, and peaceful atmosphere have made it our favorite place to escape to. Over the years, we’ve stayed in many different inns and hotels, but for the past 20+ years, the Fireplace Inn has been our home base. While it’s never been the most modern or luxurious option, it had something more important: character, charm, and consistency. Each room was different, and we had our favorites depending on the size of our group or the length of our trip. It was comforting to be able to choose exactly what we needed and know exactly what we were getting. Recently, as we prepared for another visit, I tried to book a stay through their new website but ran into issues. I reached out directly and learned that the Fireplace Inn is now under new ownership and still working through updates to their reservation system. When the website finally did allow bookings, I was disappointed to see that room selection was no longer an option. You simply book and hope for the best, no ability to choose a room. I called to ask about reserving a specific room and was told we could make a request, but it wouldn’t be guaranteed even if that room was available at the time. I understand that change is inevitable, and I truly wish the new owners the best. But for us, this change marks the end of a tradition that’s been part of our lives for so long. The charm of the Fireplace Inn wasn’t just in its walls, it was in the details, the familiarity, and the feeling of being known and welcomed. Unfortunately, we’ll be staying elsewhere this time. Thankfully, Carmel has no shortage of beautiful inns, many of which still let you select a specific room. I’m hopeful we’ll find a new favorite in time. I’ll always be grateful for the years of memories the Fireplace Inn gave us, and we will miss it. On to new adventures, looking forward to being back in...