La Playa Hotel — Hotel in Carmel-by-the-Sea

The location of the property is incredible, but the level of service is disappointing for the luxury prices charged.

Front desk staff professionalism and knowledge: inconsistent, could use training.

Cleanliness / contactless protocols could be improved.

Resort fee too high for no housekeeping and reduced amenities.

Customer experience should be thought of more carefully, especially at outdoor patio.

To elaborate: After making an online reservation for a premium ocean view room a few weeks ago, I called the front desk to inquire about the number of double rooms available and whether they differ in view or layout. I was told they were basically the same, but that one was a bit more remote and perhaps the view would be better. So I requested that room, only to find upon arrival that there are just two windows with a decent view individually but a wall in between them that obstructs the "picture wall" we had expected.

At check in, the person requested my ID and credit card slid under the petition to him rather than just shown through the plexiglass, even though the credit card machine was directly in front of me and that contact was unnecessary. They charge $100 a night amenity PER NIGHT of the stay, which seems rather exorbitant. The total I was given for signing the ledger seemed pretty high, so I asked to confirm the rate and charges. The person told me the computer was not allowing him to show the details. Asked if we should park in the lot we saw in the back. Was told the street would be better.

Arrived in room to find no bottled water and the safe already locked. The phone, charging station and other nightstand amenities were rather dusty so we wiped everything down with Clorox wipes that we had brought just in case. Called the front desk to ask about having someone come and unlock the safe and to deliver water. I was told that they would have to look into whether it's possible to unlock the safe, and also that there should have been water in the room but if there wasn't, we were welcome to come get some from the front desk. Only after my long pause did the person offer to have water sent up to the room.

When we requested extra bar of bath soap, we were told that there wasn't any due to a shortage.

That evening, my husband went to the bar to order a drink for the outside patio. Within minutes of his receiving the drink, someone came out and said the patio was closing and everyone would have to go inside. He was surprised he had not been told this as he was ordering.

At breakfast around 9am Friday morning, we were enjoying the heated patio when loud leaf-blowing started. Then electric hedge cutters. Then the exhaust from the leaf blowers below started to make the patio stinky. All of the patrons across the tables commented to each other about how loud it was, disturbing the peace, and why would they be doing this during breakfast versus later in the day when people are likely to be out and about. Another diner went to the front to ask if they could stop it. She came back, but several minutes later it was still going. So then I went up to the front desk, waited in line, and then reported the noise. That time it finally stopped, but it promptly restarted again right after 10 AM when breakfast supposedly ended. At least it was a distraction from the LOUD conference call that one of the other patrons was making from the corner of the patio. Those tables should be reserved for breakfast only during those hours, not for lingering laptop users.

We really enjoyed the cheese at breakfast and asked what kind it was, but no one could tell us.

Overall the staff seem friendly but not that experienced, and the resort is pretty but rather worn and dated. Hopefully management take this feedback constructively and make some immediate improvements. There may be some that say they need to keep their rates and fees consistent because of the pandemic's effect on the hospitality industry, but if the level of service is going to be lacking, the prices should be adjusted...

This was likely the biggest hotel (or "resort") disappointment I have ever had. I did a lot of research and La Playa had a lot of great reviews. But I think I focused on the good things people said ("close to town", "nice grounds", "pretty flowers") and overlooked how bad the negatives really were (rooms). This place is expensive. Like should-be-5-star expensive. My biggest issue is the rooms. We booked an ocean view. The pictures on the website for the room and bathrooms look NOTHING like what we got. Total fraud in my opinion.

Tiny corner window. No screen. Had to be kept open due to NO A/C. Cramped room. Not big. Tiny closet. No robe. Furnitures were old, beat up, and surfaces felt sticky from lack of air. Bathroom was worse than a 50 year old motel. Tiny single sink so small your took brush doesn't fit. The toilet so close to the tub your legs don't fit when you sit. When turning on the bathroom light massive dust fell from the ceiling. Old is one thing, but dirty is another. Their version of A/C is to give you a massive standing fan in the closet that doesn't fit in the room to use it. Carpet is old and worn. You can hear EVERYTHING. Every time another room flushes a toilet, takes a shower, or moves around you get screaming sounds. Everyone has to keep their windows open due to the no A/C. Mind you we were here during 60 degree weather and still everyone had to keep windows open. So you hear all other conversations. No privacy. -If you call front desk to complain about any sort of noise they go "well, it's a 1905 building and that is the charm". Well, you are charging 2021 prices. Fix things.

Hotel booked a wedding while we were there so the one thing going for it (the grounds) were off limits. Wedding went from 4-10pm with screaming loud music. With windows open it meant no sleeping, no watching tv, no reading. Front desk lied to all guest and told everyone wedding was over at 9:30 and it wasn't.

Valet was useless. Pointed to the corner to park your car yourself. Wasn't helpful.

Front desk was nice enough but never asked "how was your stay?" at checkout. Isn't that hospitality 101? Likely because they know no one is happy.

They charge a daily high resort fee which includes (wait for it..) SELF-PARKING. Wow, thanks for charging me to self-park my car ON THE STREET as their tiny lot is full. Oh, and it includes free cookies in the lobby at night and free sangria during the day.

The free breakfast is poor. A few hot items (not good at all). No workers to be found to get you drinks or anything.

Highlight was the bar and grill with friendly staff and good food. But that's it.

I spent more in 2 nights here than I spent for 4 nights in other Cali resorts that were 10x nicer.

Carmel is lovely but stay in any other motel for a fraction of the cost and...

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...