Carmel River Inn & Cottages - Carmel, CA — Hotel in Monterey

Our experience at Carmel River Inn was very amazing and accommodating up until we checked out. When we checked in, the receptionist Jacob was extremely polite and helpful. He gave us a great deal for this last two rooms. Driving all the way from Southern California, we were extremely exhausted but grateful to have come across such a cute and clean Inn. However, around the check out time is when we started having issues. The check out time is 10:30am, which was quite early for us since we had a late night. Since we needed more time to pack up and get ready, we called the receptionist, Henry in the morning requesting for a later check out time than 10:30am. He gave us til 11:00am. Keeping that mind in time, we were not quite out by 11:00am but 11:12am. Even though we were not out by the time he gave us, we noticed that housekeeping was not even done with the room prior to ours. Shortly, we were notified by Henry that we were being charged a late check out fee of $30. He informed us that he was waiving a late check out fee for one of the rooms and just charging us for one which is a total of $30. We decided to go talk to him in the Lobby, as we entered and were standing by the desk, we noticed that he was sitting all the way across the room at his computer desk. He did not even get up and walk to the front desk where we were standing. We asked him if he could forgo the late check out fee since we were out of the room before the housekeepers got to it. Henry informed us that he cannot do that since we checked out an hour after the check out time — which was completely false. He gave us until 11am, in reality we only checked out 12 minutes after the late check out time. In fact, Henry accounted us from the actual check out time which is 10:30am+18 minutes. We negotiated with him back and forth, trying to get him to forgive the $30 late check out fee, since it was quite unfair in our opinion. Imagine being charged $30 for simply 12 minutes. In our experience of staying at motels/hotels, no one has been so strict about the check out time. He kept informing us that due to COVID the housekeepers need to be in the rooms at a particular time and for a limited amount of time. However, that argument was invalid since the housekeepers were not even done with the rooms before ours. Next, he tried to justify his actions by saying that “it is not up to me, I am not authorized to do that, it is up to administration,” once we asked if we could speak to someone in administration, he stated “I am the administration.” At this point we were confused and just going in circles. It all seemed unprofessional and rude. Anyways, he never waived the $30 fee.

It is quite unfortunate when great stays end up being a great disappointments just because of the luck of customer service on the...

UPDATE: 7.22.22 The Carmel River Inn is one of our favorite locations to stay when visiting Carmel and the Monterey region. It is across Hwy 1 from The Crossroads shopping center in the southern part of Carmel. The location has numerous cottages, may of which have been remodeled, and they have recently added a number of new cottages during their expansion. We were lucky enough to stay in one of the new models during this stay but all of the units are nice. When I say "lucky", I mean that one cannot generally choose which cottage to stay in - this is usually assigned during check-in. The location also has a small Inn, which has a number of rooms, and I believe is generally less expensive than the cottages, though we've not stayed in the Inn. The grounds are wonderful with some trails, fountains, and beautiful plant life. They recently reopened their heated pool which has been closed for some time since COVID. A family of deer has taken up residence there as well and it's really nice to see them. There is no traditional housekeeping service, but if something is needed, like extra towels, etc., simply call the front desk for any needs.

So, we stayed in one of the new cottages. It was very nice and spacious with a king bed, electric fireplace heater, AC if needed, and a spacious shower and bathroom. Our cottage had a large "wet bar" area with a sink, pour-over coffee maker, toaster, microwave, mini-fridge, wall-mounted TV, and utensils and plates, etc. The cottage also had a pair of upholstered chairs (not recliners) that swiveled and rocked an looked out the large windows. There was also a small veranda with two metal chairs and a metal table, which was nice to enjoy coffee and nature. The odd thing about the shower is that we had to run the bathroom sink on hot in order for the shower water to remain warm. I mentioned that to the front desk. All in all, another great visit to a beautiful area. Just be careful when exiting the grounds to Hwy 1. There is a blind curve to the south and motorists are often driving way too fast in that area - it can be a bit hazardous to pull out onto Hwy 1 north.

2 years ago: Quaint, little cottages nestled in next to Carmel River. Ours has a kitchenette which is a great bonus to make a quick breakfast or lunch. Great for a few day getaway and the prices...

I searched online for a nice, tucked-away place in the Monterrey Area for my wife and I to spend a night of our vacation. I found good online reviews of the Carmel River Inn and decided to give them a call. Upon answering, the employee that assisted me with the reservation was very polite, informative, and patient with my extensive line of questions. I asked him the difference between the hotel rooms and the cottages and he explained in detail. I decided to reserve a cottage.

Initial impressions upon check-in were a clean, quaint establishment that appeared to be well managed. We secured the key to our cottage and drove over. Upon parking in our carport and unloading, we opened the front door to the cottage and were immediately impressed with what we had gotten ourselves into for the evening. The cottage had fresh paint and new appliances. The mini-fridge was stainless and had a digital readout thermometer. The fireplace was operated via a digital remote on the nightstand and added a very nice touch to the evening. A flat screen television was wall-mounted above the fireplace and operated quickly, unlike many typical hotel televisions (I travel... a lot).

The bathroom was very clean, had a glass shower door, and adequate water pressure. I was very impressed at the fact that there was a small glass jar on the sink with q-tips and cotton balls. Very nice touch indeed. A exterior door on the opposite side of the room from the front door led to an outdoor back patio with a table and chairs - very small details that made a big difference.

Reading a posted form in the room revealed that we were fortunate enough to stay in one of their "newly renovated" cottages and that the goal was to renovate all of them as time goes on. Also included in the note, was that the staff was seeking feedback regarding the renovations and the feel of the cottage overall. I can truly say this was the best evening we had on our week-long CA trip.

The only suggestion I have is to stock the fridge with 2 water bottles. All necessary amenities for a stay are in the room and there are some very nice touches as well.

Thanks for the great service and hospitality. We have already recommended your property to another couple who plans to visit Monterrey later...