Carmel

The Hotel Carmel certainly enjoys a hard-to-beat location: in about 5 minutes you reach Santa Monica Pier and in a couple of minutes you are already on the lively 3rd Street Promenade, full of shops and restaurants. The structure, however, shows signs of ageing, especially in the common areas: the lobby appears rather dated and immediately gives the impression of a hotel that could use a more uniform renovation. The staff is friendly and helpful, but the approach is very informal, almost “easygoing”, at the expense of a certain attention to presentation and attention to detail. The rooms are probably the best point: at least in my case, it was recently renovated, with more modern furnishings than the rest of the hotel. Cleanliness is overall decent, though not impeccable. Very convenient and well organized car valet service, which adds a practical plus in an area where parking can be complicated. In summary, a hotel with no particular peaks either positive or negative: great location and renovated rooms, but overall structure and service improveable.

I stayed at Hotel Carmel and overall had a mixed experience, with one major issue that significantly impacted my stay. The biggest problem was the $23 USD per day “destination fee.” This fee was not made clear during booking, and the way it was handled at check-in was particularly concerning. We arrived late at night and were checked in by an older male receptionist who asked for my credit card without properly explaining the charge. When I asked what it was for, he simply said “incidentals.” I specifically asked if it was refundable, and he said yes. This turned out to be false. It wasn’t until later—after reading other reviews and speaking to a different staff member—that I realised this was a mandatory daily fee that would not be refunded. The lack of transparency and the misleading explanation felt very unprofessional and, at best, deceptive. There were also some issues with the rooms. The first room we were given was noticeably dusty, particularly around the ceiling, which triggered my girlfriend’s dust allergy. To their credit, another receptionist moved us to a different room the next day without any hassle, and that room was an improvement, although the allergy was still occasionally triggered—something that doesn’t usually happen in other hotels. Noise was another downside. The hotel has a courtyard HVAC system that runs constantly, and many rooms face it, so there’s a persistent mechanical noise. Additionally, the floorboards creak heavily—you can clearly hear footsteps from the room above, even through earplugs. On the positive side, the location is very good—close to the Santa Monica Pier and public transport. Also, most of the other reception staff were helpful and easy to deal with, particularly when it came to changing rooms and storing luggage. Overall, while the location and some staff were good, the lack of transparency around fees and the condition and noise levels of the rooms make it difficult to recommend.

Was not impressed overall at the place. No real benefits for the price; however, I cannot stress how helpful the front desk, specifically the young lady Maxine, was making our stay better. She went above and beyond and helped where she could. Gave us recommendations, since we’re first timers from out of town, and was definitely the highlight of our stay.