The Best Hotels to Book Near Point Lobos State Natural Reserve

Could you cozy up in a Carmel cottage during your cruise through California? The Normandy Inn will have a private three-bedroom home ready before you can say comfortable cottage in Carmel three times fast. Tongue-twisters aside, this boutique hotel is just five blocks from the beach and five steps from the outdoor pool. Whenever the sun starts playing peekaboo behind the clouds, you can enjoy a shady hike at Point Lobos within an 11-minute drive.

Artistic inspiration, romance and a charm that could only be found on the California coast have endured at La Playa Carmel for over a century. Oceanview rooms, poolside casitas and garden-side patio suites will fill your mental color palette with the beautiful greens and blues of the sea, sky and serene landscaping. For more inspiration, put the top down in your car and ride the 17-Mile Drive where golf courses and mansions will inspire you to dream – and create – as extravagantly as possible.

Say Ciao to Carmel when you call the Pine Inn home. The deluxe rooms – with spacious whirlpool tubs – are a tastier alternative to their already delicious classic rooms, though the Pine Inn’s best flavors are found at Il Fornaio. Mornings in their bakery are for cappuccinos and cookies, while evenings are for the exquisite plates of grilled rare Filetto di Bue, slices of Fradiavola pizza and Lasagna Ferrarese – so fresh from the oven you’d swear it was your Grandmother’s own.

Get to know downtown Carmel when you stay at the Carmel Bay View Inn. You’re more than welcome to spend your entire holiday in a barely dry swimsuit as you paddle from the pool to the sea. We suggest adding a sunhat, sunglasses and a shirt to your ensemble so you can stroll the boutiques and eateries around Carmel Plaza. Not willing to venture far? Delicious duck empanadas from Forge in the Forest are right across from the hotel.

Right off of Cabrillo Highway, Carmel Mission Inn is only five minutes from Point Lobos State Nature Reserve so feel free to loosen your laces a bit. Save the up-and-at-’em attitude for another vacation and savor your cozy king or queen room for as long as possible. Walk out onto your balcony and breathe in the mountains with a cup of coffee in hand. Maybe take a stroll in the private lush gardens on the property – because there’s no such thing as spending too much time in California’s natural beauty.

The Hideaway is a sunburst of classic coastal California luxury two blocks from Ocean Avenue. Sleep in until noon and wake up to a breakfast basket you can savor between the sheets. We hope that you’ve brought one or two selections from the NYTBS list – you’ll hardly want to leave the reading alcove in your king room. When you are ready to wander the real world, a complimentary bicycle from the front desk will take you wherever you want to go.

The rooms at the Carmel Green Lantern Inn are your quiet getaway from it all. Whether you’re sleeping under the gabled ceilings of the Pine room or above the winding staircase of the Palm room, nothing will disturb you here. Two minutes from the ocean, the crashing waves create a soothing soundtrack to your stay. Spend your days lounging in the light-filled Hideaway rooms or under the sun.

Merely say ‘Svendsgaard’s Inn’ to your pup and you’ll trigger a Pavlovian response. The pet-friendliest hotel in all of Carmel has the creature comforts your cuddly corgi needs – think bowls and blankets, cates and leashes, a park up the block and a pet sitter available. They even have basic cable if your dog wants to hang back and watch Blues Clues or Dog Whisperer. Don’t expect much time in the room, though – Carmel Beach welcomes pets just as warmly.

The Hotel Carmel will warm you up to the easy-breezy California lifestyle. The fireplace rooms will help you heat up any romantic night – but you can have an equally relaxing evening with wine and new friends around the courtyard fire pit. The night will only get longer when you slide into a seat at Brophy’s Tavern to knock back beers with the locals. Of course, no one will fault you for enjoying a lone nightcap overlooking the city from your private balcony.

Tally Ho Inn believes that you need to start your vacation with a complimentary glass of brandy and we’ll cheers to that. Before you even make it up to your queen suite, the sunshine, sea breeze and welcoming spirit will unpack any worries you brought along. Turn the volume up on the Bose Wave radio in your room, open the windows and vibe out however you please – and the beach is a strut down Ocean Avenue whenever you’re ready to chill on the coast.