Expert: Spoonball - 7/7/2005

Question
Looking for a good place to stay in or near Carmel that is not over the top expensive.  Will be taking a 4 day photo course at Highlands Inn, but that place is too expensive.
Budget ot $100-$200 per night

Thanks
steve

Answer
I specialize is luxury travel so I'm not sure how much help I will be but here's a list of lodging in the area:

•   Adobe Inn … spacious rooms, good location
•   Carmel Valley Ranch … very nice
•   Casa Munras Garden Hotel-loved it for the location, price, and charm with gas fireplace, bookshelves with old books, a victorian style
•   Colonial Terrace Inn, Carmel, in a residential neighborhood one block from the beach
•   Cypress Inn (downtown Carmel) is a beautiful, intimate place in a quiet neighborhood. The building is a 1920s Mediterranean. Close to restaurants, shopping, and a few blocks uphill from the beach. Owned by Doris Day.
•   Fireplace Inn is also a nice property. Quite pleasant, but a little quirky. Convenient to shopping and restaurants.
•   Gosby House (Pacific Grove), B&B, is beautiful and centrally located.
•   Green Gables Inn (Pacific Grove): cozy B&B. Faces north.
•   Green Lantern (Carmel) is rustic B&B; has two-room cottages, in a residential area between downtown and the beach
•   Highlands Inn (south end of Carmel) is very romantic with lovely ocean views, but no beach. More isolated, with pure luxury. It's on the side of a steep hill overlooking the ocean. Two great restaurants … one formal, other informal with outdoor seating. Very romantic … perfect for an anniversary. Some highway noise.
•   Horizon Inn,  very nice with fireplace and little kitchenette. Breakfast basket every morning to each room.  Outside on patio is hot tub & fireplace
•   La Playa (Carmel) has some beautiful cottages, one block from ocean. Some rooms are small -- for special occasion consider a suite. Grounds and pool are lovely; doesn't have "cottage" atmosphere of some Carmel inns
•   Lincoln Green Inn (Carmel) has a handful of cottages in a residential area near the Carmel River lagoon, adjacent to the ocean
•   Lodge at Pebble Beach: Some wood burning fireplaces that must be requested at time of booking, and all Inn rooms have gas burning fireplaces. Some really great rooms and some pretty bad rooms.  No room I have ever stayed in has been the same. Public areas are stunning … much history and very interesting...two great bars ... have a meal at Stillwater, overlooking the 18th fairway.
•   Marina Dunes Resort, in Marina.  Great rooms, private beach. Very cool for the price. Rooms REALLY do look like the pictures on the website.  We will definitely stay there again. They even include little golf carts for your own use at the resort, in-room massages, etc.  Very relaxing.
•   Mariposa Inn in Monterey …  basic motel in good neighborhood. Centrally located to both Monterey and Carmel. Not much to look at from outside, but rooms were lovely -- great continental breakfast.
•   Marriott never thrilled me. Too corporate, too average.
•   Martine Inn (B&B in Pacific Grove, on the ocean, great service, beautiful grounds)
•   Mission Ranch (Carmel) doesn't "overlook" the ocean, but it's about ¼ mile inland, but has great views of a sheep pasture, Carmel Bay, and Point Lobos. Very romantic spot. 100+ year old dairy ranch. Most of the buildings are the original barns. Several types of accommodations, many with fireplaces; old ranch house is a B&B.
•   Monterey Beach is the only hotel actually on a beach in Monterey. It is not a resort by any means.  Not in a very good area.
•   Monterey on Alvarado … beautiful restored hotel with a great location adjacent to Fisherman's wharf.  Room was small, but hotel has a lovely lobby.
•   Monterey Plaza is in the middle of activity at the south end of Cannery Row, perched on the edge of the bay. Two great restaurants. You can watch sunrise over the bay and Mt. Toro.
•   Normandy Inn (Carmel) on Ocean Avenue between downtown and the beach; very easy and wonderful walk into town
•   Pacific (Monterey) is a couple of blocks inland from Fisherman's Wharf.  Nice, well run. Large rooms --  Spanish style suites with four poster feather beds, private balcony, wood burning fireplace and nice dining area.  Close to attractions.  Request non-streetside room
•   Pine Inn, originally built in1889 and recently refurbished.  Suites are divine -- huge bath done in green marblewith glass enclosed shower, whirlpool tub with waterfall faucet. Furnished with antiques, including canopied bed; door opened right onto flower-laden veranda.  
•   Post Ranch Inn, Big Sur, most expensive room is a little bit bigger than a closet. There wasn't any place to sit except on bed or on a day bed next to window.  Spectacular views when no fog. Restaurant is good; view is even better.
•   Seven Gables Inn (Pacific Grove) is across from the ocean and many of its rooms offer great views of the crashing surf. Room sizes vary but are all beautifully furnished. No fireplaces. Complimentary breakfast served family style. Reserve an ocean front room.
•   Spanish Bay is as luxurious as the Lodge and newer … all rooms are lovely (identical) with gas fireplaces, reasonable size.
•   Spindrift Inn, Cannery Row in Monterey, small European-style hotel. Rooms have fireplaces and most have canopy beds. Large continental breakfast. Request an oceanview; streetside is too noisy. Service is excellent.  Parking is a problem. Last time, beach was dirty and inhabited by homeless people and "gothics".
•   Tickle Pink Inn – a wonderful place to stay; reasonable with a lot of charm. Most of the rooms have ocean view. Continental breakfast; wine & cheese in afternoon with a wonderful enclosed glass deck that you can sit on and see the ocean. On the outskirts of Carmel proper and so will have to drive to see the town. Very romantic, fireplaces, GREAT view. Some highway noise.
•   Ventana: very romantic hotel. MUCH better than Post Ranch. Across the road from Post Ranch and views of ocean are distant (maybe a mile away), but the ocean is so big it doesn't make any difference.  Expensive. A cluster of 30 well appointed bungalows (our bath was very outdated) with a main house where they serve breakfasts and entertain guests with wine and fruit juices. Ventana restaurant is very nice. Fog kept us from viewing ocean from our oceanview room