Clarion Collection

Room looked like it had last been updated in the 80’s by a bad do-​it-​yourselfer.
Major lump in carpet like a giant metal bolt was under it. Ugly walls with 7 colors of paint swiped on. Amoir was falling apart and poorly painted. Night stand had major old water damage so surface was not level and breaking apart.
And the worst — the toilet was so close to sink that the counter jabbed you in the ribs and you had to reach under counter to flush.
See my photos.
Gave 2 as room and bedding were clean.

I have to say that if it was not for the smell in the room they would have gotten a 5 Star review. I really liked to fact that they give you a little basket of goodies in the morning. It’s nothing special but it’s the gesture that counts. I will be back to give them another chance.

I’m giving this little gem 4 stars. Here is why:
1. It is perfectly located for walks to shops and the beach.
2. Our room was clean, very comfy bed, flat screen tv, cute faux fireplace for chilly evenings and great little balcony.
3. Cute sun deck to enjoy a glass of wine in the evening.
4. parking!
5. Efficient check in process and let us sleep an extra hour before checkout
6. Cute breakfast basket in the am for a nice start to day along with coffee on the balcony
Some reviewers seem to think that they get the Highlands Inn for less than a quarter the price. This place is simple and lovely. Check your ego at the door and relax. That’s what California is about. It was what we needed after camping for a week in Big Sur.

I stayed here this last weekend and was extremely disappointed. We walked in the room and none of the lights were working. After switching light bulbs we figured out that one lamp was unplugged and the other lamp was turned on by the cord itself and not the wall light switch. The room and furnishings were old and outdated. It was a hot weekend and the room had no A/​C. When I went to complain, I was given an old dirty box fan. The water pressure was extremely low so it took me 30 mins to wash, rinse & condition my hair. Then in the morning we had the landscapers doing yard work right in front of the only window in our room. So much for sleeping in! We had told the front desk person when we checked in that this was our honeymoon weekend. Would have been nice to get a complimentary gift or something. Instead we stayed in a crappy room and got woken up early. I would never stay her again in the future. Much nicer places to stay in Carmel by far!!! Oh by the way, did I mention that I paid $ 350 for the room & for only one night!

My family came into town to visit so I suggested we all stay at the Clarion Collection in Carmel since my place is too small for more than one other person. While many places in Carmel appear dated, this is something we Carmelites are used to in our own homes so I don’t take too many points off for that. And, I do agree with some other reviewers regarding the breakfast, but I’m trying to lose weight so it didn’t bother me. My only real complaint was the gardener using the electric blower Sunday morning outside our rooms. What’s up with that? Most places in Carmel either use a broom in the morning or save the loud machinery for during the afternoon. If you want to sleep in after 9:30am on a Sunday, don’t stay here. I tried to say something to him, but he was wearing ear muffs due to the noise. That should tell you something about how loud it was.

We found this place on
about 2 weeks prior and it was the least expensive place we could find at that time. The reviews were mediocre but we just wanted to get to Carmel. The price with tax was $ 484 for a Friday and Saturday night.
We arrived late Friday night and with iPhone maps we found the place no problem (FYI there are no numerical addresses in Carmel by the sea). Since it was past 9:00pm they had our key waiting for us in an envelope outside the office. (Office was closed)
We were in room 310, a king room, it was very small and dated. The paint was a swirl of white, pink and green. The linens were dated. Otherwise it was cleanly appointed and the bathroom was nice being that it was all updated granite and tile (no bath).
The next day the basket of breakfast was delivered to our door, it appears that they went to a elementary school cafeteria. It consisted of milk and 4oz orange juice cartons, a banana, 2 very cheap packaged pastries and 2 tiny bowls of dry cereal. For a $ 500 stay you’d think we might get pastries from a local coffee shop.
Later that day, we were taking a late afternoon nap, a couple walked in on us in our birthday suits (it was enormously hot and humid in Carmel!) :) btw: most places do NOT have air conditioning!!!
We checked with the front desk staff and were not apologized to, but were told that they only had us booked for one night. When I showed the front desk my confirmation email, he said oh ok I’ll just put you in for another night. No apology, nothing.
Bottom line it appears that this is a family owned business and the young kids are working the front desk.
For the price, please look elsewhere, as you can find a much nicer place for a LOT less money (you can even rent a little cottage for less if planned right). This is the busy season for Carmel your best bet for a good hotel is to look last minute. We found 8 and 9 rated hotels for $ 100 less the day before our trip but it was too late to cancel…

I was expecting an old run down place and was pleased when I got here.
First of all it was easy to find. My gps was great and got me right to the intersection that i programed it for. The hotel looks exactly like the pix online and the sign in front does say Clarion Oaks with Clarion Collection written in smaller letters underneath. There are no location numbers in all of Carmel, absolutely no building has a number. That’s why I programmed my gps for an intersection and not a number.
Then we went to the office and checked in. Very nice guy checked us in, no problems. I asked to extend our check out and mentioned I was a Choice member and we got to stay longer.
Yes our room was old and small with two double beds. The bathroom was remodeled and looked nice, and small also. One nice unique feature was the fake fireplace that could be used for heat in the winter or to just view in the warmer months. It was fun to watch the fake fire and accessory lighting!
The refrig had a problem the first day and when I told the man at the desk he immediately left the desk and went to our room and fixed the problem.
The beds were hard but with the pillow topping they were pretty comfortable. The tv had great reception. The doors to our balcony were difficult to maneuver but worked and did not have locks on the glass door.
Parking was available and spots were small but I have a small car so I had no problems.
Overall this is an old hotel, with a great location, available parking and not as expensive as many of the hotels around. If you just want a place to stay and enjoy Carmel you might want to stay here.

The rooms are more dated than can be described. The room is something I would imagine you’d find in your Great Aunt Barbara’s ranch home in western New Jersey if you have a Great Aunt Barbara. That said, it is very comfortable, very affordable and the location could not be better. Proximity to everything.

The only positive aspect of this motel is that the location couldn’t get any better. It’s close to many a great food joints, shopping, and bars. Everything else is very disappointing. Very cheap pillows, horrible water pressure, non-​functioning beverage machines, I swear I could smell the unpleasant smells of our neighbor’s bathroom business, no conditioner for the shower, very small quarters.

We stayed a Saturday/​Sunday night in August peak season in a queen suite for $ 200/​$ 110 per night respectively, before $ 44 in hotel/​tourist taxes added on by the politicians!
This was an ‘advance purchase’ nonrefundable price, on the comfortinn web site.
Previously I had stayed at the discounted ‘returnee’ rate, available by phone, for returning guests.
Finding this place at night with no street lights is challenging! We can only enter the parking lot with the old ‘Carmel Oaks’ sign from the one way Fifth street, running toward the hills –the Clarion folks didn’t care if they kept the former hotel name sign.
One way driving through the parking lot, under the breezeway, onto Junipero Ave. Watch out for the joker who backs out of the parking lot into Fifth street!
Clarion Carmel has 17 parking spaces for 17 rooms. Diagonal parking on a severe slope –expect door dings from the car uphill! Watch out for the clown who parks two feet from the parking block, with his rear end in the passageway!

The parking lot extends under the breezeway of the second building, with a 7 foot clearance –remember to remove your bikes off the car roof top, before going through!
Two buildings, one on Mission street, and one on the Junipero side of the parking lot. Previously we stayed in room 311, a queen suite over the breezeway in the Junipero building.
We check in, the kid behind the desk gives a few grunts, and we are on our way. Another charm school dropout! Where is the cute college girl with the warm smile the last time we were here?!
We reserved room 317 months ago on the second floor. Got to lug the luggage up two flights of stairs, as no elevators here!
Only rooms 314 – 318 on the second floor have balconies, overlooking Mission street, facing the west, but no ocean view. Rooms with balconies cost extra, for that view of another parking lot across the street!
The cheapest rooms are king rooms 305, 306, on the ground floor in the Junipero building, next to the laundry room running 11 to 4 every day, under the stairs, with a view of the parked car engine grills 5 feet away –you get what you pay for!
The most expensive room is room 318, the king suite with the kitchen and eating table. Next door, we hear people arriving very late both nights –it is the last room to be rented out!
Only queen suite rooms 311, 312, 317, and king suite 318 have windows on both sides of the room.
We choose a queen suite, which are $ 15-​$ 30 more expensive than the king rooms. The queen suites are 15′ x 18′, versus 9′ x 18′ for a king. A no brainer, even for those who didn’t major in math!
Room has chalky painted walls, circa 1970, with painted swirls, as if somebody had brushed his elbow in paint against the walls! Full size sofa, coffee table, and desk with reading lamp.
Amenities include coffee maker, microwave, mini refrigerator, an electronic simulated fireplace heater, and a large flat screen cable TV, with satellite controls that would challenge even the most nerdy guest!
All granite bathroom, even on the floor, with a bathtub. Room 311 had a shower.
Wifi is weak, and as unstable as the San Andreas fault! Forget videos, let alone downloading, only e-​mails and simple pictures.
The external corridor lights stay on all night, with blinds, not black out curtains on the corridor windows. Except for room 318, the Mission building rooms have beds farthest away from the corridor window lights and noise.
The closed blinds let in enough light to distract for my wife’s sleep. Need a sleep mask for that beauty rest! The beds are firm and comfortable, but in the Junipero building, like in room 311 where we stayed before, are right next to the corridor windows.
7am Sunday, a neighbor takes a shower, shaking the building like the next Loma Prieta earthquake!
Breakfast comes in a basket laid out at the front door at 830am: cereal, milk, orange juice, pastries, apples, and breakfast fruit bars. The similar priced Comfort Inn 3 blocks away give a fully cooked breakfast buffet. Some guests leave the basket untouched, and walk 100 yards to a breakfast café. Don’t lose that basket, or your wallet will be $ 50 lighter!
The mini refrigerator motor goes on and off during the night, keeping me awake –just like dogs, the smaller ones make the most noise!
The second night I don’t hear the refrigerator motor, due to my wife’s loud snoring! Well, at least one of us gets a good night’s sleep!
The balcony chairs are too low to see out, with just enough room to put my $ 100 Chaco womens sandal feet on the wooden balcony wall. Not much sun due to the roof overhang over the balcony!
I read on the communal outdoor patio, on the second floor, while the wife walks 3 blocks to the downtown shopping on Ocean Ave and lightens my wallet!
6am Monday, a thunderous explosion as a garbage truck empties a dumpster on Fifth street! No need for an alarm clock!

Location is great, but…
— girl at the counter wanted to be anywhere else, doing anything else.
— no room ventilation (first floor) and it was very humid inside.
— continental breakfast is a cup of cereal, boxed milk and oj, 2 gas station pastries
paid $ 216 through Priceline for a Saturday night stay.

At first I thought this place was bad but doable. But there are so many things wrong and other places to stay for a comparable price nearby (within blocks) that my take is FIND ANOTHER place to stay.
I had tried to change rooms upon checking in after seeing the Unilocalers say to stay on the second floor. I was told they couldn’t change it since we booked with
. (see below on desk clerks)
Everyday our keys did not work… Everyday. We complained, but it didn’t seem to matter. After the third day coming in to get our keys fixed, the desk clerk said all the other clerks must have done something to set our keys wrong. When I explained SHE was the one who gave us our keys the first day, I got a blank stare. The other desk clerks were at least friendly. This one seemed to be bothered with us when we checked in (we saw a TV on behind the desk) and she seemed amused that we were upset at this point. When we checked out the clerk (Belle) was very nice. She explained why we couldn’t change rooms. It seems once you book and prepay, for some reason their system bills you again. I still wasn’t happy, but at least I got a decent explanation.
The room is dingy. The walls are thin. The lighting is poor. The only thing good is the location. And as I said before, you can find much better places for the same price. Keep looking.
Note to self: I have prebooked using
before. Each time I have problems if I want to change rooms or (once) the hotel switched my room and said they couldn’t contact me because I used another site. NEVER again will I prebook on a site such as
.

Stayed her overnight on February 6^th, 2014. Loved the Room & Price. Had Free Continental Breakfast delivered to my door @ 8:30 the next morning. Location is fantastic and the staff is very friendly. Free Parking & FIreplaces with HDTV. Prices of hotels next door were in the hight $ 250.00 Range. This room was only $ 129.99!!!
Would Highly Recommend!!!

We stayed one night on Labor Day weekend. The place has mismatched décor that looks like it was taken from several homes of Grandmothers. The only nice thing was the newly remodeled bathroom! The smell of the room was a little… hmm…stale. There was no fan and/​or air conditioning system. It was 90 degrees outside and we were wanting some air flow, so we kept the window open. We were talking in our usual voices, and received a phone call from our neighbors complaining that they could hear us through the wall and through the window outside. All we could think is that it was poor planning on building development since we are both quiet people. The breakfast basket would probably be great if you like junk food, or have kids, since everything is packaged and full of sugar. We ditched it and went to breakfast around the corner at Katy’s Place. In the end, we can’t complain because we got a room in a sweet location for $ 130/​night for a non-​smoking king. It was totally worth the amount. In Carmel you usually pay for what you get.

Location is quite good and near all the restaurants, it’s also not difficult to walk to the beach. Since all the hotel in this city is very expensive, we found this one that was on budget, we must say it looks more like a motel than an hotel.
Don’t look at the walls nor the decoration, it’s quite ugly and not our type of ambiance!
However, shower and sheets are clean — it’s pretty much the most important aspect. And because you are always outside, the decoration and space doesn’t matter.

It’s fairly pricy but was a spacious room. It’s much nicer than one might think if driving by; it’s definitely a motel, but the interior of the room is pretty fancy and the bathroom is updated. Each room has a porch or balcony; if you’re not from California (which we weren’t) you might not realize how useful this is. The weather was perfect in Carmel so we read the complimentary newspaper on the porch with our complimentary breakfast.
The breakfast was nothing too special, but was an interesting novelty. They deliver a basket full of pastries, cereal, milk, OJ, and granola bars to your door. Most of all, the location was perfect. We were able to walk out the door to the business district of Carmel and shop all day. We couldn’t park in their actual parking lot, but there’s ample street parking.
All in all, it wasn’t cheap, but was very nice and had a particular charm.

Wonderful location on 5^th and Mission right in downtown Carmel by the Sea. I can’t say enough positive things about this bed and breakfast place. Looking around this is probably the best value around at $ 125 for a 2 double suite. Like Jane S mentioned, high lodging and city tax of close to $ 20 so total comes to $ 145 but can’t avoid it in this ritzy town of Carmel by the Sea. Other places were at the low $ 200 so nothing to complain here.
The room has a balcony which is nice and also comes with a microwave and fridge. The beds were comfortable for a double bed. My dad may not be used to sleeping on a double bed since he fell off in the middle of the night. The bathroom was nice with all granite flooring and walls in the shower (no bathtub). Breakfast was a basket filled with fruit punch, milk, cereal in a bowl, bananas, and granola bars.
We were able to check in an hour early and then walk to the beach within minutes. A bit of a hike to Carmel point where you can see the Frank Lloyd Wright house so we did it early the next day. Overall, a great experience and would not hesitate to come back. Just book early since the rooms tend to fill up quickly. There was only one 2 double room left just before July 4^th and completely booked the next day.

THE LOCATION IS GOOD, BUT OTHERWISE A REAL DISAPPOINTMENT.
If location and price are both essential Clarion (aka Carmel Oaks) is good for one but not the other. Situated in downtown Carmel, close to the ocean. Prices are not budget although the hotel condition is. Lowest price rooms seem to be about $ 90−100/night and for weekends $ 140 – 150 plus Carmel’s hefty 12%. Based on our two experiences at Clarion, we suggest the nearby Comfort Inn or for good price/​value but a bit farther away, the Carmel Village Inn. The most affordable comfortable and convenient motels/​hotels in this area are in Monterey, a 10 minute drive.
Based on small queen «suite». Other rooms may be better or worse and likely more expensive.
PLUSES:
–Location, location, location.
–Among the more moderately but not lowest priced motels in Carmel.
–We wish there were more.
MINUSES:
–Rooms are small and not well maintained.
–No microwave
–Wifi unreliable. Keep dropping so repeated logins necessary.
–TV not viewable from sleeping area in the units we have stayed in.
–Cold breakfast basket that arrived between 8:30and 9:00am: contents milk, orange juice, cereal, packaged roll, banana, candy bar.
–Room coffee almost undrinkable.
–At 2pm we had to ask for maid service even after being away 9 – 1:45.
–No 24 hour staffing of service desk. And staff is minimally friendly.
–Very limited parking

Wonderful suite. The suites are just one room that are a lot larger than the standard sized room. They are L-​shaped. The beds are extremely comfy. The bathrooms are granite and only are equipped with a shower. They also bring mini baskets to the room which is a lovely touch (OJ, cinabons, cereal, milk).
Carmel is lovely but very boring and not much to do. If you are looking for more action and cheaper rates, stay in Carmel.
Liked — The suites are not much more money and twice the size
Disliked — The suites do not have a door that seperates

Very quaint place. Not quiet by any means. I could hear the guy snoring from the next room. Someone noted that you get to choose between a fireplace or balcony — not true, I didn’t get either (or a choice).
Great location — I walked to everything I needed.
The basket of goodies each morning was great! I would go back because of that alone :)