L'Auberge Carmel

This property feels like a blemish on the otherwise excellent L’Auberge portfolio and is in serious need of investment. The rooms themselves are quaint, charming, and generally well kept, but both the hard and soft product fall well short of what I would consider a true luxury hotel. From a hard product standpoint, the windows desperately need to be replaced or better insulated, as noise from the central courtyard carried directly into our room late into the evening. The stairs leading to the guest rooms are also exceptionally steep, which is worth considering for anyone with mobility concerns. There is also no pool or gym, further limiting the amenities one would typically expect from a luxury property. The soft product was even more concerning. Rather than the polished, accommodating service I have come to associate with L’Auberge, several interactions with staff came across as entitled and defensive. When we raised reasonable concerns—including finding dirty sheets upon arrival—we were met with defensiveness rather than an effort to resolve the issue. The way a luxury hotel responds to a problem is often more important than the problem itself, and this was particularly disappointing. L’Auberge is normally a name I would consider a safe bet for a luxury stay, which made this experience particularly surprising. The property has charm and potential, but both the hard product and, more importantly, the soft product need significant improvement. Carmel has many excellent hotel options, and I would choose one of those before returning here. Do not let the L’Auberge name alone set your expectations: compared with genuinely exceptional luxury hotels, this property falls well short of the standard its reputation and price point imply.

Stayed for two nights and the service was impeccable. The hotel is small but well maintained. Shoutout to Edwin who was such a great positive attitude in the experience. Did not have dinner at hotel but is suppose to be great.

One star given for location, very central! This stay was overall very disappointing. We were under the impression this hotel was apart of a brand name it shares but we were sadly mistaken. The hotel itself is very dated and has not been remodeled in a very long time. The rooms show this more than anything, the paint is chipped, the bathroom doors do not close , the pictures on the walls are crooked , and worst of all … no air conditioning! We asked to cancel our second night stay because it was impossible for us to sleep in the heat and even with the windows open, you can hear every car and person outside as if they were in the room. The manager refused and we moved to another hotel anyways because it just wasn’t possible for us to stay. This seems very poor taste for a 5 star hotel to not accommodate guests who aren’t comfortable and have a valid reason.

This was the worst hotel booking mistake I have ever made. We paid approximately $1,000 per night. There is NO AIR CONDITIONING, our room was hot and musty, paint was peeling badly, and the bathroom door was so warped/misaligned that the latch did not even come close to lining up with the strike plate. The door simply could not be latched closed and would just swing itself open. Photos attached. For a hotel charging roughly $1,000 per night, the condition of the room was shocking. I was also confused by the L’Auberge name and booked believing this was associated with Auberge Resorts Collection. It is not. Had I understood that before booking, I would have scrutinized the property much more carefully. After sleeping terribly the first night because the room was so warm, we asked to shorten our stay by ONE night and move to a hotel with A/C. The hotel refused. Opening the windows was not a reasonable solution: there were smelly trash cans below them, no screens, and substantial street noise. We were not asking them to refund our stay. We simply asked not to be charged for the final night because we were leaving. They still refused. So we left anyway and paid for another hotel. We moved to the InterContinental in Monterey, which was about one-third the price and had perfectly good air conditioning. I would genuinely rather have stayed at a clean Holiday Inn with A/C than spend another night here. I have stayed in hundreds of hotels, mostly top tier 5 star properties around the world. This is the first time I have ever left a hotel early because of a problem, and one of the very few one-star hotel reviews I have ever written. At roughly $1,000 per night, I found the lack of A/C, condition of the room, and refusal to let us shorten our stay astonishing.

L'Auberge Carmel exceeded every expectation, and the fact that we could bring our dogs along made it unforgettable. From the moment we arrived, the property felt warm and welcoming, and the staff treated our pups like honored guests. The location is unbeatable. We were steps from some of the best restaurants in town, many of which happily welcomed our dogs, and just a short stroll from Carmel's stunning white-sand beach where the dogs could run and play. Being able to walk everywhere with them made the whole trip feel effortless. We also managed to fit in some excellent golf and an afternoon of wine tasting, and remarkably, our dogs were welcome to join us for all of it. That kind of hospitality is rare and made the experience feel truly special. We didn't have time to visit the Michelin restaurant at the hotel, but heard nothing but great things and will make sure the next visit we can join. Carmel might just be the most dog-friendly city we have ever visited, and L'Auberge Carmel is the perfect home base for it. We cannot wait to return.