Hotel L'Auberge Carmel****, Carmel-by-the-sea, California, USA.

The experience itself starts with the "carriage house" ambience of the three story facade all in white with green trim, shutters and doors. The lounge/reception as well as the "L'Aubergine" restaurant, have large glassed in old style "carriage" doors that establish the old world feeling and let sunlight flood into the rooms. As you enter, the small 12-table dining room with its whimsical art on the stone walls lies to the right while the small public rooms are to the left. As you pass through the pub-like bar complete with flickering fireplace, you arrive at the lounge and reception where you are greeted with warmth and a refreshing libation as you check in.

Here there are comfortable lounge chairs, settees and a "do it yourself" steamer truck style bar, country wide newspapers and more. A couple steps down from reception is the 4500-bottle wine cellar that doubles as a lovely conference room lined with beautifully finished glass doored wine "caves".

Thus the public rooms line the front of the building and the rooms then form the upper floors and other 3 sides of the building all accessible from the courtyard.

A complete renovation of this historic Inn (built in 1929) was completed in August 2004, making L’Auberge Carmel one of the "village by the sea’s" few full service inns offering guests valet parking, room service, a world class restaurant on premises, and highly personalized guest services. Every little detail is considered important. While maintaining the authentic look and feel of the rooms (down to the original glass and brass door knobs), the owner David Fink and his wife Kathleen Fink scoured Europe for the most sumptuous fabrics and handsome antiques that grace all of the public spaces and the rooms. Some of the upper floor rooms facing west even offer a peek of Carmel Bay on a clear day.

The guest rooms feature lovely touches like deep soaking tubs and large walk in shower stalls big enough for a family (all at the same time) and radiant floor heating that warms bare feet in the bathrooms, so appealing on a beautiful but crisp Carmel day. The rooms are equipped with private mini bars to keep chilled the fine wines from the nearby Carmel Valley and its own bar/sink unit. The style is a combo of European antiques and discretely modern bedding dressed in warm jewel tones. The whole effect evokes tranquility so it is a perfect setting to de-stress.

L’Auberge Carmel is located just steps from the galleries of Carmel-by-the-Sea, one block from Ocean Avenue on Monte Verde Street at Seventh and four blocks from world famous Carmel Beach. This quaint village has a population of just 5,000 residents not counting the raccoons.

Prices range from $320-$600 per nigh including breakfast.

This charming hotel is a must for a visit to this special village.

Hotel L'Auberge Carmel****
Street: Monte Verde St. and Seventh
Postal:
P.O. Box J
Carmel, CA 93921, USA.
Tel.: +1-831-624-8578
Fax: +1-831-626-1018
Web Site: www.laubergecarmel.com
Email: reservations@laubergecarmel.com

Please note: Their sister Italian style luxury Hotel Luca has just opened in the Napa Valley.