The Best Hotels for First Time Visitors in Carmel-by-the-Sea

Where to Stay on Your First Trip to Carmel-by-the-Sea

17-mile drive, Carmel by the Sea, California 17-mile drive, Carmel by the Sea, California

If it's your first trip to Carmel-by-the-Sea, California for the activities and sightseeing, then you're in for a treat. But the biggest question is often where to stay for a first time visitor to Carmel-by-the-Sea. With so many amazing hotels to choose from, it can be tough to make a decision to make the most of your first trip here. That's where we come in! In this comprehensive guide, we'll help you find the best hotels for first-timers in Carmel-by-the-Sea. After analyzing all of the hotels based on price, location, amenities, ratings, and more, we have come up with our list of the best hotels in Carmel-by-the-Sea for first time visitors. We'll cover everything you need to know about these hotels, including the amenities, location, prices and ratings. So, whether you're traveling solo, with family, or as a couple on a romantic getaway, you'll find the perfect hotel if you've never visited Carmel-by-the-Sea beofre. So check out these terrific hotels, many of which have sparkling swimming pools, delicious restaurants, and top-notch amenities, along with the perfect balance of comfort, location, and affordability. So, let's get to it and discover the best hotels in Carmel-by-the-Sea for your first trip!

(Prices are listed in U.S. Dollars.)

Quail Lodge & Golf Club

4-star Hotel with prices starting at $660 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Among the Best Places to Stay for a First Visit to Carmel-by-the-Sea
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.
  • Beach
  • Family-Friendly
  • Heated pool

Located at 8205 Valley Greens Drive, Quail Lodge & Golf Club has great rooms from $660 (before taxes). It offers an outdoor pool, room service, a restaurant, a fitness center, and a bar. It has a terrific 8.90 rating out of 10 from previous guests who have stayed here. Only 4.3 miles from the city center, first time visitors will especially love hiking, laundry services, golf, pet-friendly rooms, and a hot tub at this relaxing hotel. You'll enjoy relaxing while having room service delivered.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Room service
  • Airport shuttle
  • Beach
  • Family-Friendly
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Hiking
  • Laundry service
  • Pets allowed
  • Hot tub
  • Free parking
  • Family rooms
  • Heated pool
  • Tennis
  • Refrigerator


Carmel Mission Inn & Fuse Lounge Cafe

3-star Hotel with prices starting at $233 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect Hotel to Make the Most of Your First Visit
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 3-star hotels.
  • Beach
  • Family-Friendly
  • Heated pool

A great place to stay is Carmel Mission Inn & Fuse Lounge Cafe which has nice rooms starting at $233. Offering an outdoor pool, a restaurant, a fitness center, a bar, and hiking, it also has a great guest rating of 8.00 out of 10 from many previous guests. It's located at 3665 Rio Road. This convenient hotel is also nice because it offers rooms with kitchens, laundry services, golf, pet-friendly rooms, and a hot tub which visitors will enjoy. Also, it's just 1.4 miles from the city center. You'll love relaxing in the heated pool after a busy day exploring. It's also less than the average price for first time trip hotels, so it's a great value.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Kitchen
  • Spa
  • Beach
  • Family-Friendly
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Hiking
  • Laundry service
  • Pets allowed
  • Hot tub
  • Free parking
  • Family rooms
  • Heated pool
  • Coffee shop
  • Refrigerator


La Playa Carmel

4-star Hotel with prices starting at $774 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Great Hotel for First Time Visitors
  • Beach
  • Family-Friendly

We found La Playa Carmel to be a great place to stay, and the price starts at $774. We loved that is has an outdoor pool, a bar, a free breakfast, pet-friendly rooms, and free parking, and it also has a terrific guest rating of 8.50 out of 10 from previous guests. It's located at Camino Real at 8th Ave. You'll also find bicycle rental, a multi-lingual staff, a 24-hour desk, wedding services, and meeting facilities which travelers will love. And this fun hotel is just 0.3 miles from the center of town. The pool here was very nice, relaxing, and fun.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Free breakfast
  • Beach
  • Family-Friendly
More Great Amenities
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Pets allowed
  • Free parking
  • Bicycle rental


Carmel River Inn

Inn with prices starting at $179 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect for Your First Visit to Carmel-by-the-Sea
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 2-star hotels.
  • Beach
  • Heated pool

With terrific rooms from $179, Carmel River Inn, at 26600 Oliver Road provides an outdoor pool, scuba diving, hiking, rooms with kitchenettes, and pet-friendly rooms. Its terrific guest rating is 8.30 out of 10 from previous guests staying here. New visitors will really like this amazing hotel which also offers free parking, horse riding, bicycle rental, family rooms, and a heated pool. It's located just 1.4 miles from the city center, too. We always love being able to prepare simple meals in a hotel room, and the kitchenette here was teriffic. It's a great value, as the price is less than the average for first time trip hotels.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Horse riding
  • Beach
More Great Amenities
  • Hiking
  • Kitchenette
  • Pets allowed
  • Free parking
  • Bicycle rental
  • Family rooms
  • Heated pool
  • Tennis
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator


HYATT CARMEL HIGHLANDS

4-star Resort with prices starting at $719 (before taxes) - See All Prices
A Good Stay for Your First Trip
  • Beach

HYATT CARMEL HIGHLANDS has a great guest rating of 8.00 out of 10, and offers an outdoor pool, room service, a restaurant, a fitness center, and scuba diving. The great rooms here start at $719 before taxes and depending on the season. It can be found at 120 Highlands Drive. Furthermore, it also offers a bar, hiking, rooms with kitchens, rooms with kitchenettes, and child care, which is nice for first time visitors. Just 3.8 miles from the city center, this fantastic hotel is a terrific choice. Having the delicious restaurant in the hotel is an added bonus.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Room service
  • Kitchen
  • Spa
  • Beach
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Hiking
  • Kitchenette
  • Babysitting / Child Care
  • Laundry service
  • Hot tub
  • Free parking
  • Family rooms
  • Tennis
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator


L'Auberge Carmel Relais & Chateaux

4-star Hotel with prices starting at $711 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect for Your First Time in Carmel-by-the-Sea
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.
  • Beach
  • Family-Friendly

The great guest rating of L'Auberge Carmel Relais & Chateaux is 8.70 out of 10. This place has room service, a restaurant, a bar, breakfast, and hiking. Prices for the terrific rooms are from $711, and it's located at Monte Verde at 7th Ave. We also love the golf, a free breakfast, pet-friendly rooms, a spa, and free parking which are great for visitors. And since it's just 0.1 miles from the center of the town, the location is great, too.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Room service
  • Breakfast included
  • Free breakfast
  • Spa
  • Beach
  • Family-Friendly
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Hiking
  • Pets allowed
  • Free parking
  • Breakfast in the room


The Vagabond's House Boutique Inn & Spa Studio

Bed & Breakfast with prices starting at $573 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect for First-Timers
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 4-star hotels.
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.
  • Beach
  • Family-Friendly

A cool place is The Vagabond's House Boutique Inn & Spa Studio because it has great rooms that start at $573. It has snorkeling, breakfast, hiking, rooms with kitchens, and child care, it also earned a great guest rating of 9.10 out of 10 from people who have stayed here before. It's found at 4th and Dolores. Only 0.2 miles from the city center, travelers will especially love golf, a free breakfast, pet-friendly rooms, a spa and wellness center, and a spa at this convenient hotel. The kitchen in the room is great, because you can cook your own meals to save time and money.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Snorkeling
  • Breakfast included
  • Kitchen
  • Free breakfast
  • Spa
  • Horse riding
  • Beach
  • Family-Friendly
More Great Amenities
  • Hiking
  • Babysitting / Child Care
  • Pets allowed
  • Free parking
  • Bicycle rental
  • Fishing
  • Family rooms
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator
  • Breakfast in the room


Svendsgaard's Inn

Inn with prices starting at $303 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Among the Best Places to Stay for a First Visit to Carmel-by-the-Sea
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for first time trip hotels.
  • Beach
  • Family-Friendly
  • Heated pool

Svendsgaard's Inn offers an outdoor pool, hiking, rooms with kitchenettes, golf, and pet-friendly rooms which we really like. The terrific rooms here start at $303 (before taxes). It's located at Corner of 4th & San Carlos Street and has earned a guest rating of 8.50/10. This fun hotel is also nice because it offers free parking, bicycle rental, family rooms, a heated pool, and a 24-hour desk which new visitors will enjoy. Also, it's just 0.2 miles from the city center. It's a great value, too, because it's less than the average price for first time trip hotels.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Beach
  • Family-Friendly
More Great Amenities
  • Hiking
  • Kitchenette
  • Pets allowed
  • Free parking
  • Bicycle rental
  • Family rooms
  • Heated pool
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator


Hotel Carmel

3-star Hotel with prices starting at $508 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect Hotel to Make the Most of Your First Visit
  • Beach
  • Family-Friendly

Located at Corner of 4th & San Carlos Street, Hotel Carmel has great rooms from $508 (before taxes). It offers a bar, hiking, golf, pet-friendly rooms, and a hot tub. It has a terrific 8.30 rating out of 10 from previous guests who have stayed here. You'll also find bowling, free parking, bicycle rental, family rooms, and air-conditioning which first time visitors will love. And this amazing hotel is just 0.2 miles from the center of town. Having a hot tub at this hotel is also a nice splurge.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Beach
  • Family-Friendly
More Great Amenities
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Hiking
  • Pets allowed
  • Hot tub
  • Free parking
  • Bicycle rental
  • Family rooms
  • Refrigerator


Candle Light Inn

Inn with prices starting at $417 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Great Hotel for First Time Visitors
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.
  • Beach
  • Family-Friendly

A great place to stay is Candle Light Inn which has nice rooms starting at $417. Offering hiking, golf, a hot tub, free parking, and bicycle rental, it also has a great guest rating of 9.20 out of 10 from many previous guests. It's located at San Carlos between 4th and 5th Ave. Visitors will really like this fantastic hotel which also offers family rooms, a multi-lingual staff, tennis, a refrigerator, and wheelchair-accessible units. It's located just 0.2 miles from the city center, too.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Beach
  • Family-Friendly
More Great Amenities
  • Hiking
  • Hot tub
  • Free parking
  • Bicycle rental
  • Family rooms
  • Tennis
  • Refrigerator


Also, take a look at the First Time Trip hotels in nearby destinations: Monterey, San Jose, Santa Cruz, and Santa Clara.

For more terrific hotel ideas in Carmel-by-the-Sea, make sure you also see Best Family-Friendly Hotels in Carmel-by-the-Sea, Best Beach Hotels in Carmel-by-the-Sea, Best Pet-Friendly Hotels in Carmel-by-the-Sea, Best Hotels for a Weekend Getaway in Carmel-by-the-Sea, Best Hotels for One Week in Carmel-by-the-Sea, Best Hotels for One Night in Carmel-by-the-Sea, or Best Romantic Hotels for Couples in Carmel-by-the-Sea.


How much do hotels for first-time visitors cost in Carmel-by-the-Sea?

Carmel-by-the-Sea Average First Time Trip Hotel Price
$383

After analyzing 29 first time trip hotels in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, we found the average first time trip hotel price to be a remarkably economical $383. Naturally, this destination has many fantastic first time trip accommodation options with a variety of prices. The price will vary by the hotel's amenities, available dates, and the general location. If you're interested in more information about hotels here, see our guide to hotel prices in Carmel-by-the-Sea.

The average prices of our suggested first time trip hotels by star rating:

  • 4-star hotels: $650
  • 3-star hotels: $342
  • 2-star hotels: $246


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