16th Annual Carmel Inns of Distinction – 2014 – Part 4 – Carmel Country Inn, Candle Light Inn, Wayside, & Coachman’s Inn

Carmel Country Inn
East Side Dolores Street at Third Avenue
Amenities:  Dog Friendly,
Complimentary Breakfast, Parking on Site
831-625-3263

Our last four inns have more of a modern history, starting with the Carmel Country Inn  which was built in the 1950’s as the Dolores Lodge.

But Dolores no longer lives there, in the mid 1990’s, Chris Tescher, a local award winning builder purchased the lodge and changed the name and every other aspect of the inn.

He transformed the guest room kitchenettes into luxury bathrooms, and designed fireplaces to warm the sitting rooms.    

Inside the charming country great room where guest are normally treated to a delicious breakfast, Inns of Distinction guests were treated to mini quiche and egg rolls from The Grill On Ocean Avenue. 

Our lite bites were paired with tastings from J. Lohr Estate Vineyards out of Monterey. 

The first video below Candle Light Inn will show some of the highlights from the rooms that were open in both the Carmel Country Inn and Candle Light Inn.

Candle Light Inn
Westside San Carlos between Fourth and Fifth Avenue
Amenities: Continental Breakfast Delivered to your Door,
Some rooms with kitchen and fireplace

831-624-6451

The Candle Light Inn was built in the early 1960’s.  It was purchased by the Inns by the Sea in 1982 and the 20 guest rooms have recently been updated.   

Just a short walk to Carmel’s Ocean Avenue, their shops and restaurants, the Candle Light Inn features generously sized guestrooms with flat screen TVs.  The deluxe rooms offer a fireplace, with some including oversized jetted tubs.

 

One of the charming features of the Candle Light Inn is the former swimming pool, now a cozy brick fire pit.

Inside the lobby,

it is time to enjoy a tasting of the 2011 Pinot Nicole or 2012 Arroyo Seco Chardonnay from local wine room, Dawns Dream paired with crab cakes from Flaherty’s.


The following video show select rooms from the Carmel Country Inn and Candle Light Inn. 

A quick walk across Ocean Avenue brings us to our last two inns of the day.

Wayside Inn
Southeast Corner of Mission and Seventh Avenue
Amenities:  Complimentary Breakfast delivered to room,
On site parking
831-624-5336

The Wayside Inn, another Inns by the Sea property, features 22 guestrooms and suites with fireplaces and flat screen TV’s.  This cottage style inn is located next door to the premier shopping of the Carmel Plaza. 

In the lobby Inns of Distinction guests were treated to Spinach Spanakopita and Mediterranean Meatballs from da Giovanni’s,

paired with a tasting of Pinot Noir from Cima Collina Vineyards.  

The video after Coachman’s Inn will feature the rooms of both the Wayside and Coachman’s Inn.

Coachman’s Inn
Eastside San Carlos between Seventh and Eight Avenue

Amenities: Complimentary Breakfast delivered to room,
Dog Friendly Rooms,
Dry Sauna, Hot Tub, On site parking
831-624-6421

Our last inn of the day is the Coachman’s Inn.  The Coachman’s Inn opened its doors in 1954 and quickly became a favorite of visitors to Carmel-by-the-Sea. 

One of its repeat customers was Dr. and Mrs. Gordon Steuck.  When the Coachman’s Inn came up for sale in June of 1985, the Steucks decided to buy the property. They hired Karen Redmon to help them manage the inn. 

The inns 30 spacious rooms have undergone three major renovations since the early 1990’s, the most recent in 2010. 

In June, 2014, the Coachman’s Inn became the newest addition to the Four Sisters Inn Collection.

Though no longer involved in day-to-day operations, the Steucks continue to own the Coachman’s Inn, and you will still find Karen behind the front desk as manager. 



At the Coachman’s Inn, Inns of Distinction guests enjoyed tapas from Mundaka paired with wine tasting from Scheid. 

The following video highlights the rooms from Wayside Inn and Coachman’s Inn.

Click here for a map of the 16th Annual Inns of Distinction Tour and mark your calendars for the 17th Annual Carmel Heritage Society’s Inns of Distinction which will be held early in December 2015!!! 

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Photography and video

First picture courtesy of Carmel Country Inn
All other photography and video
L. A. Momboisse – www.carmelbytheseaca.blogspot.com

Carmel Inns of Distinction 2013 – Part II – Carriage House and Coachman’s Inn

A short five block walk east on Mission Street from Tradewinds Carmel brings us to the back entrance of Carriage House just one block from Carmel Plaza‘s shopping, numerous restaurants and a plethora of coffee houses.  Carmel-by-the-Sea is one square mile, so actually, nothing is very far away – and that includes the beach.

Carriage House Inn 

Junipero between 7th and 8th Avenue
Attributes: Breakfast Delivered to Room,
Evening Wine Served in Library,

 Off Street Parking 

In the lobby we enjoyed

light bites from

The Grill on Ocean Avenue.

A AAA 4-Diamond inn for over 30 years, Carriage House has 13 spacious rooms and suites.  We toured room 7 a deluxe king room on the first level. The dressing area can be separated from the rest of the room by closing the blue French country toile fabric doors over the sink. 

There is plenty of room in this room with

 window seat, 

feather bed, bed bench,

and sitting area, 

all facing the gas fireplace and flat screen TV. 

  The bathroom features a 1 person

 jetted tub and shower combination.   

Every evening, 

coffee, wine and hors d’ oeuvres

 are served in the library.

During the tour our wine was poured by
Paraiso Vineyards of the Santa Lucia Highlands

For more information
on the Carriage House Inn

or reservations call 

831/625-2585

We bring our Carmel Heritage

wine glass and cross the street to

a Carmel staple since 1954.

Coachman’s Inn 

San Carlos at 7th
Attributes: Breakfast Delivered to Room,
Pet Friendly Rooms,
Dry Sauna, Hot Tub, Off Street Parking

Current owners The Steuck’s purchased the Coachman’s Inn in the 1990’s.  Since then it has undergone three major renovations, including the most recent finished just three years ago.  The outside keeps its original lines, a U shape with stucco siding decorated with “Comstock” style half-timbering.

Ample off-street parking for guests

 (this means you don’t have to worry about
 moving your car every two hours – a real plus). 

On site dry sauna and hot tub.

Up on the patio balcony Mark Manzoni of

Manzoni Cellars 

poured a 2011 Pinot and 2012 Chardonnay.

Visit them in town

in the Paseo Courtyard west side

of San Carlos between Ocean and 7th

The Tree House Cafe provided our small bites.  By the time we arrived, the Hummus had been devoured,

and the server was heading back across the street to the restaurant for more provisions.

Rooms were open
on the second level
for viewing. 

Room 209 with two queen beds, 

large sitting area,
gas fireplace, and
flat screen TV –

and Room 211 with
one queen bed 

sitting area,
(all rooms have Kuerig
Single Press Coffee Makers)

  flat screen TV
(yes we are still watching the 49ers)
and gas fireplace. 

Also enjoy fresh baked cookies
and apple cider
every afternoon in the lobby. 

(Yes, I know those are dog biscuits
not cookies – Karen the innkeeper was
still baking the cookies when we dropped in.)

For more information on
The Coachman’s Inn 

or reservations call
831/624-6421

For a  map of the tour click here.

Next up our last three inns, Part III – Cypress Inn, L’Auberge and LaPlaya 

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Credits
Photos – L. A. Momboisse http://www.carmelbytheseaca.blogspot.com