It's not really a hotel, it's more like condos with a main lodge. It was a very festive place to spend the holidays. The staff was amazingly friendly, the restaurant and bar are great and there are plenty of things to do. It is not the cheapest place to stay in Carmel, but it was well worth the price. There was a fireplace in both the living area and the bedroom. All in all the rooms are very cozy.

Just returned from 3 nights at CVR over Christmas weekend. We want to mention the exceptional and the subpar. Most everything lived up to reviews so we won't comment there.

Staff is quite amazing....especially Tom and Gabrielle. The hotel staff really goes out of their way for guests. Engineering too. Reminded me of the staff at Palmilla. That level of attention.

Housekeeping was mediocre. Toilet paper wrapper left out in living room and turn down was simply forgotten one evening so we had to call.

Walls are thin so if you are lucky to be next to crying babies, please hope you packed your ambien. We were and did.

Lastly, restaurant. Dave was great but the way they do seating in the 2 dining rooms makes no sense. No rhyme or reason in seating families in certain areas and couples with a night out next to each other. One night they tried to seat my wife and I next to two screaming adolescents while our child was happily in the special evening daycare. We requested a move which they did into the back dining room and a bad table. We just wanted a romantic night out, ya know? Put the families with small kids in the back DR in my opinion. We love kids by the way. On Christmas eve, the waiter was a bit clueless. Later the hostess tried to sit 6 adults who looked like regulars at the table next to the kitchen. It was embarrassing especially when they had many other lovely tables.

Oh and the food is hit or miss but the Chicken wings rock.

Great resort and we hope to be back.

We just visited the Carmel Valley Ranch for our 10 year wedding anniversary. The lodge is stunning and the the suites are very relaxing. Everything is modern and very comfortable. In our suite, we were greeted with chocolate dipped strawberries and a bottle of champagne. Yummy! The lodge was beautifully decorated with Christmas decor and they even had a little dog you could pet next to the concierge. They are extremeley kid friendly and dog friendly. We saw lots of families and people with dogs. We brought our two year old and she loved it. Although it was raining, we did a little walking around the paths among the oak trees. There are walking paths everywhere and spa/exercise facilities for the active. There is a $25 daily resort fee to cover the use of the facilities. The restaurant in the lodge is top notch. The chef came around to ask how they could improve, but honestly they could not be more perfect. We got chicken tenders for our 2 year old, a rich butternut squash soup, beet salad with blood oranges, butter-sage raviolis, chicken with polenta and warm cookies with milk for dessert. Everthing was cooked to perfection. I was in heaven. Back in the room, we warmed the room with the gas lit fireplace and then enjoyed a bubble bath in the super-size tub. The room had a nice view of the hills. Carmel Valley Ranch is truely a relaxing place to go and and great getaway on short notice.

Our 10 year anniversary was spent at CVR. It was one of the most relaxing vacations we have ever spent together. From strawberries and champagne to the hot tub, spa, food and INCREDIBLE staff - this place was outstanding. There is hiking, a gorgeous gym, 2 pools, 2 hot tubs, tennis, golf, yoga, bees and other activities... But you can chill in your room and just relax if that's your thing.

The staff was the most attentive, nicest and friendliest we have ever met in our many travels.

We will go back!