Colonial Terrace Inn

Perfect location for the town and beach , quiet and relaxing.

Very nice staff, beautiful garden setting, comfortable room, close enough to see and hear the ocean. near enough to down town Carmel without the busy traffic and noise.

We have wanted to stay at this hotel for a long long time. The location is great and the outside apperance is really charming. Just what you expect in Carmel. I have never been so disappointed. The rooms are old, old, old. Wallpaper coming off, stained carpet, etc. We complained about the size of our room and the condition and after much discussion we were moved to a larger room. Not much better in apperance but they would not issue us a refund. So we unpacked, and changed for dinner. (we were staying two nights) We then received a call from the front desk that an error had been made and we could not stay in this room, but would have to return to our original room. We demanded they call the manager at home and give us a refund, we were not going to stay at this hotel. After a few calls were made back and forth we were issued a refund and left. The young lady at the front desk was new, and did not have enought training to handle the front desk on her own. Upon leaving additional quests were complaining about their rooms and the young lady was clost to tears. We will never return to this property.

From the bed and breakfast, the beach is a 3-minute walk and town is a 20-minute walk -- making it a nice choice for a summertime visit. Our room was much smaller than any of the rooms shown on the site, and we did not have a refrigerator as advertised. The breakfast was not a full breakfast as one expects at a bed and breakfast.

Pluses: It was a perfect location within walking distance to downtown Carmel by the Sea and one street up from the beach. Also, the gardens on the grounds were stunning! Minuses: I felt disillusioned by the room's claims of private balcony with ocean views and that the room had a fireplace. The room did have a fireplace but it was the poorest definition of a fireplace I have ever seen. For starters, the dial to turn it on was a timer that went up to 60 minutes and was noisy. Secondly the flame was so meak that you could hardly see it poking up from the log. It was completely useless. The reason for the balcony-with ocean-view disillusionment is because I was expecting a more private setting with lounge chairs and a real ocean view when in fact the balcony was small with 2 regular chairs and had a very small pocket glimpse of the ocean. I was also expecting a quaint but luxurious room when in fact what I found I would describe as yes quaint, but also small, sparse, and outdated. The showerhead would have been okay if I was 5' tall. The carpets were dirty. And the chairs in the room left something to be desired.

Nice family run hotel located on the beach. Small residentail road between hotel and beach, but basically on the water. We scheduled stop here after Big Sur drive and visited Hearst castle the next day. We bought King Size bed, which gives you larger room, with typical admendities; coffee maker, cable, fridge and room had a fireplace. Nice breakfast.

We booked at the last minute for my sister-in-law's wedding, and really got a great deal. I was honestly sold on the complimentary Aveda products and the continental breakfast. I was pleasantly surprised at how comfortable the king size bed was and the gorgeous architecture. Loved it!!!

We have been here before and enjoy the convenience to the ocean. The room #2 we have stayed both times is small but clean and comfortable. The staff was very friendly and [...] was very accommodating at check in/out. The nearby City center has many good dining and shopping options that we enjoy as well. The breakfast buffet and afternoon tea in the comfortable lounge are appreciated. And the landscaped grounds are pleasant to look at and enjoy!

THe grounds are always beautiful and provide a lovely setting to wander. There is new outdoor furniture to enjoy sitting just two blocks from the beach. The breakfast buffet has been upgraded dramatically from a tray of Danish pastries to include a variety of healthy options, calorie loads, and delicious tastes from granola, yogurt, fruit, pastries, eggs, sausage, and the usual accompaniments. The main lobby bears a display of the renovations that will be occurring in coming months. We spoke to the desk manager and learned that the rooms will be upgraded a few at a time. The rooms are varied in size but they are all comfortable and many have some special feature, like a fireplace, that makes them feel particularly cozy. The multiple house-like structures on the property make guests feel like they are staying in a very intimate bed and breakfast inn. The walk to town is lovely if you don't mind taking the time and it's a great way to work off the wonderful meals to be had in Carmel's exceptional restaurants. We have stayed at other excellent properties in Carmel but we keep returning to the Colonial Terrace Inn for the nice experience it offers us every time.

The Inn was in a great location. However, we booked the room with the Queen sized bed and fireplace. It turned out to be a very, very small room with the bathroom at the head of the bed. The stall shower in the bathroom was barely sized to fit an average person.