This is a beautiful Inn at the heart of Carmel. The staff was wonderful. The rooms were clean and well appointed. It was everything you would expect from Carmel, except the high price tag.

My husband and I wanted to take our 10 year old lab to Carmel so she could play in the ocean and on the beach. After searching the internet for names of pet-friendly inns, I found The Wayfarer. The reviews on Trip Advisor were very good, and the rates were much more reasonable than most of the other pet-friendly inns. I called the inn, and found that they allow dogs in only two of their rooms. I chose #2, which has a queen bed and fireplace. It was immaculate, spacious and the bed was very comfortable. Although we faced the courtyard, we had no noise at night or early in the morning. The water pressure in the shower was excellent and we had plenty of hot water.

The breakfast was good although the coffee was weaker than we like. We left the dog in the room while we ate breakfast, and although we would not do it, I think you could leave a dog in the room alone for a couple of hours if you chose to, unlike some inns which prohibit this.

Carmel is a great place to bring your dog. Not only can your dog run leash-free on the beach, but your dog will be welcome in many shops and restaurants that have outdoor dining. The Wayfarer is within walking distance to all of the main streets of Carmel Village.

Whether you are traveling with a dog or not, The Wayfarer is worth your consideration.

We were a family of 3 that stayed in Room 17 of the inn. We found the room clean, comfortable and spacious enough. The room was located on the 2nd floor of the property and had an ocean view which we liked. Also, it was not facing the street and the room next to ours was unoccupied so we had a quiet stay. The innkeepers were friendly and helpful when we asked for restaurant recommendations and possible itineraries. We enjoyed the breakfast (they have a waffle maker) and the afternoon wine and cheese samplings. The inn represented good value for money and we would stay here again.

This was a tricky place to find – the SatNav wasn’t much help but when we changed the search to find a gas station, we passed the hotel!

Carmel itself is beautiful – a really pretty town, with lovely landscaping and quaint buildings. It’s also very compact and walkable (though we didn’t go to the beach) with lots of art galleries and shops.

We only stayed one night and some of the inns had two night minimums – this one didn’t on our chosen date which was a Saturday in May. While I was waiting to check out, the receptionist was talking about this to the owner (?) and got the impression they may impose this restriction later in the season (while I can understand it if hotels are full, surely it’s better to have one room filled rather than empty, even for one night – even if it’s a guideline on the website, it’s probably worth contacting them to check especially if booking late).

Check in was friendly and quick – our room (number 14) faced the street, not the courtyard. This was a good choice, as it’s not overlooked. The room was very clean and the bed was comfortable. The bathroom was old but perfectly fine. A point to note is that there is no air conditioning so we needed to leave the window open during the night and were awoken once by people in the street (not really a problem, but if you’re a light sleeper or if the town gets busier in the summer it may be a consideration).

The courtyard is lovely and relaxing – there is complimentary wine, cheese and crackers in the late afternoon/early evening.

Breakfast is also included – a basic but adequate fare of cereal, toast, waffles and such but there was only one member of staff on duty to stock up the items and check out guests and she found it difficult to keep up. Various people were asking for bread, coffee, cutlery and juice which had all run out.

We didn’t use it but there is a room service menu with choice of food from local restaurants – a nice option if you don’t want to go out.

We would definitely have no hesitation staying here again if we were in the area.