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Where: Hyatt Carmel Highlands, Overlooking Big Sur Coast
When: Summer 2013
Who: 2 adults and 2 kids (ages 7 & 9)
How: Using Hyatt points for a hotel that was going for over $500
Hotel Status at time of stay: Hyatt Diamond
In the summer of 2013, we took an amazing family vacation. Part of the trip was a drive up the Pacific Coast Highway, with lots of great stops along the way (you can read more about that part of the trip here). We love Hyatt hotels in general, and wanted to give the Hyatt Carmel Highlands a try. I had read tons of reviews before visiting and knew that it was geared more toward adults. When I called the hotel, however, they said that they could book all 4 of us into a King bed room. Since it was only one night we decided to suck it up & deal with having a single king bed for all four of us. We knew we wouldn’t be spending much time at the hotel because we were getting there after a day driving the coast, and were leaving early to head to San Francisco.
Hyatt Carmel Highlands: The View
One of the best things about this hotel is the location and the view. Perched on the coast of California with Big Sur views, you can spot whales (if you are lucky) with the binoculars provided in the room. We had a room with a large balcony, 2 chairs and a gorgeous view. Such a romantic setting. Oh right, we had the kids with us.
The Room
We took this trip before I started this blog, so we didn’t get any ‘blog-worthy’ room photos. Now I do try to take photos before we start putting our stuff all over the place. Back then I just took the photos because I wanted to remember. This hotel had a beautifully decorated and maintained room. Honestly, it was one of the more romantic rooms I have stayed in. Again, the kids were with us. Oh well. Next time. There was a woodburning fireplace in the room, which was a nice touch. And we used it because the California coast is surprisingly cold in the summer. Which is one of the awesome things about California.
Sometimes people are upgraded to the residences, which are townhouse-style timeshare units. We were not, although as Hyatt Diamond members, we were upgraded to a room with a great view. I wish that I had taken a photo of the exterior of the hotel (you can find some on the hotel website here). It is not at all a typical looking hotel. The outside looks rustic, and it fits in perfectly with the setting. The room itself was very comfortable and cozy.
Hyatt Diamond at Carmel Highlands
At the time of our stay, we were offered full breakfast for having Hyatt Diamond status. We were able to order room service for breakfast, which was very, very good. We had also ordered room service for dinner (again, very good) because it had been a long day. And the hotel’s restaurants are very much geared toward adults. You can see a theme here….this place is amazing for adults and not so much for kids. We were respectful of that. Like I said, we knew this going into our stay. Therefore, we chose to spend the time relaxing in our room and chose not to be ‘those people’ with the kids running around a quiet and peaceful resort.
The lobby and lounge area of the hotel has great views (and lovely furniture, which is why I took some of the photos).
Hyatt Carmel Highlands with Kids – Yes or No?
The bottom line of this review…I would absolutely love to stay at the Hyatt Carmel Highlands again, but I would not stay here with the kids again. It wasn’t a bad experience, and I am happy that we got to try the property, but it is definitely geared toward adults. Because we knew that going into it, and we laid low by relaxing in our room during our short stay, we were able to enjoy our time at the hotel. There are options not too far away in Monterey, if you are in the area traveling with kids. If you are looking for a romantic getaway, the Hyatt Carmel Highlands is an excellent option.
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