Carmel Valley Ranch

We’ve been back each year for the last three years. First because the kids love all the animals, both the ones on the ranch (the Pygmy goats are adorable) and wild ones (deers, turkeys, raccoons) that just roam the property, these spontaneous animal sightings are always a thrill. This is my wife’s ideal camping experience. I.e., not camping at all. Our kids love the free activities. Going to the garden to play/feed the chickens, check out all the vegetables. They love the hikes and the guides, they’ve all been great with our kids. We had Sophia for the hike this time. We all love breakfast at the Valley Kitchen every morning (the most generous breakfast for Globalists of all Hyatt’s we’ve stayed at). Free s’mores kits every night. Huge variety of board games at the front desk. Coloring books and journals for the kids. There are so many things to do that the pool and the room almost become after thoughts but we also love these. The rooms are the perfect mix of rustic and luxury. The first two times we stayed we made trips out to Carmel by the Sea and the Monterey Aquarium but we enjoyed our third stay the most just staying on property. Carmel Valley Ranch is an ideal destination for our family and we keep going back! To be perfectly frank, I hate the drive up from SoCal but it’s always been worth it.

The AI generated TA review is accurate and consistent with our experience. If you stay towards the top of the hill, the views are sweeping and beautiful. Vineyards, oak trees, wild turkeys scooting across the greens. All very lovely and the resort's saving grace. The rest of the resort is okay enough to get by, but the level of service, niceties, and overall condition of the rooms was pretty average for this price point. We had extended family with us and rented multiple rooms, all were Vineyard Oak Kings, all looked in the same condition. We took advantage of several activities. The positives: golf, pickleball (service at the HOA tennis club was good), and a wonderfully social water aerobics class at the HOA pool taught by a very dynamic woman. The negatives: housekeeping, front-facing staff training, inadequate staff numbers, general condition of the rooms. Room amenities. Pro tip #1 Bring a small cooler with your own snacks/ adult beverages. You drive hours to get there, wait to check in, climb the hill, finally sit out on your patio to enjoy the views, reach into your mini fridge for a refreshment and .... you will find it completely empty. Yes, there is a marketplace but it is all the way back down the hill. There are no longer room service menus in the room or even a QR code. I called the room service phone # and the employee was unhelpful. Told me to drive down the hill to the marketplace. Pro tip #2 Make a dinner reservation at Lucia. 3 miles away at that other resort you may wish you stayed at.

I have organized a proposal weekend with the hotel concierge. The staff is amazing !! Very helpful and kind!! Could not recommend more! They were helpful from booking and organizing different ideas and solutions and help hide everything from my fiancée and generally if I ever said one thing it was instantly taken care of. I really could not emphasize how kind and thoughtful everyone is

This was truly the most wonderful vacation experience we've had as a family. Everything was amazing -- from a warm check-in, the huge and very comfortable suite overlooking beautiful valley views, delicious food in the restaurant, afternoon s'mores by the fire, a family "hike" and meeting all the animals at the farm, and lounging by the lovely pool. Our toddler was entertained and we all enjoyed the beauty of the outdoors mixed with the comforts of a five-star hotel experience. We were there on a weekday so we didn't get to experience all the activities on offer but still had a great time.

We decided to return to The Ranch. Unfortunately, our holiday getaway coincided with a historic storm that knocked out power to over 50,000 customers in Monterey County and produced an F-1 tornado less than 50 miles away. Our drive on the morning of December 14 was uneventful. While we were having lunch in Pacific Grove, I received the first of several texts from the property notifying me that the power was out with no updates on restoration. My party (husband with mobility issues and daughter and her family with a 14-month-old), headed to The Ranch regardless, not understanding the severity of the situation. When we checked into our two rooms, we were offered free coffee at the little shop. We took them up on it and made our way to our rooms. I unpacked but my daughter wisely waited, having lots more gear to unload. For four hours we huddled in front of the gas fireplace, used our iPhone flashlights to utilize the blacked-out bathroom and made the most of an increasingly depressing situation. Our two-night stay, one that was planned months out, knowing that it might be the last for our family, was untenable, even with a can of shared Pringles and toddler snacks. With no lactose-free milk for the little one, no refrigeration to keep any future nourishment fresh, and temperatures that were falling as quickly as our spirits, we decided to pack up and head to the lobby and check out. But let’s back up a bit, shall we? I did check in with the front desk around 4 pm to inquire if we could receive a refund for our first night’s deposit and was told yes, of course. No other accommodations were offered, no goodwill gestures even though my daughter had heard the same staff member promise another guest complimentary breakfast the following morning if she and her party stuck it out. During the 4 pm hour, the lobby was overflowing with people as it was the only space that had power with the help of a generator. It resembled an airport terminal during a winter storm. At 6:30 pm, when we drove from our rooms to the lobby, the staff had blocked the entrance and wouldn’t let us park. It was obvious that all spaces were taken, but when my son-in-law attempted to explain that we weren’t staying but merely checking out, his words were met with a turned-back. That particular incident really struck me. I hopped out while everyone waited in the car and what I found in the lobby was surreal. Front desk staff were chatty and laughing, guests were audibly enjoying themselves in the packed restaurant and various people were sitting by the fire. It felt like a club I wasn’t allowed to join. I couldn’t help but wonder how these people would find their way back to their rooms in the dark, stay warm with a gas fireplace that ran on a timer and justify the high nightly rate under the circumstances. I was promptly greeted and the young woman was apologetic. She confirmed that power would not be restored until the following evening and that the deposits for the two rooms would be refunded. She then mentioned that any charges incurred while on the property would also be refunded. Did I miss the memo? Could we at some point have left our frigid room and grabbed a snack or meal on the house as compensation for the ruined family trip? Again, I felt that graciousness evaded me. During the drive home that night, even with the sting of the day still fresh, we discussed attempting another trip to The Ranch before the holiday decor was put away and the grind of work returned. A week later I spent more than an hour on the phone, first speaking with the front desk manager and then the reservation manager, seeking compensation for the inconvenience by way of room rates. Undoubtedly, rates were high due to the holiday season, and as I stated earlier, I had secured a “local” rate months ago. I was simply asking for them to honor my original rate. But they couldn’t do it. There was reverse psych at play while they expressed disappointment that we wouldn’t be able to return as though the burden was on me to reconsider. I ended up booking two rooms for two nights at a substantially higher rate. As soon as I did, I realized my mistake and quickly called back to cancel. My former and current profession provides me with insight into the world of discretionary hotel rates and how to treat customers. I hope management reads this and considers future training for situations when the entire property is affected by man-made or nature-derived catastrophes. Have a protocol in place that grants each and every guest, regardless of their Hyatt status or room rate, the same gratis perks for the inconvenience. Offer more than an apology. Consider sending every guest affected a discount code on a future stay. Something! Oh, and also consider informing people that the rooms are equipped with lanterns. There are loads of wonderful places to travel in the world and wonderful properties to experience. Guests should feel valued, even if their stay is disrupted by an epic storm.