Carmel Valley Ranch

It's cold in January and the heater in our room is broken. We were freezing the first night we stayed there. The next day I requested at the front desk for someone to check in the morning. When we came back in the afternoon, the AC is still not working. I had to call guest service again to ask someone to help. This is unbelievable. The check-in process is also not very friendly. The lady basically just handed us the key card and that's all. No information was provided as we were guest of honor. We also tried to call the shuttle but waited 15 minutes in the cold before I decided to call again. No shuttle showed up. There seems to be some lack of services in the winter. Maybe going in the summer is a better time. S'more in the evening is great. Breakfast is also very good.

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.