PLEASE NOTE: THIS ESTABLISHMENT IS CLOSED FOR RENOVATIONS UNTIL MID-2012
 La Playa Hotel & Cottages-by-the-Sea
Carmel, California - Hotel Review
The
English Should Have It So Good
The sun sets over La Playa Hotel & Cottages-by-the-Sea in Carmel, CA Carmel
has the look of a quaint English seaside village because the
early settlers were British ex-pats who wanted to recreate their
homeland. The 5,000 citizens who live here today no longer resemble
rurals, but Jaguar and Land Rover owning environmental types
(you need a permit to trim a shrub) from L.A. and San Francisco
fleeing the rat race for the sake of Carmel's gorgeous beaches
set against an indigo sky. Think pearl-white sand rimmed by
biblical cypress trees where you can sit and watch the fog banks
roll in exactly at cocktail hour. Take your dog for a run on
the sand and forget the leashes. Pets are as welcome as people
at most places (but you have to show a visa card).
This
Eden has numerous hotels but the best place to stay is the La
Playa Hotel & Cottages-by-the-Sea. Built as a stylish
rockwork mansion in 1904 by Norwegian-born artist Chris Jorgensen
for his bride, a daughter of the chocolate-famed Ghiradelli
family, La Playa was converted into a hotel in 1916 and gradually
enlarged over the years. Located in the middle of the primmest
of prime real estate near Ocean Avenue galleries and shops and
a few blocks from the sea, the property sprawls around an interior
courtyard rife with private walks, gorgeous gardens exploding
with purple bougainvillea, and a heated pool with matching gazebo.
The
residential feel of the hotel's Mediterranean design is accented
by pale pink-stuccoed walls, red tile roofs and a lobby featuring
a large marble fireplace, European antiques and hand-loomed
rugs. Guest rooms are large with views of the ocean and formal
gardens and feature hand-carved furnishings incorporating the
hotel's mermaid motif. Guest cottages have large fireplaces,
two bedrooms, complete kitchens, tons of storage alcoves, and
private patios. They run considerably more than single rooms
but are perfect for families or two couples. No matter the location
you can hear magical slapping of waves interspersed with obligatos
of barking sea otters.
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A guest suite |
Dining at the Terrace Grill |
Shear
beauty is meaningless without great food. Not to worry. The
very best in local Salinas produce and Monterey seafood make
up the fresh California cuisine of the Terrace Grill, featuring
casual outdoor dining overlooking the gardens. The welcoming,
English-style Terrace Lounge offers a large wine list, cocktails
and draft beer, and the best, most reasonable comfort food in
town. The Shrimp & Scallop Linguini for $11.50 consisting
of grilled Shrimp &Scallops over saffron linguini tossed
with asparagus and sun dried tomatoes anda sweet pea pesto sauce
was memorable. Almond-crusted and grilled Petrale Sole set on
a medley of almond rice at $12.25 made a mockery of similar
dishes served at San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf at twice
the price.
Like
Carmel itself, the La Playa creates a universe within a universe
that relieves stress and invites contemplation. It's a wonderful
headquarters from which to explore Point Lobos and the grandeur
of the Big Sur coastline. True to Carmel's English rural tradition,
nobody including the La Playa has a street address. Even the Carmelite
nuns have to trot down to the post office for their mail. No matter.
The U.K. should have it so good.
| PRC |
(Updated:
11/07/11 CT) |
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