Also known as Carmel by the Sea, the city of Carmel is a tourist attraction along the Pacific Ocean in central California on Carmel Bay. Between Los Angeles and San Francisco, you are right in the middle of everything, including the dozens of beaches along the bay. With temperatures ranging from 60 to 70 degrees F all year long, it is the perfect weather for spending a day on the sand with your fur baby.
Carmel is also a popular city for festivals, concerts, and other events like the Carmel Bach Festival, the Annual Sandcastle Contest, the Carmel Art Festival, Taste of Carmel, and our personal favorite, Poodle Day, which is on October 7th. When you visit Carmel, you will need a place to stay, and luckily, there are over 145 dog-friendly hotels to choose from.
Whether you have a big Bloodhound or a little Lhasa Apso, you can find a variety of hotels here. We separated them by niche and listed our favorite 15 dog-friendly hotels in Carmel here to help you out.
Sanctuary Beach Resort
https://www.booking.com/hotel/us/sanctuary-beach-resort.html
3295 Dunes Drive, Marina, CA 93933
Best for: Overall/ Beach
For the best beach experience in a pup-friendly hotel, head about 13 miles up the coast to the Sanctuary Beach Resort in Marina. It is located right between Marina State Beach and Marina Dunes Preserve, with a private patch of sand just for guests. Your pooch is welcome in the private area of the beach as well as the Marina Dunes Preserve as long as he is on a leash at all times. Enjoy bonfires, beach yoga, bikes, guided nature walks, and volleyball in your own private space.
All rooms have private decks or patios, cozy bathrobes, flat-screen TVs, Wi-Fi, a wet bar, and a gas fireplace. They also have a heated pool. Dogs are welcome to join their humans at the Salt Wood Kitchen, where they have a special menu just for pooches called the Pawtio Menu. And if you join the Sandy Paws of Summer, you get the pet fee reduced to $35 a day plus $15 credit for the Pawtio Menu at Salt Wood Kitchen, treats, a welcome sign, and a special water bowl for your pup.
Pet policy:
- Dog fee: $50 per night per dog.
- Pet deposit: None.
- Breed Restrictions: No restrictions.
- Weight Restrictions: Up to 50 pounds combined.
- Dogs allowed per stay: Up to two dogs.
Motel 6-Monterey, CA
https://www.booking.com/hotel/us/monterey-2124-north-fremont-street.en-gb.html
2124 North Fremont Street, Monterey, CA 93940
Best for: No pet fee
Those pet fees can really add up if you are staying for a while. If you have to pay nightly and stay a week, you are looking at $200 or more just to let your pup join you. Less than six miles from the city of Carmel, Motel 6 in Monterey is one of just a handful of motels that do not charge a fee to let your fur baby stay with you. The rooms start at just around $70, so you will have plenty of extra money to spend on the attractions, dining out, and shopping.
Each room has wood floors, a table and chairs, a restroom, a shower, and AC, as well as free Wi-Fi, phone, and movie channels. Some also have mini refrigerators as well. You are only a few miles from the beach at Monterey Bay Park, so you and your cuddly buddy can take a walk on the beach, play in the water, or enjoy a picnic or barbecue. If you have any kids with you, take them to the Dennis the Menace Playground nearby.
Pet policy:
- Dog fee: None.
- Pet deposit: None.
- Breed Restrictions: No restrictions.
- Weight Restrictions: Up to 150 pounds combined.
- Dogs allowed per stay: Two.
Embassy Suites by Hilton Monterey Bay Seaside
https://www.booking.com/hotel/us/embassy-suites-monterey-bay-seaside.en-gb.html
1441 Canyon Del Rey, Seaside, CA 93955
Best for: Indoor pool
Right between Roberts Lake and Laguna Del Rey and less than a mile from Monterey State Beach, you and your fur puppy will have all sorts of places to go for a swim if you stay at Embassy Suites. And if the weather is bad, you can enjoy the heated indoor pool. Your pooch is not allowed, but you can go while he takes a nap or get a sitter to keep him company. While the sitter is there, take the kids to the Monterey Bay Aquarium or go shopping on Cannery Row.
The rooms vary from a 490 square-foot one bedroom with a sofa bed, king bed, two 55-inch HDTVs, a fridge, microwave, and activity table to the 875 square-foot Presidential Suite with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a fridge, microwave, living room, dining room, spa tub, a wet bar, and two 55-inch HDTVs. They also offer free breakfast, a restaurant on-site, a stunning indoor pool with loungers, and a small shop.
Pet policy:
- Dog fee: 1-4 nights $75; 5+ nights $125.
- Pet deposit: $75 Non-refundable.
- Breed Restrictions: No restrictions.
- Weight Restrictions: Up to 75 pounds combined.
- Dogs allowed per stay: Up to two dogs.
Residence Inn by Marriott Salinas Monterey
https://www.booking.com/hotel/us/residence-inn-by-marriott-salinas.en-gb.html
17215 El Rancho Way, Salinas, CA 93912
Best for: Extended stay
About 20 minutes east of downtown Carmel in Salinas Monterey, the Residence Inn is perfect for those who want to stay longer than the average week or two. First of all, the suites include all the comforts of home, like a dining area, dishwasher, and full kitchen, as well as two HDTVs, Wi-Fi, and premium cable. You can get a one or two-bedroom suite with a living room, dining room, a fireplace, and lots of extra space for your fur baby.
You do not even have to bring your own pots and pans, dishes, or silverware. It is all waiting for you. They even provide cleaning supplies. But you also get daily housekeeping. There is also a modern gym with all sorts of great exercise equipment, as well as a pool where you can cool off after working up a sweat. In addition, they have a 24-hour market with groceries you can get delivered to your door. And you only have to pay one fee per stay instead of paying by the night for your canine companion.
Pet policy:
- Dog fee: $100 per stay per dog.
- Pet deposit: None.
- Breed Restrictions: No restrictions.
- Weight Restrictions: None.
- Dogs allowed per stay: Up to two dogs.
Le Petit Pali at Ocean Ave
https://www.booking.com/hotel/us/le-petit-pali-ocean.en-gb.html
Junipero Street & Ocean Avenue, Carmel, CA 93921
Best for: Luxury
Your luxurious treatment gets started as soon as you arrive at Le Petit Pali, where you get a bottle of Tattinger champagne on ice and freshly prepared caviar. And your room has plush robes and slippers, a gourmet minibar, a fridge, and Bellino linens. Then, there is the gas log fireplace, rain shower, and 50-inch HDTV. Pet amenities include a plush dog bed, bowls, a custom dog toy, and organic dog treats. Humans get Baci chocolates, a bottle of Antipodes water, and fresh homemade cookies delivered every night.
Head out to the dining room for a champagne breakfast served from 7 AM until noon with mimosas and freshly baked pastries, eggs, yogurt, granola, and fruit. Or you can have tea, coffee, or juice with your breakfast. The minibar in your room is stocked daily with a variety of snacks, wines, champagne, and other drinks. And from 2 PM to 8 PM, you can join social hour on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
Pet policy:
- Dog fee: $150 per stay.
- Pet deposit: None.
- Breed Restrictions: None.
- Weight Restrictions: Up to 30 pounds.
- Dogs allowed per stay: Up to two dogs.
Carmel Valley Ranch, in The Unbound Collection by Hyatt
https://www.booking.com/hotel/us/carmel-valley-ranch.en-gb.html
One Old Ranch Road, Carmel Valley, CA 93923
Best for: Big dogs
When you have a 120-pound Great Dane or Mastiff, it can be difficult to find a hotel that will let them stay. But at Carmel Valley Ranch, they believe best friends come in all sizes so they do not put a weight limit on your cuddly companion. Not even nine miles from Carmel in wine country, you can enjoy over 500 acres in the middle of the 10,000-acre Palo Corona Regional Park. They have their own golf course, spa, creamery, gym, three pools, and four restaurants to choose from.
Pups are pampered here, too, with their own plush dog bed, special bowls, and treats. They even have a room service menu for your cuddle buddy with beef bone marrow, pooch patties, and salmon. Rooms include a 48-inch TV, robes, slippers, a Nespresso coffee machine, and a pillow-top bed. But you do not have to stay in your room when there are 500 acres to explore. Take a hike, play tennis or pickleball, and visit the goats, horses, and even the bees.
Pet policy:
- Dog fee: $175 per stay.
- Pet deposit: None.
- Breed Restrictions: None.
- Weight Restrictions: None.
- Dogs allowed per stay: Up to two dogs.
Carmel Garden Inn
https://www.booking.com/hotel/us/carmel-garden-inn.html
4th Street and Torres Street, Carmel, CA 93921
Best for: Bed & Breakfast
Carmel Garden Inn is a cozy spot to stay with your pup less than a mile from the coast and Carmel Beach, where dogs are welcome to enjoy the sand and the surf off the leash. They have several unique rooms, each with a wood fireplace, wet bar, microwave, and special beds for you and your pup. Your pooch gets a sheeted dog bed, treats, and food, and water bowls. You get free breakfast, Wi-Fi, and wine and cheese for lunch. Five of the rooms are mini-suites with private patios.
They also offer rooms with kitchenettes and room for four people that includes either two queen beds or one queen and one sofa bed. While you are there, be sure to take a walk around the garden, where something is always blooming. Every day, you can join the other guests for breakfast in the dining room. It is all freshly prepared and delicious, and the cookie jars are always full.
Pet policy:
- Dog fee: $25 per night for one dog and $50 a night for two.
- Pet deposit: None.
- Breed Restrictions: No restrictions.
- Weight Restrictions: None.
- Dogs allowed per stay: Two.
Carmel River Inn
https://www.booking.com/hotel/us/carmel-river-inn.html
26600 Oliver Road , Carmel, CA 93922
Best for: Cottage/cabin
Carmel River Inn started with 14 cabins in 1934, but they added 10 more cottages and a motel with 19 rooms in 1960. Today, there are 34 cabins or houses and the 19-room motel overlooking Carmel River just a few minutes from Carmel River State Beach, where your pup is welcome as long as he is on a leash. You can choose from a studio cottage with a wet bar, a cottage with a private patio, or a larger cottage with a stunning view.
If you want something larger, they have several houses with one or two bedrooms, living rooms, full kitchens, and your own yard. The rooms at the inn have a mini-fridge and microwave, patio or balcony, and flat-screen TVs. There is also a pool and 10 acres of recreational space. Besides all that, your pooch is allowed in any of the rooms and several cottages and houses. Just ask when you call for a reservation.
Pet policy:
- Dog fee: $100 per stay for one, $150 for two.
- Pet deposit: No.
- Breed Restrictions: No.
- Weight Restrictions: None.
- Dogs allowed per stay: Up to two dogs.
Carmel Resort Inn
https://www.booking.com/hotel/us/carmel-resort-inn.html
Carpenter Street between 1st and 2nd Avenue, Carmel, CA 93921
Best for: Kitchen
Just because you are staying in a hotel does not mean you have to eat fast food or go out to a restaurant for every meal. If you stay at Carmel Resort Inn, you will have everything you need to prepare and cook every meal if you want to. With pots and pans, dishes, silverware, a fridge, a stove, and a microwave, you can whip up whatever you want whenever you want it. There is also a sofa, lounge chairs, and flat-screen HDTV.
Each cottage is on its own, with a private sitting area inside and outside for enjoying the awesome Carmel weather. They even have barbecue pits in case you want to cook some burgers or steaks. And you are less than a mile from the beach, so you can take your cuddle buddy out for a swim, too. After, enjoy an in-room massage to get rid of those aching muscles before bed.
Pet policy:
- Dog fee: $30 per night per dog.
- Pet deposit: None.
- Breed Restrictions: No restrictions.
- Weight Restrictions: Up to 40 pounds combined.
- Dogs allowed per stay: Up to two dogs.
Quail Lodge & Golf Club
https://www.booking.com/hotel/us/quail-lodge-resort-golf-club.html
8205 Valley Greens Drive, Carmel, CA 93923
Best for: Resort
For a complete resort experience out in the wood just a few miles from Carmel Valley Ranch in the Palo Corona Regional Park, Quail Lodge & Golf Club is perfect for you and your pooch. After getting Fido settled in your room, take a walk over to the gym for a workout. Then go to Spa Adeline and get a massage or facial or take a dip in the heated pool to refresh before dinner.
You can have a grilled rack of lamb, quail burger, or a platter of clams, mussels, shrimp, calamari, salmon, and bass at Covey Grill Tuesday through Saturday or eat on the patio at Edgar’s Restaurant any day where your pooch can join you. Of course, there is the championship golf course, but they also have tennis courts, hiking, and off-road driving lessons. All rooms have luxury bathrooms, hypoallergenic bedding, Wi-Fi, and a flat-screen TV. Do not miss Wine Hour in the lobby from 3 PM to 4 PM every day.
Pet policy:
- Dog fee: $150 per night per dog.
- Pet deposit: None.
- Breed Restrictions: No restrictions.
- Weight Restrictions: Up to 50 pounds combined.
- Dogs allowed per stay: Up to two dogs.
The Vendange Carmel Inn & Suites
https://www.booking.com/hotel/us/carmel-24815-carpenter-street-california.html
24815 Carpenter Street, Carmel, CA 93923
Best for: Affordable
Right by Carmel Resort Inn, Vendange Carmel Inn & Suites gives you a luxurious stay for a ridiculously low price, and your fur baby can stay for just $25 per night. The hotel provides your furry best friend with his own special bed, water bowl, food bowl, and treats because they love dogs as much as you do! All rooms have a pillow-top bed, flat-screen HDTV, marble showers, and some even have spa bathtubs, garden views, or a balcony.
Some of the activities you can enjoy here include outdoor fire pits, picnic and barbecue areas, a swimming pool, and a sun deck. Included in your stay is a wine walk where you can visit local wineries for wine tastings and a free bottle of wine. Or you can go play some golf at Pebble Beach Golf Links. If you want to take your pooch out to stretch his legs, Sylvan Dog Park is less than five miles away, where he can play with other dogs off the leash.
Pet policy:
- Dog fee: $25 per night.
- Pet deposit: None.
- Breed Restrictions: No restrictions.
- Weight Restrictions: None.
- Dogs allowed per stay: Up to two dogs.
Lone Oak Lodge
https://www.booking.com/hotel/us/lone-oak-lodge.html
2221 North Fremont Street, Monterey, CA 93940
Best for: Hot tub in the room
In Monterey, just six miles from downtown Carmel, the Lone Oak Lodge has hot tub rooms waiting for you. The spacious king rooms have over 400 square feet and include a giant hot tub as well as a shower, hair dryer, toiletries, and lots of fluffy towels. You also get a flat-screen TV, a microwave, a fridge, a coffee maker, Wi-Fi, and a workspace. Your canine companion is allowed to stay with you for just $25 a night, and there are no weight or breed restrictions.
Less than a mile from the lodge, you and your cuddle buddy can visit the Laguna Grande Regional Park, where they have a huge lake, hiking trails, picnic areas, and a playground for the little humans. Or just over a mile from the lodge, your pooch is welcome to swim and play in the sand at Monterey State Beach as long as he is on a leash.
Pet policy:
- Dog fee: $25 per night per dog.
- Pet deposit: None.
- Breed Restrictions: No restrictions.
- Weight Restrictions: None.
- Dogs allowed per stay: Up to two dogs.
Portola Hotel & Spa
https://www.booking.com/hotel/us/portola-spa.en-gb.html
Two Portola Plaza, Monterey, CA 93940
Best for: Spa
Portola Hotel & Spa has won the Best Spa seven times and Best in Skincare 11 times in Monterey so you know your spa experience will be perfect here. Whether you want a simple mani-pedi or a full body massage with aromatherapy and facial. They also have private tubs, body wraps, and waxing services. The rooms are luxurious as well, with hypoallergenic pillow toppers, duvets, and pillows with 300 thread-count white linens, a 49-inch flat-screen HDTV, Keurig coffee makers, and cozy robes.
When it is time to eat, you can choose a globally inspired dish at Jacks Monterey or a burger and beer on the patio with your pup at Peter B’s Brewpub. They have a Pawtee Menu just for your pooch with turkey K9 casserole, meaty meatloaf, and chicken with quinoa. Yappy Hour is 4 PM to 6 PM, where bark bowls are just $6. And the best part is that you are right on the bay, where you can visit the Old Fisherman’s Wharf, enjoy a whale watch, or just walk along the coast.
Pet policy:
- Dog fee: $50 per night up to $150 per stay.
- Pet deposit: None.
- Breed Restrictions: No restrictions.
- Weight Restrictions: None.
- Dogs allowed per stay: Up to two dogs.
Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel and Spa
https://www.booking.com/hotel/us/hyatt-regency-monterrey.html
1 Old Golf Course Road, Monterey, CA 93940
Best for: Golf course
Located right on Del Monte Golf Course, you have 22 acres of scenic golfing with sensational views of the Monterey Peninsula. This renowned course is the oldest one west of the Mississippi River and has been around since 1897. The old-school greens are popular with locals as well as guests who come from all over the world to knock a few balls in cups. Grab your driver and get out on the course for 18 holes to practice your A-Game.
Although your pooch is not allowed in the restaurants or pool, he is allowed to join you on the green. As long as he is leashed and does not bother the other golfers. Rooms here all have 55-inch HDTVs, a fridge, a coffee maker, safe and sensational views of the golf course. Suites have 65-inch HDTVs, robes, a wet bar, and a large walk-in closet, as well as a living room and dining room area.
Pet policy:
- Dog fee: $100 per stay 1 – 6 nights, $200 per stay 7 – 30 nights.
- Pet deposit: $100 per night deposit.
- Breed Restrictions: No restrictions.
- Weight Restrictions: Up to 50 pounds each and 75 combined.
- Dogs allowed per stay: Up to two dogs.
Forest Lodge
https://www.booking.com/hotel/us/forest-lodge.html
S.E Corner of Ocean Ave and Junipero, Carmel, CA 93921
Best for: More than two dogs
Forest Lodge is a boutique hotel right in downtown Carmel with special rules about fur babies. This is the only place in Carmel that allows more than two dogs. In fact, it may be the only on in California. And they do not have a weight limit here either. So, if you have three Great Danes or one Great Dane, one Mastiff, and one Wolfhound, Forest Lodge can accommodate you and your canine kids. They also provide doggie bags and a place to clean up your pup after a day at the beach.
Speaking of the beach, dogs are welcome on Carmel Beach, and they do not even have to be on a leash as long as they are voice-controlled. And whether you want a room with a view, a cottage, or a house, Forest Lodge has all that and more. Each room is uniquely decorated and features art by local artists. And they deliver breakfast every morning!
Pet policy:
- Dog fee: $30 per night for one dog, $50 for two, $70 for three.
- Pet deposit: None.
- Breed Restrictions: No restrictions.
- Weight Restrictions: None.
- Dogs allowed per stay: Three dogs.
The Final Woof
Whether you are looking for a hotel with a private beach, an indoor pool, or a place that allows large dogs, we have them all here. Looking for a hotel with a spa or a room with a kitchen? We have a few of each on this list. Wherever you decide to stay in Carmel with your pooch, make sure you bring extra doggie bags, water, and his leash with you. We chose the Sanctuary Beach Resort as the overall best because it has a private beach where your pup is welcome, the hotel has a special menu for dogs at their restaurant where he can join you, and they offer a variety of activities you can enjoy.
