Briarwood Inn

We arrived at 2:15 p.m., knowing check-in was at 3. No one was in the office at first. When the clerk came in, we said we were there to check in, and she rudely replied, “check in is at 3pm.” In our travels, when we’ve arrived early, staff have treated us as guests and either checked us in or offered to call or text when the room was ready. She offered neither. We had driven 138 miles, and my wife needed a restroom. The clerk told her to go to a gas station on the corner because they had no “public” restroom. We weren’t random members of the public; we were guests trying to check in. We found another place to stay and called to cancel. She said that wasn’t her concern and that we had to contact Booking.com. We later contacted the manager to explain what happened and said we’d written a review. He didn’t seem to care, saying he gets plenty of good and bad reviews. I would never recommend this business, and I’d tell anyone reading this to spend their money somewhere else.

We had a nice, roomy house for the family, with three bedrooms and a full kitchen stocked with the accessories we needed. It was clean, though it could use some updating. The price is quite steep, but being right in central Carmel is hard to beat.

We got there at 2:15 p.m. and were told check-in was at 3, so we found somewhere to park and wait. After being on the road, I needed the restroom, but the clerk sent me to a gas station a block away. When I asked if the room might be ready a little early, she got upset, said she was trying to prepare it, then huffed at me in disgust. We left for the Best Western across the street, where they treated us like kings. The inn was nearly impossible to find, and nobody answered the phone to give directions, so I had to ask a local. NEVER stay at this inn. They’re rude and know nothing about customer service!

The room was adequate, and I’d have given it three stars if we could have warmed it to around 68 degrees. But on a frosty night, even with the fire going all night, the heater on, and towels blocking the draft under the door, it never seemed to get above 60. The bathroom floor was icy on bare feet, and getting into the shower took courage. The extra blanket helped. I’m giving one star for the room because it was SO COLD. I’d stay again once the risk of winter cold had passed, since the location is so convenient and the rooms are very quiet.