Name: Briarwood Inn
Address: San Carlos St Between 4th and 5th, Northwest Carmel, Carmel, California, United States of America, Carmel, Monterey County, US
Price range: $202–$794 per night
Rating: 8.57

What guests think

At Briarwood Inn, travelers praise the walkable, central Carmel location, cozy cottage-style units, and comfortable stays, while noting dated decor, variable room sizes, thin walls, and occasional noise from upstairs neighbors or outside.

Parking is a recurring pain point: some units include dedicated spots, but spaces are tight and street parking nearby has daytime time limits. Service feedback is largely positive and welcoming, though guests report periods when the front desk is closed, strict policies around early check-in, and occasional curt interactions. Several rooms lack air conditioning, showers can be small, and Wi‑Fi speed is inconsistent; housekeeping quality is usually good but not flawless. Expect a charming, convenient base with trade-offs in age, noise, and parking.

Facilities

Cleanliness

Rooms

Service

Location

Dining

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Facilities

On-site parking is mixed: some units have dedicated spaces, but spots and driveways are narrow and street parking nearby is time-limited; several rooms have kitchens or fireplaces, the property is pet friendly, and some rooms lack air conditioning.

Related guest reviews

8

SPENCER

Sep 9, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

No front desk available during lunch break. No option for slightly early check in. No AC room was warm. Parking too tight but convenient. Spacious room and comfortable bed. Good size and clean bathroom. Close to dining and shops.

8

MannyAda

Mar 28, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The room was nice with a little kitchenette equipped with utensils, which we used to make breakfast. Was great since they did not provide breakfast. Staff were friendly and very accommodating. The main strip (Ocean Ave.) was just a couple blocks away and a nice walk to the beach. Briarwood is PET FRIENDLY! The only criticism I would have about our room was the shower. It is very cramped. Other than that, this place GOOD!

8

James

Nov 5, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The room is just as is pictured. It's small, but we used it just for sleeping. It's The in a pretty good location, which is a bonus. The room was clean, but it does smell a bit old. The parking spots are pretty tight, but others have mentioned that already.

10

Mark

Oct 25, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Personal parking space is very convenient

6

Hyeun

Jul 29, 2024

·

Stayed 4 nights

The property's location was good for walking downtown and the beach. But the parking is not available for my room. On-street parking is available but limited to only two hours.

10

Ian

Jul 6, 2025

·

Stayed 4 nights

Not all rooms come with parking. Rooms with parking say so, when you are booking, so keep an eye out if that is a non starter. All parking in the immediate area is 2 hours during the day. It can be quite the walk to the car. Otherwise, it was a great place to stay and would do it again.

10

Brett

Oct 1, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

So cute and quaint. Easily walk everywhere. Clean. Have parking for all guests but it’s small

8

Mimi Holiday

Aug 20, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Quaint and decent overall but no AC in room. Very small shower.

6

Carl

Aug 14, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Pros: We liked the centralized location, exterior and interior appeal, the large size of the room and additional features such as a full wet bar and gas fireplace. We also liked not having occupants above or bellow us. Cons: There are wooden blinds instead of curtains. At night, people could easily peer inside our room at the edges of the windows. The blinds also unfortunately allow light to enter the room while sleeping. When had to pull a couple sofa cushions out after something fell in between them. It was a little gross to find a lot of crumb-like things there. It would have nice to find directions on how to light the gas fireplace. The parking lot driveway as well as the parking spots themselves are quite narrow. I was nervous my car was going to get damaged. It is unfortunate the hotel no longer offers breakfast. For what they charge, they really should bring it back. We felt the cost of our room was overpriced at $439 per night.

10

Holden

Oct 26, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Love this hotel. Perfect location. Very clean and safe with great parking. Comfy beds!

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Cleanliness

Many guests find rooms very clean, but there are recurring complaints about musty odors, dusty carpets, and occasional misses like hair, dirty dishes, or mold-stained grout.

Related guest reviews

2

Teresa

Oct 20, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The bed was hard, and it had a plastic mattress pad. The small refrigerator was inside the only closet. The bathroom had water damage above the sink, the shower head was gross. All windows were dirty. The shades were flimsy and the street light kept us up

10

karen

Sep 16, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Lovely property. A little on the older side but very clean.

6

Michael

Aug 22, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The cottage appeared run-down and not kept up as far as interior maintenance goes. The area around the shower had black spots in the white grout, indicating prior mold or mold stains. Carpeting was feeling dark and soiled. This, however, was very convenient to walking to restaurants, shops, bakery and the beach.

8

Marnie

Jul 28, 2025

·

Stayed 4 nights

We were in the Cambridge Deluxe Family Cottage: Between the location, the dedicated parking spot, the exterior charm, two full bedrooms with doors, and the kitchenette, this place is a winner. I love when family spaces have two twin beads instead of another double or queen - so much better for kids. The kitchen was well equipped, the beds were comfortable, the bathroom had a lot of storage. The landscaping outside is sooooo beautiful. We would stay again without hesitation. On the downside: the place is getting worn and could really benefit from some updates. All the furniture looks 30-50 years old, as does the carpet. The wallpaper is peeling in the bathroom. $1000 in updates would make this place a 5-star property and feel like something really special. The chairs in the living room are terribly uncomfortable, the kitchen "table" was really like a card table and very beat up. The peeling wallpaper is unsightly and just off-putting. I was also a little disappointed in the cleaning - there were crumbs (or something else worse) in one of the kitchen drawers, and I found both some utensils and a pan that had been put away dirty by a previous guest and not cleaned by staff. Like I said, we would stay again without hesitation. But again, a bit more investment and attention to detail would knock this place out of the park.

10

Kimberlee

Jul 30, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

We loved our stay here! Very nice staff. Super clean room. Perfect accommodations. Very close to everything. & even a small ocean view. Will definitely stay here again!

8

Kelly

Sep 5, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Great location, spacious room. Walking distance to everything, including the beach. Staff was friendly, room was clean.

10

Jordan

Nov 11, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Clean comfortable room, and they accommodated my late check in!

4

Mary

Dec 13, 2022

·

Stayed 1 night

The room was dirty. Hair on the bathroom floor and hair in our bed. Very grossed out.

10

Melanie

Mar 14, 2024

·

Stayed 3 nights

The cottage was small and quaint, with good insulation. Could not hear others in the rooms or bathroom and if doors were shut could not hear outside traffic. The building next door was under construction but noise was minimal. The beds were clean and pretty comfortable but space was limited. Bathroom had some spots that could have been cleaned better. Towels were nice. The kitchen was small, we did not attempt to cook. the supplies for cleaning kitchen was lacking and there were some mildew sponges under sink that smelled. After buying new sponge and cleaning plates all was good. Great location just a block from a little grocer store and a nice stroll through shops and restaurants to the beach. The town seemed pretty slow paced and the beach was not over crowded.

10

Olivia

Dec 17, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Clean room and so welcoming and cozy! Love staying here at briarwood!

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Rooms

Room types range from small, cozy rooms to spacious suites and cottages; decor is often dated, sound insulation is weak, showers can be tight, beds vary in firmness, and Wi‑Fi is sometimes slow or inconsistent.

Related guest reviews

6

lionel

Sep 5, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Cute place but in need of repair and updates .

6

Alexander

May 19, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Typical not expensive Carmel hotel. Area when most hotels are located, close to good restaurants. Small room. Very thin walls, you hear everything in neighbor rooms and outside as if they are walking in your room. Not very convenient mattress. Microwave and kitchen utensils inthe room, but strangely no bottle opener. Some websites say they have breakfast; pictures in sites including this one show breakfast served. Not true; they do not provide breakfast.

6

Carl

Feb 6, 2025

·

Stayed 4 nights

This is a nice place and we have stayed here before. Though it is very dated now and needs to be remodeled.

8

Matthew

Apr 14, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Quick trip with my brother & puppy while I attended a weekend workshop in Big Sur. I would’ve given it a 5-star rating, but the WiFi was really inconsistent & slow. Overall, cute, clean & comfortable stay that was conveniently located.

10

Sofia

Dec 18, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

The room was really a suite. It exceeded my expectations.

8

Colin

Mar 24, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Overall, a very nice place to stay, centrally located which allows you to walk everywhere. Only downside, the mattress in our room was very hard and the linens were rough.

8

Mimi Holiday

Aug 20, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Quaint and decent overall but no AC in room. Very small shower.

8

Alexandre

Jun 26, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Briarwood Inn is a great option to stay when visiting Carmel. It is close to the city center (you can do several activities on foot), and the rooms are large and comfortable. The only thing I would say needs improvement is the internet (very slow). I recommend this place to anyone looking for good accommodation options to enjoy a great trip to Carmel.

6

violet m

Jul 8, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

You could hear conversations from room next door. Walls are too thin. People staying upstairs were awake all night long and could hear them would back and forth. Did not get good sleep

10

Caitlyn

May 10, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

It was nice and very convenient to just walk into town. Front desk was very friendly .However staying on the ground floor w a room above was very very very loud. Anytime people used the stairs it was clunky loud noise. People above us probably walking and talking normally was so loud. We heard their baby cry too during the night. The occupied rooms next to us we didn't hear anything. Try not to stay in a ground floor room. They could use curtains to keep more light out.

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Service

Staff are frequently described as friendly and accommodating, yet guests also report limited front-desk availability (lunch closures/evenings), strict early check-in policies, and occasional brusque interactions.

Related guest reviews

8

SPENCER

Sep 9, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

No front desk available during lunch break. No option for slightly early check in. No AC room was warm. Parking too tight but convenient. Spacious room and comfortable bed. Good size and clean bathroom. Close to dining and shops.

4

Christine

Jun 30, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

The lady made it clear there would be no possibility of an early check in and made a point of it by closing the hotel for an hour right before check in. It was a courtesy she would not afford anyone. It says a lot about their hospitality.

8

WAYNE

Sep 11, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

The Stevenson House is a good choice but needs a new sofa and should provide bar soap instead of the dispensers in the shower. Also the desk agent on Sunday had a definite attitude problem. She was curt and dismissive and not at all welcoming.

10

Joe

Dec 3, 2022

·

Stayed 19,324 nights

My daughter and husband stayed on the second floor. Beautiful unit. Great setup. Fireplace, mini refrigerator. Parking was included on this unit. If you stay here, get a unit upstairs. Staff was incredibly helpful and friendly. Great location near Ocean Ave.,

4

Jennifer

Aug 26, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Our check in experience was terrible. The hotel rarely answers their phone and they sont return messagwa.

10

Robin

Sep 5, 2023

·

Stayed 3 nights

The front desk was very accommodating. Yes, you might have steps but due to an injury I had to request a downstairs room. Fabulous service and yes they graciously moved us. If you select convenience over fancy choose this hotel. Walkable to the beach, convenient to Carmel shopping and you don't have to find street parking. The room could use a little updating (new blinds) but nothing that you can't live with for a few days.

10

Dana

Aug 11, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

We had a comfortable stay at Briarwood Inn. Upstairs unit that included a parking spot. I recommend getting the parking spot as street parking is limited as Carmel is so popular. Check in was friendly and easy. Room was very clean and comfy bed. Coffee pot w coffee packet was nice for morning. Mini fridge was perfect. We ate at nearby Brophy’s Tavern for a great lunch then went over later before 10 pm for a nightcap. Area very walkable. Supper was at Portabella and was great. We stayed one night but next time we will stay longer. Perfect location.!

10

Stacey

May 1, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Staff was friendly and very attentive.

4

AARON

Jul 6, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Beautiful setting, quaint room. Front desk gave no info on free street parking available, so had to move car every 2 hours. No mention of shared balcony. Requested no maid service for privacy sake and front desk woman was rude to me in front of another guest when asked where I could deposit the trash.

10

Yvette

Dec 14, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Tiffany at the front desk made us feel so welcomed. She was a pleasure to meet. The beds are so comfortable and cozy. Also, the bath products are the best! High end toiletries were a plus. The coffee in the room was very delicious. Everything was perfect! We will be back. 😁

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Location

Consistently praised for being walkable to Ocean Avenue, shops, restaurants, and the beach, with some guests noting a generally quiet setting.

Related guest reviews

10

Lisa

Jun 10, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Nice clean property, amazing location that was quiet and convenient to all Carmel has to offer.

8

Beth

Oct 2, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

This location is quiet and excellent for walking around Carmel where parking is generally scarce.

10

Robert

Nov 14, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Greta room in a great location. Walking distance to all you want to see in Carmel.

10

Jerry

Apr 25, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Great location. Definitely will recommend to friends and family.

8

Kelly

Sep 5, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Great location, spacious room. Walking distance to everything, including the beach. Staff was friendly, room was clean.

10

Wilson

Jul 13, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Great place and location

8

Tushar

May 13, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Nice location, in the heart of the city .

10

Tim

May 11, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Very quaint spot centrally located in Carmel. Can walk to almost everything in town.

10

Marek

Apr 18, 2024

·

Stayed 4 nights

Great location.

10

Sarah

May 7, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Only stayed for one night but room was clean and bed was comfy, really close to all the shops and the beach. Would definitely stay again for the price.

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Dining

There is no on-site breakfast despite some listings indicating otherwise; beyond that, reviews provide little detail about dining options at the property.

Related guest reviews

8

MannyAda

Mar 28, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The room was nice with a little kitchenette equipped with utensils, which we used to make breakfast. Was great since they did not provide breakfast. Staff were friendly and very accommodating. The main strip (Ocean Ave.) was just a couple blocks away and a nice walk to the beach. Briarwood is PET FRIENDLY! The only criticism I would have about our room was the shower. It is very cramped. Other than that, this place GOOD!

4

Rachael

Apr 25, 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

For the price I give this place 2 stars. The check in process was easy but the office closes at 7pm. There is no breakfast. I stayed in the Dickinson which had a microwave, fridge & parking spot. The room is outdated but I’m not too picky on appearance. The location is great. It’s an easy walk to Carmel’s restaurants and shops. My complaint is its way too overpriced for a room. The noise from other guests or people nearby was absurd. The walls are paper thin, you can hear every single movement from other guests. Theres a back gate that possibly restaurant staff go through multiple times in the night. It sounded like sandbags were being transported & thrown around from 11:30-2am. It is a pet friendly property and I heard dogs yelping from being hit by their owner. Although this isn’t the property’s fault, for the price I’d stay somewhere else.

6

Lynn

Sep 25, 2024

·

Stayed 4 nights

Had To pay extra for maid service. Nothing for simple breakfast like continental. Everything way to expensive these days.

6

Alexander

May 19, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Typical not expensive Carmel hotel. Area when most hotels are located, close to good restaurants. Small room. Very thin walls, you hear everything in neighbor rooms and outside as if they are walking in your room. Not very convenient mattress. Microwave and kitchen utensils inthe room, but strangely no bottle opener. Some websites say they have breakfast; pictures in sites including this one show breakfast served. Not true; they do not provide breakfast.

4

JONAH

Jul 24, 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

When I booked the room it said breakfast was included. It is not and has not been since sometime in 2020 or 2021 due to COVID. I would not have booked the room if I’d known. Perhaps Expedia didn’t add this or Briarwood didn’t let them know until recently.

10

Kirk

May 1, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

We were very disappointed this time to see the condition of the hotel with plastic tarp on the roof. Very old now need some updating. And the front office so sad to see that it has turned into shelves of books instead of the sweet little breakfast nook at once was.

6

Carl

Aug 14, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Pros: We liked the centralized location, exterior and interior appeal, the large size of the room and additional features such as a full wet bar and gas fireplace. We also liked not having occupants above or bellow us. Cons: There are wooden blinds instead of curtains. At night, people could easily peer inside our room at the edges of the windows. The blinds also unfortunately allow light to enter the room while sleeping. When had to pull a couple sofa cushions out after something fell in between them. It was a little gross to find a lot of crumb-like things there. It would have nice to find directions on how to light the gas fireplace. The parking lot driveway as well as the parking spots themselves are quite narrow. I was nervous my car was going to get damaged. It is unfortunate the hotel no longer offers breakfast. For what they charge, they really should bring it back. We felt the cost of our room was overpriced at $439 per night.

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Month	Average price
January	$170
February	$189
March	$205
April	$247
May	$271
June	$270
July	$307
August	$348
September	$271
October	$251
November	$205
December	$204

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
				1 $227	2 $794	3
4 $263	5 $263	6 $265	7 $263	8 $263	9 $467	10
11 $357	12 $310	13 $263	14 $298	15 $297	16 $395	17
18 $277	19 $218	20 $218	21 $218	22 $218	23 $369	24
25 $208	26 $208	27 $208	28 $207	29 $208	30 $265	31 $267

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
		1	2	3	4	5
6	7	8	9	10	11	12
13	14 $469	15 $210	16 $223	17 $290	18 $519	19
20 $232	21 $264	22 $232	23 $232	24	25	26
27 $319	28 $202	29 $227	30 $228

Select dates to see prices and availability

Monthly average prices

About this property

Location

Room options

Sommerset Room, 1 King, Parking (Pet Friendly)

Stephenson 5 Room, 1 Queen, No Parking (Not Pet Friendly)

Dolores Cottage 4 (Not Pet Friendly)

Dickens Deluxe Room, 1 King, Parking (Not Pet Friendly)

York Room, 1 Queen, No Parking (Not Pet Friendly)

Penthouse Suite Luxury Condo, Full Kitchen, Parking (Not Pet Friendly)

Dolores Cottage I (Pet Friendly)

Stephenson 4 Deluxe Room, 1 King, Parking (Not Pet Friendly)

Ashley Room, 1 Queen, No Parking (Not Pet Friendly)

Chelsea Room, 1 King, Parking (Pet Friendly)

Oxford Deluxe Room, 1 King, Parking (Not Pet Friendly)

Stephenson 3 Deluxe Room, 1 King, Parking (Not Pet Friendly)

Regency Room, 1 King, Parking (Not Pet Friendly)

St. Anne Deluxe Room, 1 King, Parking, Jacuzzi Tub (Not Pet Friendly)

Cambridge Deluxe Family Cottage, Full Kitchen, Parking (Pet Friendly)

Greenwich Room, 1 King, Parking (Pet Friendly)

Stephenson 2 Deluxe Family Unit, Full Kitchen, Parking (Not Pet Friendly)

Windsor Room, Two Beds, Parking (Not Pet Friendly)

Stephenson House Luxury Private Rental, Full Kitchen, Parking (Not Pet Friendly)

Stafford Room, 1 King, Parking (Not Pet Friendly)

Eton Room, 1 King, Parking (Not Pet Friendly)

Essex Room, 1 Queen, No Parking (Not Pet Friendly)

Bedford Deluxe Room, 1 King, Parking (Not Pet Friendly)

Mayfair Room, Two Beds, Parking (Pet Friendly)

Guest reviews

Fabulous

Who stays here?

What guests think

Property Policies

Check-in instructions

Good to know

Optional extras

FAQs about Briarwood Inn

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