Perfektes Carmel Home - Spaziergang zum Dorf / Strand

We recently spent a month at Crane House and the overall experience was mixed. The home is located in Carmel's Golden Rectangle within easy walking distance of both the beach and village restaurants and shopping. The location is clearly the highlight of the property. Unfortunately, the home trades on that highlight and is lacking in local management and missing many basic amenities and conveniences. It ultimately feels like a beach house that is collectively owned by a group of siblings who are not willing to invest in it. Furniture is old and mismatched, kitchen amenities were lacking, the home had no iron or ironing board, bedrooms are small with extremely limited closet space, plumbing is old and leaky, there is no true master suite, etc. There was also no check-in process or house manual.. We simply arrived with a door code...were never met by anyone..and that was it. The owner does not employ a local property manager to help with any issues so you are left with issues that go unaddressed. We reported leaky faucets and a toilet that would not stop running and it was not fixed in the weeks that followed. Upon our arrival the home had not been properly cleaned and put back together. Towels were in the washer and dryer, dishwasher was full of dirty dishes, food was left in the refrigerator. The experience could have been improved with the hiring of a property manager, a better cleaning crew, and some minor investment in updating the home.

Best. Getaway. Ever. We LOVED the Crane House in the magical Carmel-by-the-Sea! The owners were friendly, responded immediately to all our questions, and are warm, gracious hosts.

EASY ACCESS. Give yourself, friends and family, the treat of an easy get-away from the hustle of the Bay Area. If you avoid rush hour, it’s just 1.5 hours from the office in SF/Palo Alto to the front door of the Crane House. And another 2-minute walk to the glorious beach.

EVERYTHING YOU NEED. The newly renovated kitchen has an expansive view into the garden patio and cheerful décor so we elected to spend time cooking together. You can prep the appetizers and enjoy an aperitif at the high-top island, while the chef-for-the-day cooks at the gas-top stove. There’s also a full-sized Weber BBQ on the patio, as well as table, chairs and lounges, which we used on our first evening to enjoy wine & cheese before walking to the Village for dinner at the popular French bistro, La Bicyclette. Be sure to make reservations and order the pizza, which belongs on the Food Network show “Best. Pizza. Ever.”—do not miss it!

HANGING OUT. The cozy living room is perfect for group activities—playing board games, sharing stories, and watching the Warriors on the flat-panel TV. The WiFi worked well throughout the home, including the patio, and the sound system gave us all a little musical boost. The beds were comfortable and bedrooms quiet. The entire home is tastefully decorated with the original owner’s sculptures and current owner’s gorgeous photography.

LOCATION! What’s more, the Crane House is located in the Golden Triangle – a few blocks from all the restaurants and cute shops on Ocean Avenue and a short block from the breath-taking Carmel beach. Every morning began, and every evening ended with a walk on that beautiful white-sand beach. We also took meandering walks through the neighbourhood, past Clint Eastwood’s Mission Ranch, to the Carmel Mission. Along the way we took in the original artist/Carmel cottage architecture and landmarks like the Frank Lloyd Wright Walker House.

SO MUCH TO DO…OR NOT! The beach is host to walkers, joggers, families, and lots of frolicking dogs (also welcome in many of the restaurants). There’s surfing, boogie boarding, and tide-pooling. The world-renown Pebble Beach golf course sits on the bluff above. There’s plenty to do in Carmel, the Highlands, Monterey, and Big Sur. https://www.carmelchamber.org/

We can't wait to return!

This was our second stay in Crane House and even though the weather was pretty rainy compared to our prior visit it didn't dampened our fun and appreciation for Carmel. We live beside the Atlantic Ocean in the Boston area so it was especially thrilling to walk along the Pacific Ocean each morning with our coffee. Carmel beach with its surfers, dogs, joggers, and international flavor never disappoints. Our grandchildren played endlessly in the sand and it was easy to cart them back and forth - only two blocks! The house works well for a family as the old folk can be downstairs with their own bathroom and the younger generations can live upstairs. However, on rainy days there really is no where to escape except the master bedroom. The living room is spacious and comfortable and the garden is lovely - full of flowering plants even in February! The kitchen works well with a gas stove and big sink and you can eat informally there or enjoy a fancier meal around the elegant dining room table.

My husband and I spent most of the month alone in the cottage and it was cozy, warm, and wonderfully light. Our favorite walk was down Carmelo, around Carmel Point to the River Beach and back on Scenic enjoying the sunset - a perfect way to end the day!

We recently had a wonderful vacation at this perfectly located house in Carmel-by-the-Sea. My husband and I were there with our two adult children, and the accommodations were ideal. We had peaceful breakfasts on the patio, surrounded by beautiful plantings. We went for breathtaking walks each day. We walked into the main part of town for breakfast out and browsing at the Carmel Art Association gallery. We had dinners around the ample family table, played games, caught some baseball and a movie or two on TV and had excellent wifi access when we needed it. At night, we could hear the surf from our bedroom. The house is spacious, comfortable and homey, enhanced by the beautiful artwork and photographs on the walls. The owners are responsive and make communication easy.

Carmel is a special place, and this house is situated to enjoy it all. We were a 10 minute drive from spectacular Pt. Lobos. We could walk to downtown Carmel in ten minutes. Walking to the beach took less than five minutes. One evening, we were finishing dinner at 8:15, saw that the sun was setting at 8:23, and ran down the lane to the beach in time to witness the whole beautiful sunset over the Pacific.

We heartily recommend this house for your next Carmel getaway!

My husband and I spent a delightful weekend at this Carmel retreat. If you enjoy walking, cycling, hiking, swimming you can have it all while staying at this lovely home. It's a five minute walk to the beach and the sunsets are spectacular. The house is spacious and beautifully decorated without feeling cluttered. In warm weather the large terrace provides another room for dining, lounging, etc. The kitchen is large enough to cook a big meal without tripping over your sous chef, and the bedrooms are quite comfortable and quiet. Many good restaurants and opportunities for shopping are a ten to fifteen minute walk away which is delightful because parking in downtown Carmel can be challenging. We look forward to returning with friends, as this spacious home can easily accomodate four to six people while maintaining a fair amount of privacy. The sights of Monterey and Carmel Valley are a short drive away.