Cypress Inn
Doris Day's pet-friendly inn since 1985 — 44 rooms, the village's most-loved patio bar.
The Cypress Inn has been the pet-friendly anchor of Carmel-by-the-Sea since Doris Day bought into the inn in 1985. Forty-four rooms in a 1929 Spanish Colonial Revival building two blocks from Carmel Beach and on Carmel's main pedestrian-shopping spine, with Terry's bar and patio at the front and one of the more reliable casual dining rooms in the village. Pets are not just allowed — they're a defining feature of the operation.
Carmel itself is a town built around the small-Victorian-and-Spanish-Colonial scale, and the Cypress Inn fits that vocabulary. Most repeat Carmel visitors have an opinion about it.
The setting
On Lincoln Street at 7th Avenue, two blocks from Carmel Beach and one block off Ocean Avenue's main pedestrian-shopping spine. The walk to dinner anywhere in Carmel is short. Carmel Beach (the white-sand beach at the foot of Ocean Avenue) is two blocks. Point Lobos State Reserve is five minutes' drive south on Highway 1.
The drive in from San Francisco is two hours; from LA, five. Most guests are doing a Highway 1 weekend or a longer Monterey-Big Sur trip.
The building
A 1929 Spanish Colonial Revival hotel — white stucco, red tile roof, wrought-iron balconies, arched openings, an interior courtyard. The interior leans Neo-Victoriana with a Spanish-Colonial overlay: brass and velvet, vintage upholstery, period-appropriate light fixtures, art collected from Day's career. Terry's — the bar and patio at the front, named for Doris Day's dog — is the property's social center.
The aesthetic is committed and consistent across the three floors and the courtyards.
The rooms
Forty-four rooms across the building. Categories climb from compact rooms (around $425) up through suites with fireplaces, balconies, and the better light. Beds are queens and kings, linens are good, bathrooms are functional and updated. Several rooms have private balconies onto Lincoln Street or the courtyard. Pets are welcomed in essentially every category, with no size restriction within reason.
Food & drink
Terry's Lounge & Restaurant is on-site — contemporary American with a casual register, open to non-guests, with a patio that's heavily used. The bar runs through the evening. The afternoon high tea, set in the lobby with full pastries and sandwiches, is a Carmel tradition that runs daily. There's no formal fine-dining program, but Terry's handles the all-day service.
On the property
A working pet-friendly hotel with the right Carmel amenities.
- Pet-friendly throughout (pets often outnumber guests in the lobby)
- Terry's Lounge & Restaurant
- Daily afternoon high tea
- Walking distance to Carmel Beach and Ocean Avenue
- Open year-round
Who it's for
- Travelers with dogs — the Cypress Inn is the Carmel pet-friendly anchor
- Couples on a long weekend who want walking-distance everything
- Doris Day appreciators (real, and consistent on the guest list)
- Repeat Carmel visitors who want a hotel with a serious bar
Who it's not for
- Travelers who want a contemporary boutique aesthetic
- Anyone allergic to pets (the lobby is pet-dense)
- Light sleepers in front-facing rooms — Terry's runs busy on weekend evenings
Nearby
Carmel Beach is two blocks — the white-sand beach at the foot of Ocean Avenue, with cypress trees at the bluff. Ocean Avenue is one block — the main pedestrian-shopping spine, with most of Carmel's restaurants and galleries. Point Lobos State Reserve is five minutes' drive south on Highway 1, with the Cypress Grove and Bird Island trails. Drive ten minutes north for Pacific Grove and the 17-Mile Drive entrance. Big Sur is forty minutes south. For dinner off-property: Aubergine at L'Auberge, Anton & Michel, Mission Ranch (Clint Eastwood's working ranch and inn), La Bicyclette.
