This is such a beautiful place to stay. The owner, Gabriella is so nice and welcomming. We only had one night in this place, but wished we could stay many more days. The rooms are spacious and luxurious decorated. The garden is stunning, it's so beautiful when the lights are on. Truly a paradise.

This is our second year in a row staying here and there will be many more years to come. Last year we were married on Carmel Beach and the wedding party stayed at the places in the Forest Lodge and our family stayed at their other property, the Lamp Lighter Inn. Both were perfect locations and Inge and Melissa are fantastic at making sure all needs are met. This year we returned to the Forest Lodge and stayed in the Garrett Loft which is a fabulous room. My favorite part of our trip came alive through buying one of their beach bonfire kits with everything (chairs, blankets, firewood, fire starter, lighter,etc...) you need to have a fire on the beach. On the night of our anniversary we picked it up and walked to scenic and 10th (the place of our ceremony) to watch the sunset and then drink wine by the fire when the sun went down. It was stunning and they made it easy.

Charming, while slightly dated cabins. Their small size puts evident limits on storage, but the small kitchen is practical, and the bathroom was adequate. The key here lies in knowing what you get, and be prepared for charm, instead of expecting a modern hotel infrastructure. No air-conditioning, so if it's sunny, the cabins get warm, However, they air out quickly too. The closeness of the cabins and shared walls mean you may overhear noisy neighbours. Service (based at the Lamplighter Inn) was very friendly and helpful, and even offered some personal treats to make us feel welcome.
My friend and I stayed at the Garden House, which was great as we did not want to share bedrooms, but could share the same living space and bath, and enjoyed the small terrace with rocking chairs. The location just at the edge of the centre of Carmel was great to explore the town by foot, while also car-parking is available. We greatly enjoyed staying at the Forest Lodge, and would go back and/or recommend to friends and colleagues who want to spend a few days in exploring the area.
Some of the negative remarks on the Forest Lodge seem to stem from false expectations or insufficient attention to the information given - like the fact that check-in and breakfast are at the Lamplighters, that not every cabin has AC, fireplace, etc.The staff are very approachable, so conversations by phone or email before deciding on a particular cabin could prevent much of the points expressed by some travellers.

The outdoor space at the Lamp Lighter was fantastic. The location was perfect too. I would recommend your Inn to others, but I would not recommend the Garrett Loft at the Forest Lodge (another property of the Lamplighter Inn). The stained glass windows, while beautiful, did not have shades. The nice outdoor lights on the central patio area were not so nice when they shined straight through the window onto the bed. The fan in our room did not work as well. We tried for over 20 minutes to get it operating. At midnight it was 77 degrees in the room even with the windows open and 55 degrees outside. I wonder if the people down below were using their fireplaces? It was a nice room, but very uncomfortable night's sleep.