Luxury Hotels Atlas / Places / United States / Carmel-by-the-Sea / Villa Mara Carmel
Villa Mara Carmel
Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, United States · Independent · High Luxury
Villa Mara Carmel reopened in 2022 inside a 1929 inn built by Basilicio Jesena, a Filipino housekeeper at the Pine Inn, Carmel's first hotel. The adults-only, 16-room property at 2408 Bay View Avenue, a block from the beach, once ran as Holiday House from 1952 and later the Sandpiper Inn, with rooms named for local figures including poet Robinson Jeffers. The house belongs to Leading Hotels of the World, and Michelin gave it One Key in 2026.
- 16 rooms
- Opened 2022
- Architect: Frank Lloyd Wright
About Villa Mara Carmel
- Built in 1929 by Basilicio Jesena, a Filipino housekeeper at the Pine Inn, Carmel's first hotel.
- Guests over the decades included architect Frank Lloyd Wright and U.S. President Gerald Ford during stays in Carmel.
- Previously operated as Holiday House starting in 1952, then the Sandpiper Inn, before reopening as Villa Mara in 2022.
- Grew from its original 11 rooms to 16, several named for local figures including poet Robinson Jeffers.
History
Villa Mara Carmel opened in the summer of 2022 as a small luxury boutique hotel in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, set among historic homes, cypress trees, and gardens a block from the beach at 2408 Bay View Avenue. Designed with contextual sensitivity, the adults-only (21+) property is a member of The Leading Hotels of the World.
Amenities
- Pet-friendly
- Adults-only
Awards
- MICHELIN One Key (2026)
Open Villa Mara Carmel in the atlas for live weekend rates, photos, and the full folio.
More hotels in Carmel-by-the-Sea
- Carmel Valley Ranch, The Unbound Collection by Hyatt — Unbound Collection · Core Luxury
- L'Auberge Carmel — Independent · Core Luxury