Category Archives: At the Inn

Old Monterey Inn: Reviving the Old World Charm on the Monterey Peninsula

Lawrence Havlick
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Lawrence and Katy Havlick bought the Old Monterey Inn in June 2011 and have been improving upon their Inn’s grandeur ever since.  We’d like to share some of the Inn’s improvements with you, and invite you to come enjoy our Monterey Inn in person!

As spring approaches, our acre of gardens erupts into color and thrives under Katy’s green thumb and creative genius.  We’ve planted hydrangeas, lilacs, roses, rose trees, giant impatiens, camellia, night-blooming jasmine, delphinium, foxglove, and morning glory, just to name a few.  This time of year, the early morning is steeped in fog, shrouding the garden in tranquility and wonder.  The fog lifts in the mid-morning to reveal our Monterey gardens in all of their glory!

This year we put hardwood floors in the sitting room of our Garden Cottage.  Along with a fresh coat of paint and new furniture, the Garden Cottage looks wonderful after its full-body makeover!  You’ll feel like you’ve stepped into an elegant and cozy English cottage, and your view of the gardens right outside the bedroom window will really take your breath away!

Certainly less glamorous than camellia, but important and noticeable all the same, many rooms have received a fresh coat of paint.  Mayfield’s warm yellow, Ashford’s crisp ivory, and Brighstone’s warmer earth tones are all radiant in their freshness.  Our painters painstakingly painted between each shutter and around each doorframe, and their care and artistry is a constant source of pride for us.

Stoneleigh, Chawton, Mayfield, Rookery, and Ashford sitting room have all received new bedding.  Walk into Chawton, and the handmade, tailor-made bedding will give you pause.  If you’ve stayed in one of these rooms over two years ago, come back and enjoy the improvements with us!

For the eco-conscious among us, here’s one for you: we replaced every toilet with a state-of-the-art, designer low flush toilet.  We are going green in style at the Old Monterey Inn!

The list goes on, and will continue to grow in length.  With each passing month, a new treasure finds its way to the Old Monterey Inn.  Find your way here to enjoy all that the Old Monterey Inn has to offer.

Monterey Inn

Romance and Christmas Magic Found at our Monterey Bed and Breakfast!

Lawrence Havlick
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Romance at our Monterey Bed and BreakfastA few months ago we at the Old Monterey Inn posted a blog about the cutest couple who had just gotten engaged at our romantic Monterey Bed and Breakfast. This past week, we were honored to have them return to enjoy a luxurious Honeymoon in the very same room that they had gotten engaged in, the Brighstone Suite at our Monterey Bay Bed and Breakfast. The newlyweds, Mr. and Mrs. Joel and Paula Hamilton, were treated to our fabulous Ultimate Luxury Package, which includes an unforgettable limousine driven Wine Tour through the beautiful Carmel Valley, a romantic Couples Massage by firelight in our elegant Spa Room, fantastic dining packages, and more! I believe their Honeymoon Getaway was a huge success, and a memorable event for the new couple. We will certainly look forward to seeing them on an anniversary in the years to come!

I also would like to thank everyone who made our “Christmas at the Inns” event such a wonderful success. Our Monterey Bed and Breakfast is beautifully decorated for the holidays, and we received innumerable compliments on the decorations, ambiance created by the elegant Christmas songs played by Mr. Michael Martinez (the celebrated pianist from the Big Sur Marathon for you runners out there!), and of course, our freshly baked cookies! With the holiday decorations in place, and our warm fireplaces awaiting you, this is the perfect time to get away from your holiday stress, and enjoy a little pampering at the Old Monterey Inn.

We are currently offering our lowest seasonal rates, and we would love to have you keep us company this winter! Please give us a call or check our website for availability.

Don’t forget what a great present it would be for the people on your list to receive a Gift Certificate from the Old Monterey Inn!! We will take good care of them, we promise!!

Have a wonderful Holiday Season,

Katy

 

 

Monterey Events: “Christmas at the Inns”

Lawrence Havlick
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Monterey Events: Christmas at the InnsWe hope everyone enjoyed a fantastic Thanksgiving Holiday. We at our Monterey Bed and Breakfast had plenty to give thanks for this year, most importantly all of the wonderful guests who spend time with us at our beautiful Old Monterey Inn throughout the year. The holidays are steeped in traditions for most families, and for us at the Old Monterey Inn one of our favorite traditions is, of course, the long awaited opportunity to deck the halls.    

In the first week of December, Monterey is home to an event called Christmas at the Inns. During this festive event, participants are chauffeured around to the numerous inns and bed & breakfasts that host Monterey’s international clientele. During the week between Thanksgiving Day and Christmas at the Inns, we go all out!  Along with our traditional Christmas décor, we also break out the winter recipes!  Expect delectable Christmas themed cookies and refreshments, elegant and nostalgic holiday music, and a breathtaking adorned pine in our cozy living room. Nothing warms the soul like curling up with a loved one next to our wood burning fireplaces with a steaming mug of herbal tea or a great glass of wine from one of our fantastic local wineries from the Carmel Valley.  

Christmas at the Inns is a great way to get in the holiday spirit, and it is one of our favorite holiday Monterey events! If you are fortunate enough to be a resident of the area, this is a great opportunity to check out your local hospitality businesses in full swing!  The dates for this memorable event are December 4th and 5th from 6:00 to 9:00 pm each evening; the Old Monterey Inn is participating on Wednesday the 5th. The Pacific Grove Chamber of Commerce website provides ticket and registration information!

If you’re looking for yourself or for another, we do have gift certificates available for purchase. Giving the gift of ultimate elegance and relaxation is truly priceless! Keep an eye out for our monthly specials and our low seasonal rates!! 

 

 

Monterey, CA’s Historical Cannery Row: John Steinbeck’s Playground

Lawrence Havlick
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Monterey Cannery Row and John Steinbeck's playgroundAs Fall sets in across the States, we are enjoying a spectacular Indian summer here in Monterey. Our 1.25 acres of gardens at The Old Monterey Inn, a Monterey Bed and Breakfast, are steeped in fog in the early morning, and are then basked in the late morning and early afternoon sun. 

Start your day with a gourmet breakfast in our 1929 European style dining room and then enjoy a stroll along the Monterey Bay Coastal Bike Path. See personal sail boats dock amid the barks of sea lions and squawks of pelicans, cormorants, and blue herons. 

The world famous Cannery Row is a mile-and-a-half down the Bike Path. Steeped in literary history, Cannery Row harkens back to the time of John Steinbeck’s former stomping grounds—even today, Ed Ricketts’ (“Doc”) house and laboratory still stand and are available for viewing. As Steinbeck described, “Cannery Row in Monterey in California is a poem, a stink, a grating noise, a quality of light, a tone, a habit, a nostalgia, a dream. Cannery Row is the gathered and scattered, tin and iron and rust and splintered wood, chipped pavement and weedy lots and junk heaps, sardine canneries of corrugated iron, honky tonks, restaurants […] and little crowded groceries, and laboratories[…]”  Discover Cannery Row today and return to the Old Monterey Inn at night—your own luxurious, historical getaway.

You might even discover that Cannery Row, or, as Steinbeck describes it, “the hour of the pearl—the interval between day and night when time stops and examines itself” provides you the unique opportunity to reflect on your own happiness and the beauty that surrounds you in Monterey, California and at our very own Monterey Luxury Lodging: Old Monterey Inn. 

 

Our Monterey Bed and Breakfast Welcomes International Guests

Lawrence Havlick
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Monterey bed and breakfast

Enjoying Breakfast

One of my favorite parts of the day is breakfast time at the Monterey bed and breakfast. The dining room is an elegant backdrop for the fantastic smells wafting from the kitchen. People are relaxing next to the crackling fireplace and getting to know each other while anticipating the next course to be served!

Conversations are always interesting, and I find it amazing how quickly the guests at our Monterey bed and breakfast find common interests to discuss. Especially noticeable, the other morning I scanned the happy faces at the table, and I realized we were fortunate enough to have five different countries represented over our Orange Blossom French Toast. While I served our ‘French Toast’ creation to the family from Paris (I was relieved when they loved it), I realized that the happy discussion among the guests involved people from France, Germany, Australia, Sweden, and the United States. During that same week, we also hosted folks from England, Ireland, and Brazil! They were talking about all kinds of things: travel, food and wine, education, and sports!

Summer always brings a large number of international travelers to the Monterey Peninsula, and we feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to introduce our international guests, and all of our guests to the fabulous part of the world we live in!

 

 

Engaged at our Romantic Getaway in Monterey!

Lawrence Havlick
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romantic getaway in MontereyThe Old Monterey Inn is popularly regarded as a romantic getaway in Monterey for many couples celebrating anniversaries, weddings, and even engagements.

As a matter of fact, on Saturday, July 21st, Joel Hamilton and Paula Prakash stayed in our lovely and romantic Brighstone Suite. That night, Joel found the perfect moment to propose to Paula, and she said “Yes”!  She was so excited that she sent us an email with a darling photo of her and her new fiancée.

We feel honored that people choose to spend such special moments with us, and we take every opportunity to ensure a memorable occasion for all of our guests, including couples desiring a romantic Monterey getaway. Best wishes to Joel and Paula!

Trip Advisor Award for the Old Monterey Inn!

Lawrence Havlick
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Romantic getaway in MontereyGreetings!

Normally we enjoy blogging about local Monterey attractions and events near our romantic Monterey getaway, but today we are going to take a little time to do some shameless bragging about our beautiful Monterey Bed and Breakfast! Last week we received a notification from Trip Advisor that we have received their prestigious “Certificate of Excellence”!  The comments preceding the award from trip advisor read:

“Our travelers consistently commend your property with the highest praise, and we recognize your 5 rating as an exceptional achievement.

   Only the very best in the business are awarded the Certificate of Excellence” 

We are quite proud of our award, and feel very fortunate to have such a wonderful variety of guests who take the time to share their comments on Trip Advisor and other similar sites. Thank you! As a matter of fact, our current Trip Advisor ranking has us rated number one, not only in Monterey, but also on the entire Monterey Peninsula, which includes Carmel and Pacific Grove! Hurray!

Our innkeepers take these comments and suggestions very seriously, and again we really appreciate the feedback. Keep those comments coming!!

Hope to see you all soon at Old Monterey Inn, our romantic Monterey getaway!

New Additions to the Gardens at our Bed and Breakfast in Monterey!

Lawrence Havlick
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Monterey Bed and BreakfastWe love our gardens here at our bed and breakfast in Monterey, and if any of you are gardeners, you can appreciate the challenges of maintaining harmony between resident wildlife, and the flowers, greenery, and vegetables you work so hard to perfect! Our beautiful gardens are very inviting to our guests, and even more so to our resident deer who view it as a veritable smorgasbord of all of their tasty favorites! While the deer and rabbits are quite charming to watch, they seem intent to devour all of your dedication and hard work!

Last week, I have to admit even I was charmed when the doe came into the garden with her two brand new fawns. Perfect little fur balls with huge brown eyes and big white spots! So cute!!! They are welcome additions to our already enchanting gardens as they harmlessly follow their momma around the property, while she eats every rose she can get her teeth on! For now we feel fortunate to witness these darling additions to the property at our bed and breakfast in Monterey!

Fantastic Events are Coming Up in the Monterey Area!

Lawrence Havlick
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We are so fortunate to have our beautiful Inn in Monterey, California! Not only are we located in one of the most scenic spots on the West Coast, but we are lucky enough to have an ongoing calendar of world class events to enjoy while you are visiting! There really is something for everyone!

First I must mention the Pebble Beach Food & Wine Festival, touted as “The Culinary Event of the Year”, coming to the area April 12 through April 15th. Sip award winning wines and rub elbows with some of the most famous chefs in the world: Thomas Keller, Jacques Pepin, and Masaharu Morimoto, to name just a few! It is an extravaganza of food and wine in one of the ultimate settings in the world: Pebble Beach, just a few short minutes from our Monterey Bay Inn! It doesn’t get much better than that!

For outdoor recreation enthusiasts, the Sea Otter Classic is held at Laguna Seca Raceway from April 19th to April 22nd. Billed as one of the largest cycling events in the world, over 10,000 cyclists (beginner to elite, mountain and road) compete in every cycling category imaginable. Sea Otter is also home to the largest consumer bike expo in North America, and draws close to 50,000 cycling fans. It is a great event to watch or compete in!

The weather is great, and we would love to have you join us for any of these events, or just to get away to our Monterey Bed & Breakfast!

- Katy

Romance is in the Air at The Old Monterey Inn

Lawrence Havlick
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This is a follow up to my blog on January 13, 2010.  I know that quite a few of you have been following my story.  After being reunited with my high school sweetheart, Teddy, after all these years, we were married on Christmas Eve of 2010.  Every day we wake up to laughter and go to bed smiling. As I said, the romance and everlasting love that they write about in all those mushy books is indeed alive and happening at the Old Monterey Inn.

Romantic Monterey PackagesAs I said, romance is a big thing at the Old Monterey Inn.  At least once a week someone gets engaged here and we love to be a part of the surprise event.  We are very good at keeping secrets and helping to plan special ingredients to embellish the surprise!  Our Beach Bonfire with the message in a bottle is an example of a unique way to propose!

We also have couples celebrating anniversaries all week long.  These happy couples have been returning to the Old Monterey Inn year after year (some for over 20 years) for their special day.  Some actually got married on the grounds of the Inn, and yes, our Monterey bed and breakfast is available for for small intimate weddings (20 people or less).

So, if want some of the good vibes to rub off, come and visit us at the Old Monterey Inn, the most romantic bed and breakfast in Monterey, and the #1 rated B&B on Trip Advisor.