Tally Ho Inn: English Charm with a Modern Twist in Carmel-By-The-Sea

Visiting Carmel-By-The-Sea for the first time or as a frequented destination affords a good dose of sensory overload. Art galleries, restaurants, unique homes and businesses and myriad recreation choices are all canvassed by the majesty of the Pacific Ocean.

And there's the potential problem. Like other popular Monterey Peninsula cities, with so much to see and do while visiting Carmel, where's the best place to stay?

It's not an easy choice, particularly considering that within a one-mile radius of downtown Carmel, there are more than 60 accommodation options that combined feature more than 1,000 rooms.

The unassuming Tally Ho Inn is among the most convenient, well-appointed, historic and quaint options.

Located a half-block off of Ocean Ave., (Carmel's main street) near the corners of Mesa Verde and Sixth Ave., the Tally Ho Inn features 12 recently renovated rooms replete with modern conveniences but while maintaining the inn's traditions. Unlike other area properties with lavish entrances, the Tally Ho Inn welcomes guests via a simple, small white brick entry with limited signage.

Now approaching middle-age, the inn's legacy dates to 1964 when it began as a series of cottages used as an extension of the popular Pine Inn, Carmel's oldest inn (It was built in 1889.)

The Pine Inn, located across the street and with a main entrance on Ocean Ave. and the Tally Ho Inn have the same owner, Richard Gunner. During the week, guests at the Tally Ho are given coupons for complimentary breakfast served at Il Fornaio, the Pine Inn's Italian restaurant, bar and bakery.

(Because of early morning commitments in Monterey, I didn't eat breakfast at the Pine Inn. On weekends, however, breakfast for Tally Ho guests is served buffet style in the inn's small reception area. Fresh fruit, pastries, oatmeal, fresh-squeezed juice as well as coffee and tea are offered with a pleasant and efficient approach.)

While the Pine Inn has nearly 60 rooms, in April, 2006, the Tally Ho Inn was renovated, with its former 14 rooms reduced to 12. In addition to many interior upgrades, the room reduction allowed the facility to build a new underground parking lot, and it's no small consideration.

Particularly during busy tourist seasons, parking in Carmel isn't easy. The Tally Ho's complimentary parking is secure and a short walk to any of the inn's rooms. Further, guests at the inn have no need to drive while visiting any location in downtown Carmel.

My room during my stay was a superior king suite, just through the reception area and to the right down a small new brick walkway. All rooms are centrally located around an interior English style garden and original white adobe fireplace.

The renovated superior king suites offer ocean views, fireplace, jacuzzi tub, 42-inch plasma television (and a smaller TV in the bathroom), Bose radio/CD system, refrigerator and heated marble bathroom floors. The rooms are a tasteful mix of modern fixtures, marble and tile with remembrances of the inn's English traditions in bed style, dressers and sitting area couches and chairs.

My first-level room featured a sliding glass door to a small patio with an ocean view. Second levels rooms have an elevated, more panoramic view. But regardless of level, the sunset and sundown skyscapes present ideal chamber of commerce images.

Just inside the inn's small lobby, guests are welcomed to daily copies of the Monterey County Herald, San Francisco Chronicle as well as the weekly Carmel Pine Cone and quarterly magazine Carmel. There's also a plentiful supply of restaurant, recreation and various other area attraction brochures. Complimentary brandy is available self-serve in the lobby during late afternoons.

My recent stay involved some business commitments, and the Tally Ho Inn offers complimentary Wifi internet access. The service was about to be upgraded during my stay and thus wasn't available. But a reception staff member recommended using the connection in the sitting area at the Pine Inn, and it worked albeit with a slow connection speed.

The Tally Ho Inn's staff is professional and knowledgeable. John Lloyd, general manager of both the Tally Ho Inn and Pine Inn, shared with me two of his routines: a nearby casual Chinese restaurant and a tree-lined, three-mile walking loop he enjoys with his family.

The Tally Ho Inn, is located at Mesa Verde and Sixth Ave., Carmel-By-The-Sea, California, 93921. Mailing address: P.O. Box 250, Carmel, Ca., 93921. Tel. 831-624-2232; toll-free 800-652-2632; Fax 831-624-2661. Web site: www.tallyho-inn.com. General Manager: John Lloyd.