Highlands Inn, a Destination by Hyatt
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This SpaRator score weighs 40+ data points across six equally weighted categories, drawn from hotel data, booking platforms and 1,706 guest reviews from TripAdvisor, Google and Booking.com, and calibrated against 8 Carmel spa hotels. How SpaRator works
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Spa Hotels · Spa Pricing and Resort Fees · Wellness Travel · Hot Springs and Bathing Traditions
120 Highlands Drive, Carmel, CA 93923View on a mapPublished · Updated
Cheapest Jan–Feb from $470 a night all-in
Choose dates for live rates.
The property has welcomed travelers since 1917.
SpaRator Expert Rating
SpaRator 4.5: LimitedSpa core 4.3
An average of the Spa Treatments and Spa Facilities scores.
4.5 Limited overall · Spa: Treatment-Only · guests rate it 4.3 on Google
7th of 8 in Carmel, October 2026
A clifftop Carmel hotel with a phone-booked massage menu as its spa.
Highlands Inn's spa is a massage-only Spa Adeline location booked by phone, and the guest record reads weaker than the cliff setting promises. The setting is the strength: a heated pool, three hot tubs and Point Lobos about a mile away. A $45 nightly fee covers neither the pool nor the spa. Right for a clifftop base with a phone-booked massage; wrong for a full spa day or consistent service.
Pricing and Availability
- Peak
- Jun–Jul
- $660–$740
- Cheapest
- Jan–Feb
- $470–$540
a night all-in
Live rates for your dates load here. Compare Booking.com, Expedia, Hotels.com, Kayak and Agoda below.
Hotel's own website+1 831 620 1234
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Rate notes, fees and tax
Peak from $659 a night (16 Jul 2027); off-season from $363 a night.
- Peak
- 16 Jul 2027 from $659 room, $791 all-in. That is per night on a two-night stay checking in Friday 16 July 2027, the typical rate across the major booking sites for 16 July 2027, checked 16 Oct 2026, with the resort fee added.
- Off-Season
- Feb 2027 from $363 room, $464 all-in. The typical rate across the major booking sites for a Wednesday in February 2027, checked 16 Oct 2026.
- Rate notes
Fee stack: $45 resort fee a night, mandatory; fee tax $11.57 and Monterey tourism $5.10 a night; self-parking free, valet in the fee; 20% service on every spa price is inside the listed price.
Rates correct as of Fall 2026; verify current availability via the booking links above.
Read in October 2026, the $216 Relaxation Massage for 60 minutes includes the 20% service, and the $45 fee covers wifi, valet and more, as the resort-fee FAQ details.
Spa Treatments
Spa Adeline's Highlands menu is a phone-booked massage list, and the treatment is the whole spa. A 60-minute Relaxation Massage costs $216 with the 20% service inside, across a menu of eight massages. That $216 is the lowest 60-minute massage price of the three Carmel hotels we have a 60-minute price for, with the other two at $270. One recent guest described the spa as hardly an on-site hotel spa.
Spa Facilities
Pool and three hot tubs are the hotel's own, sitting outside Spa Adeline, which offers treatments only. Pool works ran from October 2024 into 2025. Five of the seven other Carmel hotels have at least one heat element. Guests reported one tub out of order and the pool under-heated in June 2025. Later stays put both back in use.
Wellness Programs
A 24-hour gym and the hotel's heated pool are the entire wellness offer, and the property's pages list no classes. Two dated guest accounts call the gym poor and cramped in June 2025 and large but old that October. The 24-hour gym sits inside the $45 nightly resort fee, and July and August 2026 guests describe using the heated pool and jacuzzi.
Staff & Service
Highlands Inn service failures surface across the stay, from check-in to billing, and they outnumber praise. About three in ten reviews make service their main complaint, with long waits at the desk, billing errors and friction over valet and parking. Some guests report a timeshare pitch at the parking desk before they reach the room key.
Experience
Dated rooms lead the complaints at Highlands Inn, named in about one review in five. Google carries the stay record at 4.3 on 1,561 reviews. Its clifftop setting draws the praise rooms do not, and that gap between the view and the room is the trade a guest accepts when booking here.
Value for Money
Peak night arrives at $791 all-in, the second lowest of the six Carmel hotels with a peak all-in price. Fee and tax add 20% at the peak, so the displayed room rate sits below the bill. Booking.com's value score of 6.2 on 133 reviews catches the stay's side of the story, and value complaints fill about one review in six.
Spa Facilities
13 spa facilities: 5 available, 5 not available, 3 not confirmed
Available
5Couples Treatments Couples massages on the menu
Fitness Center 24-hour
Full-Service Spa Massage-only, Spa Adeline at Highlands Inn
Hot Tub and/or Jacuzzi Three outdoor hot tubs, the hotel's
Pool Facilities Heated outdoor
Not available: Cold Therapy, Hammam, Himalayan Salt Room, Sauna, Steam Room.
Not confirmed: Adults-Only Pool or Area, Fitness Classes Included, In-Room Spa Treatments.
Other Spa Facilities
Add-ons of $30 each: CBD cream, a foot scrub, a Korean face mask and a warm-oil scalp treatment.
Spa Menu, Prices and Policies
- Massage$216–$348 · 60 and 90 min$216–$234 · 60 min$324–$348 · 90 min
- Couples massage$432–$690 · 60 and 90 min
- Add-ons$30
- Signature treatmentRelaxation Massage60 min · $216
- Spa hoursThe spa does not publish hours for this location.
- GratuityA 20% service fee is included in every listed price and goes to the service provider.
- AccessYou book treatments by phone with the operator. The spa page does not say whether guests not staying at the hotel can book.
- Day passNo day pass is published for this location.
Hotel Facilities
13 hotel facilities: 6 available, 3 not available, 4 not confirmed
Available
6WiFi Premium, inside the fee
Restaurants Pacific's Edge
Bar Sunset Lounge
Business Center Business services
Valet Parking Inside the fee
Free Parking Self-parking free
Not available: Beachfront, Pets Allowed, Golf.
Not confirmed: Airport Shuttle, Air Conditioning, EV Charging Stations, Concierge Services.
Other Hotel Facilities
The resort is cashless, and stairs are required to reach many of the villas. Meeting facilities support groups.
About This Hotel
Highlands Inn pairs a clifftop Carmel setting with a spa built around one phone-booked massage menu, while the wet side is the hotel’s heated pool and three hot tubs, and guest reviews run below the view. That gap defines this property.
The Spa, Specifically: Spa Adeline at Highlands Inn
Spa Adeline at Highlands Inn is a massage-only operation run by an outside operator, reached by phone at (831) 208-5599 with no online booking for this location. The menu lists eight massages, with the 60-minute Relaxation Massage at $216, and the 20% service fee sits inside every listed price.
Hours, an age rule and a day-guest rule go unstated for this location. Its sister location at the Carmel Beach Hotel lists facials and body treatments. None of those transfer here. Three recent guests wrote about the spa, and none appear to have used it.
Who’s Right, Who’s Wrong
Book Highlands Inn for the coastline: a clifftop room over the coast, the heated pool and three hot tubs, and Point Lobos. Couples who want a massage booked ahead and the view are the right fit. Skip it for a spa day, for Hyatt-brand polish, or for easy stair-free access, since stairs serve many villas. Spa Adeline here is an appointment, not a facility, and the guest record is too uneven to promise smooth service.
Where It Sits in the Carmel Market
Highlands Inn’s heat and water are the hotel’s own: a heated pool below the main building and three hot tubs on the ocean terraces, all outside Spa Adeline, which is treatments only. There is no sauna and no steam room, though most of the Carmel peers have at least one of the two. In place of a thermal suite, the hotel offers the coastline and Point Lobos about a mile away.
| Hotel | SpaRator | Thermal circuit | Spa access for guests |
|---|---|---|---|
| Casa Palmero at Pebble Beach | SpaRator 7.7: Strong | Hot + cold | With a treatment or membership |
| Bernardus Lodge & Spa | SpaRator 7.6: Strong | Heat only | Included |
| The Lodge at Pebble Beach | SpaRator 7.5: Strong | Hot + cold | With a treatment or membership |
| The Inn at Spanish Bay | SpaRator 7.2: Solid | Hot + cold | With a treatment or membership |
| Carmel Valley Ranch (The Unbound Collection by Hyatt) | SpaRator 6.8: Modest | Heat only | With a treatment or membership |
| Carmel Beach Hotel | SpaRator 5.0: Limited | None | hotel guests: access to the wellness spa by appointment (phone-booked, treatments priced); non-guest and day-guest access not published |
| Highlands Inn, a Destination by Hyatt | SpaRator 4.5: Limited | Heat only | not stated |
| L'Auberge Carmel | SpaRator 4.5: Limited | None | no access line for L'Auberge guests beyond the link to the spa's menu: no guest privilege, discount, priority or concierge route; phone-booked at the spa; the spa publishes no day-guest policy |
| Market median | 7.0 |
Scored on Guidelines v9.9
All-in = room, resort fee and taxes per night, from each hotel's dated rate capture.
Is the Carmel Highlands Spa Worth the Price?
Yes for a clifftop Carmel base with a phone-booked massage, accepting the pool and hot tubs as the wet side. No for a spa day or smooth service. The $791 all-in night is a Friday peak reading, while usual peak-month nights run $660 to $740; shoulder months run $510 to $660, and low months $470 to $540.
When to Book the Carmel Highlands
June and July run about one and a half times a January or February night, as a rough guide, with the months between in the middle. Minimum-stay rules can block single weekend nights in peak months, so compare a one-night and a two-night search before committing. Weeks around Thanksgiving and Christmas sit modestly above ordinary days.
- January: low
- February: low
- March: shoulder
- April: shoulder
- May: shoulder
- June: peak
- July: peak
- August: shoulder
- September: shoulder
- October: shoulder
- November: shoulder
- December: shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Low
- Not yet priced
Typical all-in per night: Peak $660–$740 · Shoulder $510–$660 · Low $470–$540
Typical room rate across the main booking sites and the hotel's own site, 17 Oct 2026 to 9 Sep 2027, converted to all-in with the hotel's fee and tax. Months not yet priced are shown hatched.
What Guests Are Saying
TripAdvisor3.0 / 512+ reviews
Google4.3 / 51,561+ reviews
Booking.com7.0 / 10133+ reviews, check rates on Booking.com
The property sits above the ocean with breathtaking views of Carmel Highlands.
TripAdvisorOctober 2025Stay rated 5 of 5Wonderful resort and close to Point Lobos State Natural Reserve. Nice hot tub and swimming pool
GoogleJuly 2026Stay rated 5 of 5The rooms had some spots that could use some TLC. The bathroom was dark and dingy.
GoogleJune 2026Stay rated 3 of 5I called the front desk and they left me on hold for 10 minutes.
TripAdvisorOctober 2025Stay rated 1 of 5What I got instead was a masterclass in how to charge luxury prices while delivering something much less.
GoogleJune 2026Stay rated 1 of 5
Location
120 Highlands Drive
Carmel, CA 93923
Frequently Asked Questions
Where Is Highlands Inn, and What Sits Nearby?
Highlands Inn sits at 120 Highlands Drive, Carmel, CA 93923, clifftop south of Carmel-by-the-Sea where the Big Sur coast begins. Point Lobos State Natural Reserve lies about a mile away.
How Do I Book the Spa?
Book by phone at (831) 208-5599. Online booking is not available for this location. Spa Adeline suggests reserving at least two days ahead, and the location does not state hours, so confirm when you call.
What Does a Massage Cost at Spa Adeline?
A 60-minute Relaxation Massage costs $216, and the other 60-minute massages run $234, with the 20% service fee already inside those prices. Ninety-minute treatments run $324 to $348, and couples massages start at $432 for 60 minutes.
What Does the Resort Fee Cover?
A $45 nightly resort fee is mandatory and covers wifi, the fitness center, coffee and tea, business-center access, laundry, local calls, valet parking, BBQ areas, discounted wine tasting and discounted local golf. It does not cover the pool or the spa.
How Does Parking Work?
Self-parking is free, valet parking sits inside the $45 resort fee, and the resort is cashless.
What Are the Pool and Hot Tubs Like?
A heated outdoor pool sits below the main building, and three outdoor hot tubs, the hotel's own, sit on the ocean terraces; neither sits inside the spa. Pool works closed it from October 2024 into 2025, and it has since reopened. Guests in June 2025 reported one hot tub out of order and the pool under-heated, and later stays used both.
Is There a Gym?
Yes, a 24-hour fitness center is included in the resort fee. Guests called it poor and cramped in June 2025, and large but old in October 2025.
Are Pets Allowed?
No. Pets are not permitted, and a $500 room recovery fee applies per pet if one is discovered. Service animals are exempt.
What Dining Is on Site?
Pacific's Edge serves oceanfront dining, and the Sunset Lounge serves small plates, seafood and local wine with live music on select nights. The $45 fee includes discounted wine tasting.
Where Is the Nearest Beach?
Highlands Inn sits on the clifftop over the coast. The nearest named beach lies about a third of a mile away.
Are Stairs Required?
Stairs are required to reach many of the villas.
What Is the Hotel Called?
Officially, the property is Highlands Inn, a Destination by Hyatt, often shortened to Highlands Inn, at 120 Highlands Drive, Carmel.
Is the Spa Adults-Only?
Spa Adeline's Highlands page does not state an age rule, and the menu is massage-only with a couples option. For hours and day-guest rules, see the booking FAQ above.
How This Analysis Works
Every SpaRator score is built the same way: six equally weighted categories, scored from more than 40 documented data points per property through independent spa and hotel facility research and analysis of thousands of guest reviews, then averaged, never hand-tuned. The result is a consistent, comparable rating across every property we cover. How SpaRator works
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- Platform ratings
TripAdvisor 3 of 5 from 12 reviews; Google 4.3 of 5 from 1,561 reviews; Booking.com 7 of 10 from 133 reviews.
The guest record read for this review was Google-led: 227 Google reviews, 12 on the TripAdvisor hotel listing and 30 on the club listing.
- Sources
- Hyatt.com property and policies pages, spaadeline.com's Highlands menu and locations pages.
- Data gaps
- Spa hours, the day-guest rule and check-in age.
- Guidelines
- Reviewed under Guidelines Version 9.9
- Version history
- October 2026 Full re-review under Guidelines Version 9.9. The Overall score moves from 5.7 to 4.5, with treatments, staff, wellness, experience and value scoring lower; pricing now uses the typical rate across the major booking sites.
Commission from partner bookings never affects a SpaRator score.