Disclosure: I was provided with a complimentary 1 night stay at Hofsas House, so I could share the experience with my readers. No other compensation was received & all thoughts are mine.
This past weekend, I visited Carmel-by-the-Sea, in Northern CA. I had never been there before, and I was blown away by this one mile radius town. (Anything outside of the 1 mile radius is considered “regular” Carmel.) There are no traffic lights, no neon signs & no fast food restaurants. Instead there are Inns, wooden street signs, boutiques, art galleries, and magnificent gourmet restaurants!
Carmel-by-the-Sea is located right up the road from Monterey, CA… literally! My family, including my brother & niece visiting from Texas, arrived at the Hofsas House Hotel early in the evening. We were greeted warmly by the person at the check-in desk. He gave me the keys to the room, a map of the hotel grounds and a map of Carmel-by-the-Sea. We were eager to check out our room! We parked the car in the covered parking spot, got our bags out of the car & made our way to room #28. (We had a 2 room suite, with a King bed, 2 Queen beds & a rollaway.There were 2 bathrooms, one in each room.) How cute is that Dutch door?! The rooms were huge! There were 6 of us, and we could not get over the size of the rooms.
There are 38 rooms at Hofsas House, all of them are decorated differently. Many have ocean views, some have kitchens and wet bars. Fireplaces can be found in most rooms & suites. Hofsas House has a Wine & Cheese package available for a nominal fee. We found this waiting for us in our room:
But that was just the beginning… we also had a bundle of wood, a lighter & paper… everything we needed to build a fire on the beach. (Carmel Beach is a few blocks away, you can even see Pebble Beach Golf Course from there.) On top of that, Hofsas House also provided us with a S’Mores Package… so we could make them while at the beach! 
I have never been given a S’Mores package at a hotel before- I loved it! The hotel offers all kinds of different packages and specials, just check their website. They are also more than willing to help you plan your evening, whether it be suggesting a restaurant or fun activity-they’ve got you covered. European charm abounds at the Hofsas House. The hotel was started more than 65 years ago by Donna Hofsas & her husband. (Donna’s picture hangs in the lobby.)
Donna’s grandaughter, Carrie Theis, runs the hotel today. She carries on the tradition of casual European elegance, with the warmth of family hospitality. I was struck by Carrie’s passion, she truly loves what she does. As a teen, she spent her summers working at the hotel- it seems natural that she is now running it. Here she is explaining the family crest to me, it hangs on the wall outside the hotel.
This isn’t a big, “corporate” hotel chain. If that’s what you are looking for-keep looking. Hofsas House is family owned & operated. Carrie greets the guests as they arrive & as they check out. Her family works at the hotel with her. She goes out of her to make sure all their guests enjoy their stay at Hofsas House. The hotel feels more like home, like spending the night at a family member’s home, than a hotel. If your grandmother ran a hotel, this would be it! It is charming, & cozy… warm & inviting… and, oh so spacious! I cannot stress that enough!
I took SO MANY pictures while I was at the hotel. There are very special paintings adorning the walls of the lobby. They were painted by Maxine Albro, who also painted the mural on the outside wall that greets all the guests. She was a personal friend of Donna Hofsas. I’m a bit of an art junkie- and I loved these whimsical paintings! 
Aren’t those great?! Hofsas House is dog-friendly, they have rooms set up to welcome your furry friends. That is a really neat option, so many hotels don’t allow pets. There’s also a heated pool, dry saunas, a great meeting room (I hear they’ve hosted quite a few reunions in that room), free wi-fi and did I mention the continental breakfast? Oh yeah… complete with freshly baked pastries from a nearby bakery! (And may I add they were delicious, esp. the croissants with the fruit filling!) 
Here are a few more pics for your viewing pleasure! The hotel is built into the side of a hill, from the street, you’d never know the hotel is four stories tall! 
In the pic below, if you look closely, you can see the ocean in the distance. It was a cloudy, overcast day, so it’s hard to tell… but the ocean is there, trust me! 
One of my favorite pics, my little one leaning up against his cousin as she sleeps… I fell in love with Hofsas House & know we will be visiting again, as soon as we get a chance. There is so much to see in Carmel & Monterey, & Hofsas House is centrally located and makes a great “home base.” The hospitality I witnessed (and experienced), was enough to convince me this is a place I can recommend to you without hesitation. I’d like to thank Carrie & her staff for a wonderful, relaxing visit.
You can reach Hofsas House by phone at (831) 624-2745 or online by clicking here. Be sure to tell them Lynda from This Mama Can Cook! sent you, & enjoy your stay!
