El Carmelo Hotel
El Carmelo Hotel was Pacific Grove's first hotel, opening on May 20, 1887. It was built by the Pacific Improvement Company after the Hotel Del Monte burned, and stood on Lighthouse Avenue between Fountain and Grand Avenues. The three‑story building had an attic, 114 rooms, an elevator, and a large attached restaurant. Six cottages on Grand Avenue across the street (built in 1883) were part of the complex. Water came from the Carmel River, and the hotel had its own power plant and gas lighting. Rooms were advertised at $2 a day or $10–$12 a week, and the hotel could host about 185 guests. Guests could use the Hotel Del Monte golf course and other privileges.
The name El Carmelo comes from El Rio de Carmelo, the Carmel River named by Spanish explorer Sebastián Vizcaíno in 1602. In June 1893, the hotel was renovated for the summer, with front gardens, tennis courts, park benches, and a park across the street (now Jewell Park). PIC offered tents to rent at $2.25 a week and a camping ground for $1 a week, with Chautauqua lectures held nearby.
In April 1907, the name was changed to the Pacific Grove Hotel to avoid confusion with Hotel Carmelo and to promote the town. In 1917, the Pacific Improvement Company dismantled the hotel and used its wood to rebuild The Lodge at Pebble Beach after a fire. The empty block was sold to W. R. Holman in 1919 to open the Holman Department Store.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 09:58 (CET).