Good morning everyone. This past weekend, Laura and I did a mini road trip from the San Francisco Bay Area down to Carmel / Monterey. If you fly into San Francisco (SFO), Oakland (OAK), or San Jose (SJC), it is a 1.5 to 2 hour drive, depending on traffic. Alternatively, you can fly directly into Monterey (MRY), but that airport has a smaller route network and more expensive flights. I have been visiting Carmel / Monterey for 25+ years. Every year for Thanksgiving week, my extended family would drive up from Southern California to Carmel / Monterey and I would spend time with my grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles. As far as I can tell, not much has changed during that time in Carmel / Monterey. Here are some of my favorite places to stay, eat and visit.
Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel and Spa on Del Monte Golf Course
Laura and I stayed at the Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel twice in the last 3 years. This hotel is a category 4 Hyatt which costs 15,000 World of Hyatt Points or you can use your Free Night Certificate from the Chase World of Hyatt Credit Card. As of January 2020, there is minor construction on the main entrance road and outside the hotel lobby. They are also refreshing the hotel rooms and we stayed in one of the refreshed rooms. The hotel has plenty of parking (all free) and no resort charges. It is very easy to get to various parts of Carmel / Monterey within a 10-15 minute drive. I highly recommend this hotel and plan to come back next year after the construction and room renovations are complete.

Image source: https://www.hyatt.com/en-US/hotel/california/hyatt-regency-monterey-hotel-and-spa-on-del-monte-golf-course/mrydm