Hyatt Carmel Highlands Inn is a historic, coastal hotel located four miles from downtown Carmel, California. We are located on a cliff overlooking the breathtaking Bur Sur Coastline, with an award-winning restaurant, The Pacific’s Edge. We pride ourselves on making couples’ dreams come true for the last 103 years. Hyatt Carmel Highlands Inn promises impeccable service, world-class cuisine, modern amenities with epic ocean views.
Facilities and Capacity
Couples can accommodate up to 150 guests at this unique property. For your ceremony, you can exchange your vows on our romantic, seaside Wedding Deck in open-air. Your guests will take in panoramic Pacific Ocean views and lush gardens at this unique venue surrounded by glass. For your reception, you can dance the night away in our Yankee Point Room, Surf Room or our Oceanside Ballroom. Our rooms have floor-to-ceiling windows of the Carmel Highlands rocky, ocean cliffs.
Services Offered
Our full-service venue offers each couple a limited day of coordinator to assist with your planning process. We are here to help design, coordinate, and bring your unique vision to life:
- Event Time includes use of property for 5.5 hours (including ceremony)
- Set Up & Tear Down of Event Site (breakdown of personal items or vendor items are independent)
- Ceremony Rehearsal (based on availability)
- Folding Chairs provided for Ceremony on the Gazebo
- Tables, Chairs, Floor Length Poplin Linens & Poplin Napkins included
- For your Reception, Flatware, Glassware and Stemware are provided
- Two outdoor heaters provided on the Wedding Deck during Ceremony & Cocktail Hour
- Venue Coordinator to execute the Ceremony & Reception
- Complimentary stay for the Newlyweds, night of the wedding ($10,000 catering minimum)
- Additional Event Time available at $750 per hour + Overtime for all Event Staff and pre-approved before event day. All functions must conclude by 11pm
Cuisine
Couples can choose from a cocktail reception, a buffet, food stations, or a plated meal. Our experienced culinary team specializes in fresh and sustainably local cuisine, which will create a custom menu just for you. We also offer scrumptious hors d'oeuvres and delicious desserts!
Other Services
In addition to hosting your wedding, we'd be more than happy to host your rehearsal dinner in our restaurant, Pacific’s Edge (40 people maximum). This exciting venue features a 870-square-foot deck, a louvered roof and glass-paneled walls with dramatic views of the Pacific Ocean and the Big Sur Coast. Additional events they will host include:
Engagement Party
Bridal Shower
Anniversary Party
Birthday Celebrations
Post-Wedding Brunch
Our wedding at the Hyatt Carmel Highlands was even better than I imagined. The team of Emily, Caroline, and Carla was professional, responsive, helpful, and so fun to work with. They answered all our questions and helped us put together the wedding of our dreams. All three of these wonderful women were easy to work with and attentive the weekend of our wedding. They are a great team, and I am so grateful they were the ones helping us plan and execute our wedding. On top of having a very accommodating and supportive events team, the Hyatt Highlands is stunning venue. I always envisioned getting married along the ocean in the Monterey/Carmel area. When we started looking, we were blown away by the venue and views at the Hyatt Carmel Highlands. We got married on the deck, surrounded by views of the Pacific Ocean and Big Sur. Our ceremony was gorgeous and the pictures are a beautiful keepsake of our wedding. Our reception was upstairs in the Oceanside Ballroom, again with breath taking views of the ocean. Our guests could not stop talking about the venue we chose and how beautiful it was. The food and beverage service was excellent as well! My wedding was my favorite day ever, and we could not have picked a better venue with a better team than the Hyatt Carmel Highlands! Thank you for making our wedding a dream come true! Reviewed on 09-07-2023
Maria Dondero(other)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 23-10-2021 The Hyatt Carmel Highlands was the perfect venue for my daughter's wedding. The setting is spectacular! The views of the ocean and coastline are amazing! When we first met with Jessica we were confident that they had chosen the perfect location.Communication was very good throughout the entire process including dealing with the pandemic pivots. We are so grateful to Jessica, Emily and Lauren. They are a great team. They were so helpful especially during the week before the wedding, and on the day of the wedding they were amazing! We had everything that we needed and more. They were extremely attentive and efficient, and they handled everything with grace. In fact, the entire staff was so helpful, attentive, accommodating and professional. As my daughter so beautifully expressed, it was truly the best day ever! Reviewed on 17-02-2022
Matt J(bride)1 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 07-05-2021 We just had an elopement at the Hyatt Highlands. First, the price is high, non-negotiable and the staff appears disinterested in you to booking the venue. Second, the bridal area is not always included in the package; if it is booked out as a conference room, the option they give the bride to change in and get ready in is the public restroom in the lobby area. This appears to be very strange to get offered a lobby public restroom to change intoa ballgown for the bride. Third, they set out items for the bride to use (such as sanitary pads, corsage pins) and will call you the next morning to ask for them back. For a high price, they would nickel and dime you for things they set out. They obviously do not sanitize these “amenities” in between weddings even during Covid 19 since they call you in the morning to get these items, like pads, back. After leaving a voicemail demanding items, like pads and pins to be returned that morning we were spending with our family, the person that left the voicemail was unable to be reached and never responded to our emails. We had a very poor experience having our wedding here. The team was unprofessional and displayed inadequate communication skills with couples and with each other. We do not recommend this venue at all. Reviewed on 09-05-2021
Courtney Whyte(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 12-10-2019 The Highlands Inn was everything we could have dreamed of for our big day! My husband and I had an amazing ceremony out on the gazebo deck overlooking the ocean followed by a reception in the ballroom. Emily and the rest of the team at the highlands inn made sure the day went smoothly and that everyone was taken care of. We had about 100 guests, most of which were traveling from all over the country, so we wanted to make the trip worth it! Our guests can't stop talking about how great the food was and how beautiful the venue was. Definitely the best wedding venue in the Carmel area!! Reviewed on 19-10-2019
a member (wedding party)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 17-09-2015 As a Wedding Planner, I had a client who was searching for a venue with an ocean view. I searched from Northern California all the way to Big Sur for a venue that would meet my client's high expectations. Of all locations, hands down, the Hyatt Carmel Highlands Inn was the absolute nicest venue with the best view on the coast. The view from the ceremony area is quite dramatic with the ocean waves crashing on the rocks right across the street. The Ceremony area is set way above street level so as a result, the view is spectacular. The weather in Carmel cannot be beat. Even in the supposedly worse month of February, the weather was absolutely gorgeous on the day of the wedding and being outdoors was not a problem at all. The reception rooms are also quite nice and the staff at the venue, especially Shelly Rodriguez was super accommodating, and gracious to me and all of my client's vendors. This is not always the case with other venues. I can honestly say working with Shelly has been the best experience I have ever had at a venue. The requirements at the Hyatt were not overwhelming. As a Wedding Planner, I usually hear more about what cannot be done at a venue, rather than trying to accommodate the wishes of my clients. Not so with the Hyatt Carmel Highlands. They truly care about their client's experience and wish to make the wedding truly the best experience of the couple's lives. I highly recommend the Hyatt Carmel Highlands for weddings. You will be very pleased. The staff is amazing, the view is incredible, the food is great, Sparkler send offs are allowed, the rooms are beautiful. This and so much more! Truly the best ever. Reviewed on 01-03-2016
Tao Jing(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 16-04-2016 The view is really fantastic. Reception room is spacious. Shelly Rodriguez, the the Catering/Events Manager did a really good job. She is personal and professional. We are very happy with her. Reviewed on 28-10-2015
Rosa Lya(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 16-05-2015 Absolutely perfect. Not only is the location breathtaking, but the staff go above and beyond to be professional. Even though I had an outside planner I know that our perfect day was greatly helped by Shelly and Yuri. Communication throughout the planning phase was excellent. There is turnover throughout the year in their staff. I understand that though, the planning process takes a long time and who wouldn't want to promote these wonderful people? My mother in law was delighted with the staff as well. She could not stop gushing about the staff, and obviously, I cant' either! P.S. Thanks Kevin for being an amazing bartender! Reviewed on 25-05-2015
Jennifer Debo(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 28-09-2013 I could not have been happier with the staff & location of the Highlands. My husband & I are locals. We had an intimate wedding, but most of the guests were from out of town & were just blown away by the beauty & elegance of the site. We had our rehearsal & wedding ceremony & reception here, and I could not have been happier. The staff are so attentive to every little matter. Nicole Vidor is in charge of the wedding coordination. (No, she and I are not related. Ha.) Actually, the day of our rehearsal dinner was her first day on the job (although she had worked at the Highlands in another capacity for over 5 years). Nicole walked in & took control better than the person who had been in charge of managing our wedding for the previous six months. She is a gem. The other person made numerous errors (with the # of tables); it could have been disastrous, and I was already so stressed out, but Nicole made everything PERFECT. The wait staff are amazing and want to make sure you feel like you are a queen. \rI cannot say enough about the Highlands. I am so glad we had our wedding here. Reviewed on 15-10-2013
Nichole lewis(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 08-09-2013 Such a beautiful location and wonderful staff.\r\rI would highly recommend this venue to anyone wanting a \"beach\" wedding without having to be on the sand. \r\rThe deck is unforgettable Reviewed on 04-10-2013
Kathryn Lawrence(bride)4 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 06-06-2013 I planned my entire wedding from Japan. I had seen the venue over a year ago just once and I knew it was the place. They have onsite wedding planners that made it all possible and did an okay job of answering my questions. My big thing was having the ceremony/reception at the same place - also having a bar area available for after. Paired with a stunning scenic backdrop this venue was amazing. The rustic atmosphere plus the well done hotel were great.\r\rThe service however, was slightly lacking. To start off, the wedding planner quit, unbeknownst to me, and dropped our plans. Then nobody told us about it. This was about a month to go til the wedding (from what I was told later) and we assumed the planner was just taking her time to respond as she had done before. Nope! So when we arrived they knew of the wedding but had done nothing! Some of the porters were surly as well. The quality and beauty was great, but overall it was not worth the price. If I could do it all over again, I would try harder to find a picturesque place with a more realistic price. Reviewed on 24-06-2013
Sarah Heilbron(bride)4 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 08-09-2012 The view, the food, the drinks, and the wedding staff here were fantastic and very helpful throughout the process. The wedding week/weekend especially was very well handled by the wedding staff. I would absolutely recommend them. Note that the price was high, and they don't offer many discounts/deals because I booked in high season. Worth it for the perfect weather we had September 8th. Reviewed on 04-10-2012
Kimberly Dickerhoof(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 01-10-2011 We were engaged in September of 2010 and planned to be married in October of 2011, high season in Carmel. We called The Highlands Inn in October of 2010 to see if we could consider booking it for our reception. We live out of state and could not make it down to Carmel before January to meet with the catering manager, Beverly Navarro. We were amazed by the fact that they were willing to put our event date on hold with no deposit so that we could make our mind up when we came in January. A place like this could demand money due to its popularity, but they did not. We were so grateful! This was our first clue that we had something special in customer service with Beverly and The Highlands Inn. Since this was a destination wedding we had to rely on Beverly more than most and we put a tremendous amount of faith in her, especially since we had planned a lot of unique details for the reception. Including, but not limited to, a special signature drink for each and every table….some of which were specially ordered. Beverly took these requests in stride and executed them flawlessly for us. Even the minor glitches that occurred on the day of (due to outside circumstances beyond anyone’s control), Beverly was able to reroute without stressing us out to the least. This was wonderful as we had enough on our minds with all the other details of the wedding and weekend events. She was also instrumental in working with Chic Events to decorate the reception room exactly the way we wanted. We really transformed the Surf room into something out of a wedding magazine or TV show. Once again, this is invaluable given that we did not live locally. And the food…excellent! Too often wedding food is little more than cafeteria fare, but these meals were gourmet quality! We really appreciated the flexibility of the chef to customize our food selections. Beverly’s service team was also something of amazement; we were all treated like superstars at our reception. Our guests had nothing but great things to say about the servers and bartender and I think the staff even had a fun time at our reception. The level of quality that The Highlands Inn and Beverly bring to a party is truly extraordinary. To this day many of guests use the term “magical” to describe our reception at The Highlands Inn and many have said it was the best party they have ever been to. We agree 100% and could not be happier with how everything went, we would not have pulled it off with the help of Beverly. Thank you!\r-\tKim & Shawn McEuen Reviewed on 10-11-2011
Susan North(parent)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 28-08-2010 Everything was perfect; it truly was a fairy tale wedding for our daughter. Beverly Navarro, our event planner, made planning a destination wedding a breeze. She attended to every last detail and also provided excellent recommendations for the photographer and florist. The food was exceptional, the staff professional. Reviewed on 04-10-2010
Lori F(bride)5 out of 5 Rating Wedding Date 12-11-2006 the staff, the view, the food;weather in Carmel can be tricky Reviewed on 22-09-2007
Hi lovebirds, my name is Caroline, and I am your Events Coordinator for the Hyatt Carmel Highlands Inn! Our highly sought-after property can accommodate a variety of experiences, including your wedding day and with our gorgeous coastline views, it is the perfect backdrop to say “I Do” at. As your planner, I love creating experiences, including your Rehearsal Dinner, Post Wedding Brunch, Birthdays or Anniversary Dinners! The team and I are very creative and have a plethora of resources as we work for you to create your dream day. I hope I get to plan your big day soon!