Is the food still wonderful at the Ventana Inn in Big Sur? It doesn't have the coastline view like Nepenthe but for dinner it used to be very special.

Kal, you'll just have to have a glass of syrah and ponder that rhetorical question.

le - have you researched the hotels in Carmel? What is your price range? Please research, give more info ie: near the beach, or near shopping, away from the highway, not near town, secluded, etc. Select a few hotels/inns and then come back for fine-tuning assistance. Otherwise, you're just going to get dart-throwing.