17th Annual Carmel Heritage Society Inns of Distinction - 2015 - Part 3 - Pine Inn and Lobos Lodge

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A block south of Happy Landing Inn are the next two hotels on our tour, Pine Inn (NE Corner Ocean and Monte Verde) 

and Lobos Lodge (NW Corner of Ocean and Monte Verde). 

These two inns, which sit across the street from each other have a rather entwined history. Here is a little background.  

In 1889, Delos Goldsmith, Carmel City's first builder, erected the first hotel in town on the northeast corner of Ocean Avenue and Broadway (now Junipero).  The Hotel Carmelo was a two story wooden structure with eight guest rooms. The picture below shows Hotel Carmelo c. 1890.  

In 1903, Hotel Carmelo was purchased by Devendorf and Powers of the Carmel Development Company. It was partially dismantled, hoisted onto pine logs, and pulled by mule down Ocean Avenue to its present site. (Devendorf and Powers wanted their guests to be closer to the beach.) The original front of the Carmelo Hotel (shown below) today faces west on Monte Verde 

and is the current entrance to II Fornaio.    

On July 4, 1903 the Hotel Carmelo was reopened to great fanfare as the Pine Inn.  The picture below of the Pine Inn is from the first Carmel Development Company brochure early 1900's.

In 1920, John Jordon, actor, scholar, and former mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea from 1926 - 1928, purchased the Pine Inn.  The inn had become so popular that a campground had to be added for the overflow guests.

The Sanborn fire map below from 1924 shows the tent campground on the northwest corner of Ocean and Monte Verde across from the Pine Inn. This is the lot where the Lobos Lodge would ultimately reside. In 1924 the map marked the area as Tent Cabins.

                        

John Jordan owned the Pine Inn for 20 years.  According to building permits on file at City Hall, Jordan added stucco buildings to the northwest corner property in 1924 and 1930. They were then called the Pine Inn Cottages.  The Sanborn fire map below from 1930 shows 13 structures on the Pine Inn Cottages property. 

Sometime between 1930 and 1940, Jordan sold this property to Tirey Ford who ran the property as Lobos Lodge. The 1930 - 1962 Sanborn Map shown below verifies this name change.

Tirey Ford took out three building permits during 1940 for alterations and a remodel of the cottages.  The picture post card shown below is of  Lobos Lodge c. 1940.  

Herman W. Fletcher of Pebble Beach purchased Lobos Lodge in the 1960's.  In 1973 the cottages were torn down and Will Shaw was hired to do the design,  Steven Sassoon & Associates Civil Engineers and Kraftzeck the construction of the current Lobos Lodge 

which today consists of six buildings 

with a total of 30 rooms.

Our tour of Lobos Lodge begins with a

tasting from Carmel's newest wine room, Carmel Road.  The grapes come from vineyards located on the eastern and western foothills of the Salinas Valley, but you don't need to go that far to enjoy Carmel Road wines their new wine room is located in the Pine Inn Courtyard on Lincoln. If you are a fan of Drew Barrymore stop by and try her 2013 Barrymore by Carmel Road Pino Grigio.

 The Inns of Distinction tour tasting served up two options, a 2013 Unoaked Riesling and 2013 Pinot Noir. 

My favorite neighborhood grocery and deli Bruno's provided meat and cheese platters that perfectly accompanied the cup of  

hearty Greek Lemon Soup.  Our soup was provided by the President of Carmel Heritage Society, Dawn Dull.  She masterfully whipped up five gallons of this delicious soup which was consumed within the first 90 minutes of the tour.

Lobos Lodge opened two rooms for viewing.  I had never toured this hotel before and was pleasantly surprised to find the that the rooms were quite spacious with very high ceilings.   

Room 51 on the lower level is an Intermediate King.  It  does not have a private patio but  has plenty of sitting area by the cozy fireplace. 

Room 44 is on the upper level  

and also an Intermediate King with a fireplace.

Now back to the history of the Pine Inn.  I left off around 1940 which was the year Harrison Godwin became the owner. Harrison had previously owned the La Playa Hotel with his brother Fred.

After purchasing the Pine Inn, Harrison closed the inn for five months for remodeling - reopening April 1, 1941. He changed the interior design to French Victorian and added 12 shops to the courtyard, a garden dining area, rooftop garden, and the Red Parlor Pub. The Red Parlor Pub was quite popular until its closing in 1995.  The area where the pub once stood, across the hall from the old fashioned Letter Box, now serves as offices for Pine Inn staff. 

The current owners, Richard and Mimi Gunner, purchased the Pine Inn in 1985.  Working with their designer Max Davis from Honolulu the Pine Inn interior was transformed once again, this time in a Eurasian Victorian style with lacquered Chinese furniture and Pierre Deux French fabrics. 

Our tour starts immediately upon entering the ornate oval beveled glass door off Ocean Avenue.  Silk tapestries and Poinsettias line the stairs 

to the silk and walnut paneled lobby 

filled with antiques from Europe and Asia.    

 The fireplace in the front lobby dates back to the original Hotel Carmelo from 1889.

Room #10 upstairs

is a Superior King  

 with a charming sitting area, writing desk, 

 and ocean view. 

(That brick chimney sticking out from the rooftop in the photo below is original from 1889.) 

Room #4 is next to the gazebo in the courtyard. 

It is a Deluxe Patio Queen

 with two queen beds, 

sitting area, 

and a spacious Jacuzzi tub. 

Back through the Il Fornaio Panetteria  

to the main restaurant. 

Il Fornaio offered a scrumptious spread with
 house made flatbread Rustichella 

and house made thin crust pizza's -
 Marherita and Vegetariana.  

With my small plate in hand I happily accepted a taste of Rancho Galante 2011 from Galante Vineyards.  

Not usually a red wine drinker, Rancho Galante 2011, a blend of Cabernet, Malbec, Petite Sirah and Merlot was a perfect match with my Rustichella.

With my tasting I received a coupon to enjoy a two for one wine tasting at the Galante Tasting Room in town. 

Located at end of Der Ling Alley off Ocean, 

or the back of Piccadilly Park on Dolores,

 just look for Slim he will point the way.  

We are only half way through our Inns of Distinction Tour - still more to come.  Next up in Part 4 we will visit Monte Verde Inn and Cypress Inn. 

For a map of this years tour and the location of all restaurants and wine rooms which provided food and wine for our tour please visit this google map. 

Below is a video of all the venues. 

Thanks for visiting.  Until next time, Happy Adventures!

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All pictures by L. A. Momboisse unless listed below:
Black and white picture of  Hotel Carmelo c. 1890 - History of the Pine Inn, Nixon files, Harrison Memorial Library History Branch.
Black and white picture of Hotel Carmelo - Hale, Sharron, A Tribute to Yesterday, 1980, Valley Press, p. 11.z
Black and white picture of Pine Inn from Carmel Development Company brochure early 1900's, Harrison Memorial Library History Branch.
3 Sanborn Fire Maps - Carmel-by-the-Sea City Hall Records
Postcard of Lobos Lodge - Mrs. D E, Nixon files, Harrison Memorial Library History Branch.
Black and white photograph of Harrison Godwin - Game and Gossip, May 1955, page 16.