FALL
’TWENTY THREE
IN THIS ISSUE
Before & After Pics Of The Cottages
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The Cottages Turn 100!
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2024 Calendars Are Filling Up
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Please Refer Your Friends
Dear Friends,
This year, the Carmel Retreats property celebrates its 100th anniversary.
I vividly remember walking into the cottages for the first time ten years ago. I snuck into the broker’s tour before it went on the market and was immediately struck by how much potential I saw, if I could see past the dated decor. In the living room I found old pile carpeting soiled by unsightly stains; a mustard colored wing back chair next to a lazy boy recliner in the living room; and a dated floral sofa beside a smoke stained fireplace. A chair lift blocked normal passage up the staircase. The walls were constructed from magnificent redwood boards but had patchy discolorations from seeping tree tannins. The real estate agent explained that the owners were a 92 year old couple who didn’t want the home to be staged because they were still living there.
Where others may have seen dinge, I saw potential for incredible beauty. I envisioned whitewashing the interiors to make them light and bright. I marveled at the old wavy pane windows and wondered whether the original floors lay beneath the old carpeting (they did!) I imagined hanging period style lighting and upgrading the homes with modern amenities. My twin boys were barely one year old and I imagined spending weekends with them at the beach. I fell in love with the cottages and made an offer on the spot.
For the next ten years, my boys and I - as well as countless friends, family, vacation guests, and personal retreat goers - have created memories in these homes and imparted what I like to call a patina of love. I’ve since researched the history of Eliza Yocum - the seller’s grandmother who built these cottages a hundred years ago after moving west from Appalachia and purchasing sixteen adjoining lots in downtown Carmel for just $50 apiece back in 1916!
Eliza named the main cottage “Cuddle Doon” after a famous Scots poem she encountered during her travels to the UK in 1920. The name means cuddle down, or more generally, settle down and get cozy.
One hundred years later, I invite all my wonderful guests to cuddle down within the walls of these cozy cottages, enjoy an authentic glimpse of years gone by, and discover your own romantic experiences by staying in a piece of Camel’s charming history.
With love and wishes for a wonderful holiday season,
Barry
(and Adam and Jacob)
2024 IS FILLING UP
Dates are filling up for next year and the main house has just two weeks available in Fall 2024. We have good availability at other times, but be sure to make your reservation early so we can offer your ideal dates.
In addition, we recently released dates through December 30, 2024, with advance notice given exclusively to members of our Inner Circle. By booking ahead, you can be sure to get the dates you really want. As always, we offer 100% refunds for cancellations made 60 or more days prior to arrival.
Feel free to give me a call (or reply to this email) if you’d like to talk about booking - or just to say hi! It’s always wonderful to reconnect with my incredible guests.
As a local, family-owned business, our goal is to offer an exceptional experience to an exclusive set of loyal guests. To that end, we hope someday soon to get off VRBO and focus exclusively on the needs of our Inner Circle.
We believe this will allow us to open up more dates for our repeat guests, build a loyal community of visitors who love Carmel as much as we do, and make everyone’s stay even more memorable.
Please help us get there by referring your trusted friends and family. In return, for every referral that results in a booking, we’ll plant an iconic Carmel “Tribute Tree” in your honor in the historic downtown Carmel area.
As a token of our appreciation for choosing Carmel Retreats, we’ve made you part of our “Inner Circle”. We value your trust in us and don’t extend this offer to every guest - just those who treat our cottages with the utmost care.
As an Inner Circle member, you’ll receive:
* Reduced Inner Circle pricing
* Priority advance booking over non-members
* No VRBO/AirBnB booking fees (save up to $1000 or more)
* No damage deposit collected
