Le Petit Pali at Ocean Ave

One of a pair of Le Petit Pali hotels in Carmel-by-the-Sea, Le Petit Pali at Ocean Avenue takes the trademark nostalgia-tinged Palihotels style to another level. Even the bigger, more urban Pali properties feel charmingly home-like, but the bed-and-breakfast–inspired Le Petit Pali inns are even more so; this one, at 34 rooms, is pleasantly intimate, and a fine match for the relatively tranquil atmosphere of this classic California coastal town.

The rooms and suites range from relatively cozy queen rooms to more expansive kings and a one-bedroom, 470-square-foot suite. Some come with gas fireplaces, and all of them freely combine vintage- and antique-inspired furniture and artworks with unobtrusively modern boutique-hotel comforts: rain showers, Nespresso machines, Marshall Bluetooth sound systems, and SMEG mini-fridges.

In keeping with Le Petit Pali’s European inspiration, it features a daily Champagne Continental breakfast, with pastries from the local Rise + Roam and marmalade from Marmalade Grove. There’s also a daily social hour — six hours, if we’re counting — serving California wines and other drinks alongside light bites from other local purveyors. And while a full lunch and dinner service are beyond Le Petit Pali’s ambitions, you’re well placed to explore the local culinary scene.