Hyatt Carmel Highlands

Wedding Destination of Carmel, Ca

Holds ceremonies and receptions

4.5

Praised by couples for:

Amenities

Helpful staff

Guests comfort

We held our wedding at Highlands Inn, and the venue could not have been more picturesque or perfect! The weather, breathtaking views, and gorgeous lighting exceeded all of our expectations and made the entire day feel magical. Our guests absolutely loved the venue as well! We’re especially grateful to Samantha for making the planning process such a smooth experience. She was always on top of everything, incredibly responsive, and great at keeping us informed throughout the process. On the wedding day itself, everything ran seamlessly thanks to Samantha and her team! The servers, banquet staff, and bartenders were all fantastic, attentive, and on point, making sure our guests felt well taken care of throughout the evening. The food was also a huge highlight! We received so many compliments from our guests about how delicious everything was. We’ve all heard the jokes about wedding food not always being the best, but that definitely wasn’t the case at our wedding! We were so happy that the food exceeded expectations and left such a great impression on our guests. Thank you to the entire Highlands Inn team for helping make our wedding so special and unforgettable! We couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful setting or a better overall experience. We highly recommend Highlands Inn to anyone looking for a stunning venue for their wedding or next special event!

Haotian Y.

5.0

I had my wedding at the Hyatt Carmel Highlands Inn in October 2024. The event planning team at this venue are absolutely killing it. Ever since we first toured the venue, they have been extremely responsive (within 48 hours) and their communication was super clear. On our wedding day, a neighbor was using a wood chipper and Emily P. got in her car to track them down and ask them to stop during the duration of our ceremony. She was successful and this is just one great example of how dedicated the team was to making our day perfect. One thing I really love about this venue is how much the location and building design speak for themselves. Many other venues have your reception in a large room that really is just a bland conference space. The ballroom at the Hyatt is beautiful with two huge fireplaces and a stunning view. You really don't need to worry too much about decor in a venue this gorgeous. The ceremony deck and its view are absolutely breathtaking. The bridal suite fit my bridal party of 8 and the makeup team perfectly. The only big issue with the venue is the amount of stairs. There is really no way to fully avoid stairs to the ceremony site and the rooms since the hotel was built in the early 1900s. They do have golf carts available for guest use but if you have folks in wheelchairs attending your wedding they may have some difficulty navigating the space. Our guests really enjoyed the food at the venue. We had the Argentinian skirt steak as one of our appetizers and multiple guests came up to me during the wedding to tell us that it was one of the best things they had eaten in a while. Others also really enjoyed the ahi poke appetizer. We truly had the most perfect wedding possible and it was largely in part to the two Emilys at the Hyatt Carmel Highlands Inn. They are absolute rockstars and I would 100% work with them again if I could.

Emily K.

5.0

Samantha Scudder

EVENTS MANAGER | WEDDINGS + SPECIAL EVENTS

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 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 $1,500 per hour + Overtime for all Event Staff and pre-approved before event day. All functions must conclude by 11pm Wedding Planner We want every couple to have their dream vision come true and a stress-free day. Therefore, we require of a Day of Coordinator for all events with a guest count over 40+ guests, an event with over 5 vendors, or plan on a DIY wedding. On the day of your event, they will be responsible for your personal décor, menus, place cards, seating chart, signage, wedding favors, guestbook, toasting glasses, point of contact for your vendors, executing your timeline and get you down the aisle! They are required to stay until the end of the event for teardown and gather all your personal belongings. 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.

109+ years in business

Speaks English, Spanish

Small team (2-10 members)

Amenities + details

Amenities

Ceremony Area

Covered Outdoors Space

Dressing Room

Indoor Event Space

Liability Insurance

On-Site Accommodations

Outdoor Event Space

Reception Area

Wireless Internet

Ceremony Types

Civil Union

Commitment Ceremony

Elopement

Interfaith Ceremony

Non-Religious Ceremony

Religious Ceremony

Second Wedding

Vow Renewal Ceremony

Settings

Ballroom

Beach

Waterfront

Historic Venue

Hotel

Restaurant

Venue Service Offerings

Bar & Drinks

Cakes & Desserts

Other Desserts

Destination Weddings

Destination Wedding Packages

Food & Catering

Planning

Rentals & Equipment

Tents

Service Staff

Any questions?

Meet the team

Samantha Scudder
Events Manager | Weddings + Special Events
Hello Brides and Grooms! I’m Samantha, the Events Manager specializing in weddings at Hyatt Carmel Highlands. One of my favorite things about weddings is that no two are ever the same. Each couple brings their own style, story, and vision to their celebration. From the smallest details to the big moments, our Events and Banquet team takes great pride in creating a day that feels completely YOU. And, of course, having the beautiful Carmel Highlands coastline as your backdrop certainly doesn’t hurt! 😊
Adrienne Davis
Events Coordinator
My name is Adrienne Davis, I'm the Hyatt Highlands Events Coordinator!
Emily Duci
Events Manager | Elopements + Proposals
Hi Brides and Grooms! I’m Emily Duci, Events Manager at Hyatt Carmel Highlands, specializing in corporate groups, intimate weddings, elopements, and proposals. I’m passionate about creating memorable experiences and bringing each event to life with thoughtful attention to detail, a welcoming approach, and a commitment to exceptional service.

4.5

out of 5.0

20 reviews

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Review Summary

This AI-generated summary is a snapshot of this vendor's ratings and feedback.

Hyatt Carmel Highlands is a stunning, picturesque venue with breathtaking views, a beautiful ballroom, and a dramatic ceremony deck. The planning team was highly responsive and organized, and staff were attentive and professional, making the day run smoothly. The food was widely praised, though the historic property’s many stairs can pose accessibility challenges despite golf cart assistance.

Search reviews

Haotian Y

We held our wedding at Highlands Inn, and the venue could not have been more picturesque or perfect! The weather, breathtaking views, and gorgeous lighting exceeded all of our expe...

ctations and made the entire day feel magical. Our guests absolutely loved the venue as well! We’re especially grateful to Samantha for making the planning process such a smooth experience. She was always on top of everything, incredibly responsive, and great at keeping us informed throughout the process. On the wedding day itself, everything ran seamlessly thanks to Samantha and her team! The servers, banquet staff, and bartenders were all fantastic, attentive, and on point, making sure our guests felt well taken care of throughout the evening. The food was also a huge highlight! We received so many compliments from our guests about how delicious everything was. We’ve all heard the jokes about wedding food not always being the best, but that definitely wasn’t the case at our wedding! We were so happy that the food exceeded expectations and left such a great impression on our guests. Thank you to the entire Highlands Inn team for helping make our wedding so special and unforgettable! We couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful setting or a better overall experience. We highly recommend Highlands Inn to anyone looking for a stunning venue for their wedding or next special event!

Erin C

I would give this venue zero stars if I could, but the location is beautiful, so one star. We initially worked with an event planner for our wedding, Allison, who quit without any...

notice. No one from the venue reached out, and we were left completely in the dark for weeks. A month before our wedding I had to call the front desk daily to try to get any information on who our point of contact was. I was sent to multiple different voicemails (with no response), and even resorted to attempting to contact staff on LinkedIn with no response. It was incredibly stressful and honestly ruined the entire wedding planning process. We eventually had to track down a new planner, Monica, ourselves. She had no information and relied on us to reexplain everything weeks before the wedding. The disorganization continued. Our rehearsal started an hour late because no one could find Monica, and on the wedding day, the suite where I was supposed to get ready was locked so I had to run around the property trying to find someone to let me in. The ceremony itself was beautiful, but everything leading up to it was chaotic due to poor communication and lack of professionalism. To top it off, six months later we were contacted saying they had “forgotten” to charge us and needed payment. This venue may be stunning, but working with the events team was a nightmare. There are far better options in Carmel. Book elsewhere. *there is a new event planner as of 2026 so I cannot speak to how they are

Any questions?

Emily K

I had my wedding at the Hyatt Carmel Highlands Inn in October 2024. The event planning team at this venue are absolutely killing it. Ever since we first toured the venue, they have...

been extremely responsive (within 48 hours) and their communication was super clear. On our wedding day, a neighbor was using a wood chipper and Emily P. got in her car to track them down and ask them to stop during the duration of our ceremony. She was successful and this is just one great example of how dedicated the team was to making our day perfect. One thing I really love about this venue is how much the location and building design speak for themselves. Many other venues have your reception in a large room that really is just a bland conference space. The ballroom at the Hyatt is beautiful with two huge fireplaces and a stunning view. You really don't need to worry too much about decor in a venue this gorgeous. The ceremony deck and its view are absolutely breathtaking. The bridal suite fit my bridal party of 8 and the makeup team perfectly. The only big issue with the venue is the amount of stairs. There is really no way to fully avoid stairs to the ceremony site and the rooms since the hotel was built in the early 1900s. They do have golf carts available for guest use but if you have folks in wheelchairs attending your wedding they may have some difficulty navigating the space. Our guests really enjoyed the food at the venue. We had the Argentinian skirt steak as one of our appetizers and multiple guests came up to me during the wedding to tell us that it was one of the best things they had eaten in a while. Others also really enjoyed the ahi poke appetizer. We truly had the most perfect wedding possible and it was largely in part to the two Emilys at the Hyatt Carmel Highlands Inn. They are absolute rockstars and I would 100% work with them again if I could.

Anastasia B

I can’t thank Emily and Emily enough for the incredible job they did as our wedding coordinators at the Highlands Inn! From the very beginning, they were incredibly responsive, ma...

king the planning process feel seamless. On the day of the wedding, their organization was outstanding. They kept everyone on schedule, ensuring that everything ran perfectly without a single issue. The servers, banquet team, and bartenders were all exceptional, providing top-notch service that made our guests feel pampered and well taken care of. The venue itself was absolutely stunning! We used the outdoor gazebo deck for our ceremony, which provided a beautiful backdrop, and the wine room for our reception was simply enchanting. It created the perfect atmosphere for a magical evening. With Emily and Emily's seamless coordination and the amazing team at Highlands Inn, we didn’t have to lift a finger—we were able to fully enjoy our special day without any stress. If you’re looking for coordinators who are not only skilled but also genuinely care about making your day perfect, I can’t recommend Emily and Emily highly enough! They truly made our wedding unforgettable. Thank you all for everything!

William J

We had a fantastic experience at the Hyatt Carmel Highlands and would definitely recommend! Emily especially made the day go so smoothly and stress-free. We are so appreciative of ...

her, and of the venue overall; it was a perfect, beautiful day!

Georgi C

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. Th...

ey 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!

Maria D

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 Jes...

sica 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!

Matt J

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 i...

s 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 into a 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.

Scott Y

My fiancée and I were one of the many couples who had to change their wedding plans due to COVID-19. Our original wedding in Malibu was cancelled in May. Our venue informed us th...

at we would have to wait until 2021. Instead, we decided to elope. We chose Hyatt Carmel Highlands because of its beautiful location. We met with Jessica and Lauren who walked us through every step of the process. Jessica connected us with their preferred vendors who we could not be happier with. The week before our wedding, tragedy struck and the fires in Northern California hit the region. Jessica proactively reached out to us to let us know that the smoke may be a concern. My fiancée and I were devastated to face the likely possibility that we would have to cancel/postpone our wedding again. However, Lauren was nice enough to take pictures of the venue and view which gave us the assurance we needed to move forward. On the day of our wedding, the level of service Jessica and her team provided to us was truly exceptional. Throughout the event, they were attentive to our guests (even our family who attended via Zoom). The view from the gazebo where our ceremony took place was more breathtaking than the pictures. If you are considering an elopement or wedding post-COVID, look no further.

Response from Hyatt Carmel Highlands

Thank you for such a thoughtful note. We are thrilled that it was the perfect start to you...

r happily ever after together! With love, The Events Team at Carmel Highlands Inn

Courtney W

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 recep...

tion 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!!

Anonymous

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 c...

lient'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.

Tao J

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 ha...

ppy with her.

Rosa L

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 wa...

s 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!

Jennifer D

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. I cannot say enough about the Highlands. I am so glad we had our wedding here.

Nichole l

Such a beautiful location and wonderful staff. I would highly recommend this venue to anyone wanting a "beach" wedding without having to be on the sand. The deck is unforge...

ttable

Kathryn L

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 an...

d 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. The 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.

Sarah H

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.

Kimberly D

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 conside...

r 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! - Kim & Shawn McEuen

Susan N

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.

Lori F

the staff, the view, the food;weather in Carmel can be tricky

Service area & Contact info

120 Highlands Drive, Carmel, CA

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(831) 622-5461

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Hyatt Carmel Highlands

Samantha Scudder

Events Manager | Weddings + Special Events

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Hyatt Carmel Highlands

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