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It's stars have lost their lustre

I have stayed at Carmel Valley Ranch several times in the past, but my October 2006 visit will be my last. I've learned to expect the extra $25/day "resort" fee, purportedly to cover staff gratuities (but only covers bellhops, housekeeping and concierge). However, the Ranch's glory days appear to be behind it. The litter we saw on the grounds when we checked in, was still there 3 days later when we checked out. The in-room hot water did not work. Dryrot was evident almost everywhere. Charges were made by the hotel to my credit card without my knowledge or consent. The "high speed" internet is only available for an extra fee. In a hotel where staff is rewarded for good service by tips, staff excells. Here, where staff is rewarded by a mandated "resort" fee without regard for performance, staff strives for mediocrity. Housekeeping staff let themselves into the room at 9:30 p.m., long after we had already gone to bed after an exhausting day of travel. No one was ever able to explain to us what housekeeping's interest was at 9:30 p.m. and the housekeeper did not. The in-room directory told us to contact the concierge for internet access. Her response was to tell us to go to a coffee shop about a mile away where she said they had internet access. (The coffee shop did not.) When I asked the concierge for the address of the nearest library, she took a full 20 minutes to provide a simple address, looking hugely inconvenienced by our request the entire time. There are better choices in Carmel area, especially for the 4 star price of the Ranch.