Here are some suggestions for Carmel and Monterey hotels. You also might want to stay a night in Big Sur, fabulous place along the highway 1 south of Carmel about half hour. Great for hiking in the mountains and there's also a beach. A drink at Nepenthe's at sun set is a mind-altering experience!!!! Sandy in L A

HOTELS in CARMEL

Free Room Finder is a service operated by Pat Sheid and Coco Cunningham, longtime Carmel residents, to help visitors find rooms in Carmel, Carmel Valley, Monterey, Pebble Beach and Big Sur. Their list contains inns, B&B, motels/hotels, and cottages. They offer a wide range of rates. Contact them c/o The Tourist Information Center, P.O. Box 7430, Carmel 9391; (408)624-1711.

San Carlos Agency, Carmel Rancho Shopping Center, Box 22123, Carmel 93922; (408)624-3846. Offers furnished vacation houses. Has over 100 rentals, from studio cottages to estate mansions along the Monterey Peninsula.

Dolphin Inn/Candlelight Inn/Svendsgaards Inn, 4th and San Carlos, Carmel; (408)624-0101; (800)433-4732. Central reservations for 7 inns. Rooms come with fireplaces, and kitchens are available. Continental breakfast and morning paper included. Highlands Inn, P. O. Box 1700, Carmel 93921; (408)624-3801, (800)682-4811. For 75 years the Inn has been hypnotizing guests with its spectacular ocean views. It is at the northern beginning to Big Sur. In the 80s the inn underwent a $41-million face lift. It has lavish amenities and pays scrupulous attention to details. Buildings are anchored to a hillside overlooking the ocean and Highway 1. It is a living seascape, one of those rare and romantic settings. In the evening guests sit at tables along the windows in the lodge, sipping their drinks and taking in the magnificent view. A choice of guest rooms or townhouses. Townhouses feature fully equipped kitchens, fireplaces, ocean views and spa baths. Doubles from $225-$650.

La Playa Hotel, 8th Ave., and Camino Real, Carmel 93921; (408)624-6476; (800)582-8900. Beautiful Mediterranean style hotel with lush gardens in the heart of Carmel; the terraced grounds are dotted with red-umbrella covered tables, lined with beds of pansies. just steps to the beach and boutique shops. Award-winning cuisine is served at its Spyglass Restaurant. Meats are expertly seasoned and grilled precisely to order and fish arrives moist and tender. Also has five luxurious cottages. Provides a romantic setting. 73 charming rooms and 2 spacious suites and 5 storybook cottages. Some accommodations have fireplaces and patios. The choicest rooms are housed in the one-story structure alongside the pool. Double: $140-$200.

Sandpiper Inn at the Beach, 2408 Bay View Ave. at Martin Way, Carmel 93923; (408)624-6433. One of Carmel's most romantic inns, welcoming guests for over 60 years. A great place for special occasions and anniversaries. Within sight and sound of the surf and white sandy beaches. Thirteen rooms and 3 small cottages elegantly furnished with handsome country antiques and fresh flowers. Many rooms have ocean views; some have fireplaces. A generous continental breakfast is served in a comfortable lounge or flower-filled patio. All in all quiet comfort and luxury. Double: $69-$195.

The Sea View Inn, P. O. Box 4128, Carmel 93921; (408)624-8778. An immensely popular spot owned by a TWA pilot. Features 8 rooms. Double around $85-$110.

HOTELS in MONTEREY

Bay Lodging Reservations, 177 Webster St., Suite A-328; (408)655-1426, a hotel reservation service.

Resort II Me, 140 Franklin St., Suite 204, Monterey; 93940; (408)646-9250. A hotel reservations service.

Monterey Marriott, 350 Calle Principal at Del Monte Blvd., Monterey 93940; (408)649-4234. Located in the heart of old Monterey and just 7 miles from the airport. You can walk to the wharf, Cannery Row and the shops of downtown Monterey. Has 341 deluxe guest rooms, heated pool, spa, sauna and health club. Monterey Bay Club features live jazz music. Dine in Ferrante's Italian/continental restaurant with the area's best view of Monterey Bay. Double: $119-$170.

Hotel Pacific, 300 Pacific Street, Monterey 93940; (408)373-5700; (800)554-5542. In the heart of historic Monterey adjacent to Fisherman's Wharf. Has 104 luxurious rooms all featuring hardwood floors and wood-burning fireplaces. European down comforters, feather beds and pillows. Deluxe continental breakfast, afternoon tea, wine and cheese served. You can relax in romantic gardens with spas. Rolls Royce limousine service is available. Makes for a nice romantic weekend. Double $144-$264.

Old Monterey Inn, 500 Martin St.; Monterey 93940; (408)375-8284. A half-timbered Tudor that looks and is run like a British bed and breakfast in some hidden corner of the Cotswolds. Set in a forest of trees and has one of the peninsula's loveliest gardens. Six blocks south of Fisherman's Wharf, a mile from Monterey's aquarium. Features king and queen beds with goose down pillows and comforters. All 10 rooms are of a different plan and arrangement. Delicious, light breakfasts are served at the long table in the dining room, firelight glinting on the silver and crystal. Afternoon tea comes with cookies, brownies (owners do their own baking) as well as hors d'oeuvres. Double: $140-$200.