I love the
Hyatt Highlands, just south of Carmel and Monterey on the north end of the Big Sur portion of Highway 1. I would book one of the townhouses, not in the colocated time share apartments, but rather in the hotel complex. These look out thru the pine trees over the pounding surf. Upstairs is the living room with fireplace, tiny kitchen, and small bath. Downstairs is a large bedroom and bath. I believe that room numbers are 50x. The Point Lobos Suite (2 rooms on same floor, no kitchen, at south end of townhouses) has a stunning view over the coastline; the townhouses also have solid views. The hotel has 2 solid restaurants. Monterey and Carmel are foodie destinations, with many appealing places to eat. Service is not impeccable but it is decent.
You can find more detail than you might want in this FT thread:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hyatt...er-thread.html
Start at the end for recent reports. I found it an unexpected gem in the US Hyatt offerings.