65 Spring 2012

“Denny LeVett”, he says, hand outstretched, in a voice recognized from Carmel to Palo Alto. Once introduced, you’re not likely to forget this dapper man-about-town, who hails from Okoboji, Iowa and has graced the central California coast since 1978. Most know him as the congenial owner of a collection of Carmel’s premier boutique inns, with Cypress Inn as its flagship. However, a conversation with Denny quickly reveals the many layers that make up one of the Peninsula’s most colorful characters.

LeVett has a love of all things vintage, most visible in his collection of red sports cars. On a smaller scale, he carefully preserved his childhood treasures, which form an impressive array of lead soldiers and tanks, cap guns and the toy train that inspired his trademark ringtone. To this day, LeVett can often be seen tinkering with the toy displays at Cypress Inn and the Vagabond’s House, which serve as the media through which he shares these prized possessions with the public.

While the Strutz-LeVett Investment Company, with offices in Carmel and Palo Alto, is his primary business, LeVett has a deep passion for the hotel business. This stems from fond memories of the childhood trips he took with his grandparents, who always sought “grand old hotels” in which to stay.

From a young age, LeVett vowed to be the future owner of just such a hotel. His first opportunity came rather unexpectedly due to the unfortunate illness of a dear friend who owned the historic Benbow Inn, just south of Eureka, California, and who knew of no-one as passionate about his hotel as Denny LeVett. Years later, LeVett sold Benbow Inn, receiving Carmel’s Vagabond’s House as the