Nice hotel walking distance to the wharf and the downtown. Our stay came with free buffet breakfast.

Well placed hotel with standard conference hotel facilities. No particular character to the hotel but clean and well maintained. We had an inner room with no views which meant we could have been anywhere in the world in any standard hotel. Good points are the hotel is very close to the pier where all the restaurants and activities are. We used it as a base to drive the next day along 17 mile drive which is also close by. Parking in the hotel car park overnight was expensive and should be free for guests or at most a nominal fee should be charged. It is possible to park on the streets but there were stories of parking ticket fines being handed out early in the morning which put me off the idea.

I spent a night here in mid-July of 2012 based on a Travelocity secret hotel price. I am never doing that again. I arrived at the hotel with a huge backpack as I had decided to take a train across the country. I honestly felt I was treated poorly because of this. The person in front of me was treated very well and even given a cookie, while I was pretty much dismissed. Then, when I asked for directions to a different part of Monterey, I was given completely wrong ones. In fact, they led me in the opposite direction. It is not like Monterey is a huge city; the staff should have given me accurate directions or at least admitted they had no idea where to go. I was also not allowed to have a late check out. To make matters worse, my room had no view even though I paid for one with a view and it was noisy. All in all, this was not only the least impressive hotel I have stayed at but also the most over-priced.

We had the unexpected surprise of needing to find a place to stay in Monterey over the Winter break.

We looked online at a site that was offering deals. and found a very nice package from the Portola Hotel and Spa.

Here is how we found the Portola-
A very warm and helpful front desk and concierge. The hotel has been recently updated and is smartly done and inviting. Our rooms were fresh and recently re-furbished. The beds were lovely. (The kind you sink into and fall into deep sleep.) The Portola is just far away from the tourist crowd and congestion of Canary Row to make you feel that you are resting.

We love the location! You are steps away from some of the oldest buildings in Northern California. You can go for an early morning run along the pedestrian/bike path that skirts the coast. Watch the working harbor. Go to breakfast on the pier. Rent a bike from one of the merchants downstairs and ride over to the aquarium or other sites.

We stayed on the 5th floor. The only draw back is that there was quite loud ambient traffic sounds from the street below. (So pack earplugs if you are easily disturbed by noise. ) My only reservation about this hotel is that it is flanked by a busy street and an outdoor mall. Which can be a detraction if you need to sleep and are easily awakened by traffic and ambient noise.

If looking for a better deal-Call hotel directly to see if they will better other online offers such as providing an upgrade or give you breakfast.

The hotel provides parking for a fee (nominal by Monterey standards). You are near the beach as well, which really trumps having to get in your car, drive through congested streets and find over-priced parking in Monterey.