Monterey Hotels and Accommodation

(Monterey, California - CA, USA)

Offering a selection of waterfront hotels and stunning views, Monterey Bay has featured a good choice of hotels for more than 200 years. Accommodation in Monterey is quite varied and ranges from small historic guest houses close to the famous Cannery Row, to modern luxury hotels along the nearby Pacific Grove coastline.

Well-known hotel chains are plentiful, and although Monterey accommodation is not known for being cheap, a choice of budget lodging is available. Of note, room rates fall by up to 30 percent in the winter months and can rise considerably during seasonal event weekends. Busy periods include the Pebble Beach Food and Wine Festival each April and the Monterey Jazz Festival (MJF) in September.

Where to Stay

Where to stay in Monterey will be influenced by your budget and your travel plans. If you intend to rent a car, it can prove cheaper to stay on the outskirts of Monterey in areas, such as Salinas (19 miles / 31 km), which is around 30 minutes to the east and offers lower accommodation rates. Hotels on the peninsula and near Fisherman's Wharf boast spectacular views, although prices are seasonal, rising during the popular summer months, when advanced reservations are often a necessity.

A number of hotels are also close to the Monterey Regional Airport (MRY), which is connected to the area by the Monterey-Salinas Transit, transporting visitors into the city at regular intervals.

Further hotels can be found in the nearby towns and Californian coastal resorts of Carmel (8 miles / 13 km), Carmel Valley (16 miles / 26 km), Marina (9 miles / 14 km), Pebble Beach (5 miles / 8 km) and Seaside (3 miles / 5 km). Pacific Grove (2 miles / 3 km) is another popular place to stay and offers a selection of modern hotels, including the Best Western Lighthouse Lodge, amongst others.

Although Monterey is not known for its budget accommodation, a number of chain motels, inns, hotels and travelodges offer reasonably-priced rates and basic facilities. Some of the cheapest hotels are concentrated along the Motel Row (around 2.5 miles / 4 km northeast of Old Monterey), 10th Street, Cass Street, Del Monte Avenue, Munras Avenue, North Fremont Street and Olmsted Road. These budget hotels include the Best Western Park Crest, the Days Inn Downtown, the Econo Lodge, the Howard Johnson Express, the Super 8 Motel and the Travelodge.

Other popular cheap accommodation options here include the HI Monterey Hostel, which is located on Hawthorne Street, close to Cannery Row and also the popular Monterey Aquarium. Those who prefer camping should consider the central Veterans Memorial Park Campground on West Jefferson Street, and also the Laguna Seca Recreational Area off the Monterey / Salinas Highway.

Mid-range hotels in Monterey are based throughout the area, being particularly clustered around Abrego Street, Foam Street, Fremont Street and Munras Avenue. Located on the Sand Dunes Drive, the Best Western Beach Resort features three-star accommodation with spectacular views of the beachfront and Monterey Bay. Also of note is the Hilton Garden Inn on Aguajito Road, which offers good-value lodging close to the Cabrillo Highway US-1 and just a short distance from the Del Monte Golf Course.

When it comes to luxury accommodation, four-star hotels are especially plentiful and often vary greatly in price. Very noteworthy is the Portola Hotel and Spa at the Two Portola Plaza, next to the Fisherman's Wharf and adjacent to the Monterey Conference Center. Rather more expensive and on Cannery Row is the beachfront Spindrift Inn and also the InterContinental Clement, which stands right next to the Monterey Bay Aquarium and enjoys stunning bayfront views.