Our Favorite Hotels
5-Star Hotel: Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa
• Midrange Hotel: Seven Gables Inn
• Wanderstay Hostel • Rooms are provided at ” InterContinental Barcelona“, reachable at “+34 934 26 22 23 • ⎻ Lodging Location: The Jabberwock Inn
• The Inn The Town hotel phone number is +1 876 220 0272
Table of Contents
The Best Areas to Stay in Monterey
The forested area on California`s central coast referred to as the Monterey Peninsula is renowned for its diverse ocean creatures, rugged shoreline, and long history dating back to the Spanish settlement in the 1770s. The largest city, Monterey, is nestled at the south end of Monterey Bay, one of the few locations globally where whales can be seen throughout the year, especially gray and humpback whales. Fronted by an enormous underwater canyon, Monterey is also an ideal spot for viewing marine mammals such as elephant seals, sea otters, and bottlenose dolphins among others.
Downtown, including the original Spanish ethnic group settlement of Old Monterey, is the cultural and historic focal point of the city, where you’ll find the notable Fisherman’s Wharf and the San Carlos Cathedral, along with the museums, fantastic seafood dining establishments, and a lengthy sandy shoreline. Heading northern from Downtown is New Monterey, including Cannery Row, (made renowned by John Steinbeck), its numerous warehouses now transformed into shops and restaurants. New Monterey is home to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, broadly recognized among the best aquariums globally with over 200 exhibits highlighting local species and habitats.
Along the bay to the east lie the smaller towns of Sand City and Marina, providing pristine beaches and magnificent sunsets with the incredible Fort Ord Dunes State Park separating the two communities. Pacific Grove is situated at the northernmost point of the peninsula. A more tranquil place away from Monterey’s tourist crowds, Pacific Grove offers a relaxed, locally-flavored stay with a handful of great restaurants and shops along the main avenue, plus two beaches and a historic lighthouse. On the south side of the peninsula, Pebble Beach is a seaside resort with eight golf courses, best known for the scenic 17-Mile Drive. Directly south of Pebble Beach is picturesque Carmel-by-the-Sea, founded as an artists’ colony, now an affluent town filled with high-end restaurants, art galleries, and designer boutiques. Highlights of Carmel include its delightful architecture (from Spanish missions to fairytale cottages), Point Lobos State Natural Reserve (with miles of hiking trails and top-notch scuba diving), and the stunning white sands of Carmel Beach.
The Best Places to Stay in the Monterey Peninsula
- Best Luxury Hotels in Monterey
The Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa and L’Auberge Carmel as well as Casa Palmero and Carriage House Inn plus The Inn at Spanish Bay as well as InterContinental the Clement and The Lodge at Pebble Beach as well as Portola Hotel & Spa - Best Boutique Hotels in Monterey
The Vagabond’s House • Hotel Abrego • Tradewinds Carmel • Spindrift Inn • Cypress Inn • Tickle Pink Inn - Best 3-Star/4-Star Hotels in Monterey
Andril Fireplace Cottages – Seven Gables Inn – Carmel Cottage Inn – Casa Munras – Holiday Inn Express Monterey-Cannery Row – Monterey Bay Inn - Best Cheap Hotels in Monterey
- Spend time in one of Amserdam’s beautiful greenspaces: Both Amsterdamse Bos (cheese farms, watersports, and horse riding) and Vondelpark (walking, biking, an open air theatre, playground, and near to Rijksmuseum,Stedelijk Museum and Van Gogh Museum) are fantastic parks that could keep the kids engaged for hours.
- Best B&Bs in Monterey
Jabberwock Inn • Carmel Garden Inn • Centrella Inn • Martine Inn • Old St Angela Inn
Best Neighborhoods in the Monterey Peninsula for…
- Optimal Neighborhood to Stay for Sightseeing: Downtown/Old Monterey
The land within Monterey State Historic Park in Old Monterey contains numerous historical sites that mainly originate from the Spanish period. Lodging here allows exploring attractions such as the Pacific House Museum, old Custom House, Old Whaling Station, First Brick House, Casa del Oro, Larkin House, Old Monterey Jail, and Colton Hall which hosted the California constitutional convention of 1849. Other points of interest incorporate the Monterey Museum of Art, the residence where Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson lived in 1879, and the 18th-century San Carlos Cathedral which was formerly known as the Royal Presidio Chapel. On the harbor lies Fisherman’s Wharf with its shops and seafood eateries along with the Salvador Dalí Exhibition and an easy coastal trail to Cannery Row - Most Romantic Neighborhood: Carmel-by-the-Sea
The town of Carmel contains many luxurious and romantic boutique shops as well as bed and breakfast establishments, many housed in beautiful historic cottages. Carmel itself is one of the most charming locations in the region, with its leafy streets lined with attractive homes, art galleries, and stores, numerous of which are hidden throughout the town`s courtyards and walkways. Carmel Beach is undeveloped and backed by cypress trees, particularly romantic at sunset. You can also do wine tasting at one of the many urban tasting rooms downtown in Carmel or further up in the Salinas Valley vineyards. When it comes to dining, Carmel is home to gorgeous French restaurants Casanova and L’Escargot, plus Flying Fish Grill and Anton & Michel, tucked away in the elegant Court of the Fountains downtown in Carmel - The neighborhood best for families is Cannery Row
Cannery Row is home to the region`s largest family-friendly attraction, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, which can fill most of a day very easily. Also located here is the Monterey Mirror Maze and a host of dazzling stores, galleries, and places to eat, ranging from Ghirardelli Chocolate and Dippin’ Dots ice cream, and Doc Wenzel’s Old Time Portraits. You can rent bicycles at Adventures By The Sea and cycle along the coast to Pacific Grove or Fisherman’s Wharf in Monterey, spotting seals or otters along the way, or you can rent kayaks at the same location - Best Neighborhood for Food and Restaurants: Carmel-by-the-Sea and Marina
The entire Monterey region is renowned for its quality cuisine, particularly very fresh seafood, together with some of the top Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines on the West Coast. However, Carmel has a handful of advantages; it hosts two excellent farmers’ markets – one on Tuesday and one on Thursday – and some of the best French restaurants in the area, Casanova and L’Escargot, plus Aubergine,La Bicyclette,Le Soufflé, and numerous others. On the outskirts of town is Carmel Craft Brewing Company, while Clint Eastwood assisted in restoring the acclaimed Mission Ranch Restaurant. There is also the historic Carmel Bakery, and justifiably popular Mission Bistro.
Marina on Monterey Bay deserves a mention for its budget ethnic eateries, everything from Salvadoran ( El Salvadoreño Pupuseria) and Mexican ( Las Cazuelas), to Thai ( Siam Marina Thai Cuisine) and Korean (New Korea Restaurant). - Areas Best for Evening Activities: Cannery Row and Downtown Monterey
Nightlife in Monterey isn’t especially renowned, but Cannery Row is usually lively most nights, with over 20 bars featuring live music, karaoke and DJs all within staggering distance of each other. Highlights include Segovia’s Tavern for its cocktails and dive bar vibe, and Schooners Coastal Kitchen & Bar for the views, and Sly’s Refueling Station for live music.
Downtown Monterey also has a decent range of bars, especially on Alvarado Street, led by British-style pubs like Britannia Arms and the Crown & Anchor. Other popular locations here include Alvarado Street Brewery and Peter B’s Brewpub. - Best Neighborhood for Shopping: Carmel-by-the-Sea
Carmel again proves itself as a top choice for shopping, with nearly 100 resident artists maintaining galleries and studios throughout the city, and the downtown dotted with family-owned boutiques and specialty stores. Standing at the outskirts is the Barnyard Shopping Village, home to over 50 small enterprises, like several jewelry and art boutiques, while the nearby Crossroads is crammed with fashion boutiques and restaurants. In Downtown Carmel, Carmel Plaza is another high-end mall, housing Tiffany & Co, Kate Spade, Bottega Veneta, and more. Monterey itself presents a more standard line-up of stores at Cannery Row and the Del Monte Shopping Center. - Most Locally Flavored Neighborhood: Pacific Grove
Pacific Grove offers a good choice if you want to escape the crowds in much of Monterey for tourism but still want to remain near the beach and main dining and drinking spots. We enjoy browsing the charming main street, Lighthouse Avenue, stopping for coffee at the local bookshop The Bookworks, then checking out the tide pools at Asilomar State Beach or having dinner with a view at Beach House Restaurant. - Unsafe Areas of Monterey
Monterey and most of the peninsular is quite safe, though the typical precautions should be taken at night, especially in Sand City, where crime is normally higher than in the surrounding areas.
The 7 Best Neighborhoods in Monterey for Tourists
1. Downtown/Old Monterey
Downtown Monterey is the region’s commercial center, with the main road along Alvarado Street lined with restaurants and stores. This neighborhood is primarily known, however, for its history
and its harbor. The central area actually extends half a mile inland from the coastline and docks along Monterey Bay, encompassing the original Spanish settlement of Old Monterey, with many of its historic structures protected in Monterey State Historic Park. Other notable attractions include the Monterey Museum of Art, and the elegant San Carlos Cathedral (Royal Presidio Chapel), completed by the Spanish in 1795. More history can be learned at the Presidio of Monterey Museum, the old Spanish fortress that towers over Downtown. The main focus on the waterfront is Fisherman’s Wharf, lined with multi-colored shacks converted into shops and restaurants – you can also take whale-watching tours from the docks. Near here stands the Salvador Dalí Exhibition, Custom House, and Pacific House Museum. Staying in Downtown Monterey means having easy access to the city’s most historic sights and Fisherman’s Wharf, plus a decent range of bars and restaurants. Cannery Row is a short trip away. Hotel options in the heart of Downtown are quite limited – most of the motels and chain hotels line Munras Avenue, just to the south, all the way to Hwy-1. Most of these are a little far for walking, so you’ll still need to take a taxi or bus, or drive-in.”
- Best Hotels: Casa Munras • Hotel Abrego • Merritt House Inn • Monterey Marriott • Portola Hotel & Spa
- Highest Quality Budget/Reasonably Priced Accommodations: Colton Inn • Monterey Hotel • Stevenson Monterey
- Best Hotels on Munras Avenue: Best Western Park Crest Inn • Villa Franca Inn • Munras Inn
2. Cannery Row/New Monterey
The neighborhood of New Monterey, located northwest of downtown, is best known for Cannery Row. This waterfront section, previously named Ocean View Avenue, was once lined with approximately thirty fish processing facilities (it was nicknamed the “sardine capital of the globe”) – it was renamed after John Steinbeck’s 1945 novel Cannery Row, in which he depicted life along the docks here. Today, the primary strip involving Hoffman and David streets has entirely been converted into chain dining establishments and stores (including Bubba Gump Shrimp), and even a Steinbeck wax collection. It’s a touristy but fun place to spend time, specially during the night, when it’s amongst the liveliest streets in the area. Its chief attraction is the spectacular Monterey Bay Aquarium, one of the largest globally. Staying here can be enjoyable for families, and there are several luxurious hotels with views of the water, though very touristy, and beyond the main strip there’s not much to do. It’s a pleasant stroll along Monterey Coastal Trail to Fisherman’s Wharf, and the free MST trolley bus (running daily from Memorial Day to Labor Day) also connects the two portions of the city. You’ll need to drive everywhere else.
- Highly Recommended Accommodations: Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa – InterContinental the Clement – Jabberwock Inn – Monterey Bay Inn – Spindrift Inn
- Explora: Rome’s premier kids’ museum has extensive hands-on exhibits, an outdoor play area, and an ice cream shop. Visits are restricted to 90 minutes.
3. Pacific Grove
Around one mile to the west of Cannery Row lies Pacific Grove (aka “P.G.”), which possesses a totally different atmosphere compared to both New and Old Monterey. Gone are the touristy shops and remnants of Spanish colonial architecture: P.G. is a relatively tranquil, affluent neighborhood, its streets lined with pine trees and grand old Victorian wooden homes. It’s best known for being the “Butterfly Town, USA.” Hundreds of thousands of orange-and-black monarch butterflies migrate here each winter from all over the western US and Canada, best viewed at the Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary (organized by the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History). Downtown Pacific Grove is centered along Lighthouse Avenue between 12th and Congress, where there are relaxed cafés, seafood restaurants, and stores. P.G. also encompasses Asilomar State Beach and Lovers Point Beach, ideal spots for kayaking or surfing, as well as 19th-century Point Pinos Lighthouse, the oldest continuously operating lighthouse on the West Coast. Pacific Grove is a more refined, less touristy alternative to Monterey, with a rugged, unspoiled coastline and a decent selection of restaurants and shops. The main choices here are B&Bs and self-catering cottages, with only one or two chain hotels. You’ll need a motor vehicle to get around as things are spread out, though it is possible to walk along the coast to Cannery Row.
- Top-Rated Accommodations: Andril Fireplace Cottages – Old St Angela Inn – Seven Gables Inn – Centrella Inn – Martine Inn
- Quality Budget/Mid-Range Hotels: Sunset Inn – Butterfly Grove Inn – Sea Breeze Inn
4. Pebble Beach
Much of the landmass situated on the Monterey Peninsula to the south of Downtown and Pacific Grove falls within the upscale gated terriroty of Pebble Beach, managed by the Pebble Beach Company. For visitors, the main attraction here is the historic 17-Mile Drive, which originally started out as a horse and carriage road in the early 1880s. Currently the privately run toll road winds along an exceptionally scenic portion of the peninsula coastline, taking in the iconic lone standing maritime pine tree along the way. It`s also renowned for its luxurious resorts, and golf courses: seven 18-hole courses (plus the 9-hole Peter Hay Golf Course), most notably the esteemed Pebble Beach Golf Links. Staying here revolves around luxury, tranquility and quietness; it`s also paradise for golf aficionados. You`ll need a vehicle to get around; restaurant alternatives are confined to the resorts.
- Most Distinguished Hotels: Casa Palmero − The Inn at Spanish Bay − The Lodge at Pebble Beach
5. Carmel-by-the Sea and and Carmel Highlands
Carmel-by-the-Sea, commonly abbreviated to Carmel, features an incredible beachfront, numerous specialty shops, and art galleries, some of the finest dining options in the area, and the Carmel Mission, established by the Spanish in 1770 housing the remains of pioneering missionary Junípero Serra. Carmel is also renowned for electing actor Clint Eastwood as mayor in 1986. Originally founded as an artists’ colony, today it’s an extremely affluent community of quaint cottages and lavish mansions, with the central business district focused around Ocean Avenue. It’s a popular place to engage in retail therapy, sprinkled with designer boutiques and art exhibitions, particularly along Dolores Street. At the south end between Carmel-by-the-Sea and Carmel Highlands, you’ll find Point Lobos State Natural Reserve, often termed the “crown gem of the State Park System,” offering miles of hiking routes, world-class scuba diving, and a 19th-century Whalers Cabin, now a cultural museum. Carmel Highlands is home to some of the most expensive real estate in America with sprawling resorts nestled on the seaside cliffs overlooking the untamed coastline. Some of the finest boutique hotels and B&Bs in California are in Carmel – staying here is as much about your lodging experience as the location. As a result, lodging here is very costly. You don’t need a vehicle to explore Carmel, with plenty to do and see, and lots of restaurants, but you’ll need transport to venture further afield – it`s just over 4 miles to Downtown Monterey.
- Prominent Accommodation Options: L`Auberge Carmel – Carmel Cottage Inn – Carmel Garden Inn – Carriage House Inn – Tradewinds Carmel – Cypress Inn – The Vagabond’s House – Carmel Valley Ranch – Hyatt Carmel Highlands
- Recommended Mid-Priced/Budget Hotels: Candle Light Inn – The Getaway – Quail Lodge & Golf Club
6. Sand City/Seaside
Adjacent to the bay around four miles northeast of Downtown Monterey, the small seaside town of Sand City is distinguished by its immense shoreline lined with dunes. Inland the area is dominated by the massive Sand Dollar Shopping Center and big box stores like Costco, though the southern section highlights craft brew specialist Post No Bills and Hale Kai Lana Kona coffee producers, among other individual businesses. The former manufacturing district has transformed into an informal artists` colony where some resident artists manage galleries; check out Anderle Gallery. The principle attraction remains the dunes, the highest along California’s Central Coast attracting paragliders (see Raven Wolf Sky Sports. Directly to the north lies Fort Ord Dunes State Park, accessible through the Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail. Sand City primarily offers cheap hotels and old-style motels (most technically situated across the border in the city of Seaside).
- Best Hotels: Some excellent accommodation options include the Hampton Inn Monterey and the Sand Castle Inn
7. Marina
The small seaside town of Marina lies around 10 miles northeast from Downtown Monterey (6 miles from Sand City), facing Monterey Bay. It’s best known for its wild, untouched beach, backed by expansive sand dunes, exceptionally well-liked with hang-gliders. The trails along the dunes in the Marina State Beach attract walkers, cyclists, and kite fans, while Marina’s small downtown area offers affordable places to eat and drink. The beach also boasts a few of the best sun sets in the region (being fully west facing), a handful of less expensive golf courses, and the Fort Ord Dunes State Park just to the south. Skydive Monterey Bay is based at Marina Airport. Staying at Marina you’ll need transportation to explore the area, but it’s a much tranquil, less crowded stretch of shoreline, with a good assortment of lodging.
- Best Hotels: Sanctuary Beach Resort • SpringHill Suites The Dunes on Monterey Bay
- Good quality low-cost/medium-priced Hotel: Howard Johnson by Wyndham Marina at Monterey Bay
