Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa

This hotel is absolutely beautiful! The lobby and hallways are stunningly beautiful … with rich wood paneling against beautiful marble floors throughout. Rooms are very spacious, and decorated very smartly. Beds are King size and extremely comfortable. It is well worth staying here!

Overall a very pleasant experience. The entire staff were friendly, helpful, answered all of our questions, professional, and efficient. The valet parking was ideal and the attendants were very attentive and helpful. The location was ideal with everything within walking distance (eg, aquarium, gift shops, the Pier); so plenty to do. They can't control the weather, but our timing seemed to be about right with overcast skies all day long with mild temperatures right around the low 60's. 2 minor complaints, there is no small microwave (seems to be a norm for the upper price hotels), and the valet parking was overpriced (but they did an excellent job).

I am not sure if there is any difference when you book directly with the hotel or through Amex. After booking my room which was above the base category with balcony I kept my communication with the hotel quite regularly for a better room and to avoid inter-connected room. But I landed with a room with a balcony which faces the wall of the swimming pool if I may guess. Point here is if you are paying extra for a room with balcony and no view (at least not of a wall) you better stick to lower category room. This might also be because of the high occupancy during my check in. But still keeping in mind how fast the check in process was at 7pm (which is also good factor) I doubt the front desk had put much effort to find me a good room. The room itself was spacious and well kept. House keeping was good. I used both the restaurants - Coastal Kitchen and Schooners. The hostess/host for both the restaurants were very courteous. Coastal Kitchen lives upto the expectation for which it's known. It was perfect at every level - Food, Service, Ambience. Then next door Schooners was very inconsistent. Some times it was absolutely great and some times it was below average with delayed service and even declining to take very basic requests. This was entirely on how efficient the server was. Food was good. The property has a well equipped fitness center and upon request the front desk present early morning the first morning helped me to access the facility even before the opening time. The spa experience was bit disappointing. I had book a 50 mins treatment one of the day at 6pm which started late but finished exactly at 6.50pm. Though the treatment was good but I felt it was rushed and I didn't get to use the full time I paid for. Bell desk only bothers to drive in and drive out cars, the staff don't bother to welcome or help with your luggage. In general most of the staff whether its concierge or front desk were helpful and professional. Location wise its perfect, close to the beach and other spots worth visiting in Monterey.

Have to take the time to say we had an incredible experience here. Was our end stop for the night along our road trip and, after another hotel proved to not match the photos online, we booked here. Oscar working at the front desk that night was incredible. He was above and beyond in making us comfortable and have a good experience. Thank you!

From the live music in the lounge to the on-property culinary delights to the fifth floor Jacuzzi overlooking the bay, everything about the Monterey Plaza Hotel and Spa exceeded our expectations. The attention to detail throughout our stay was remarkable and we were particulary impressed by Hillary Morgan's dedication to ensuring every aspect of our experience was seamless. Her managerial expertise and genuine care for guest satisfaction made our visit truly memorable. We couldn't have asked for a better getaway and highly recommend this gem to anyone looking for an exceptional coastal retreat.