Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa

My stay and past experiences at your property have always been outstanding, which makes this most recent experience especially disappointing and troubling. During my stay, I took my mother to the lobby restaurant for cocktails and appetizers. We found a table and waited patiently for service. When I saw the waiter, I made eye contact, nodded, and clearly signaled that I was ready to order. He proceeded to take orders from other guests and, when it came time to approach us, he completely ignored me. He then returned to another guest he had been assisting, turned back toward me, made eye contact again, and still chose to ignore us. At that point, I went to the bar to order a drink and explained the situation to the bartender, who appeared visibly frustrated with the waiter’s behavior. I later approached the waiter directly and asked why I had been ignored when he clearly saw and heard me. He rolled his eyes, dismissed me, and stated that he “didn’t know I was with the hotel.” I was taken back by this comment. I was unaware that a guest of the hotel must look or dress a certain way to receive basic service or to be considered worthy of attention. The interaction made me feel judged, profiled, and deeply disrespected, especially as it occurred in front of my mother. Other guests seated both in front of and behind us noticed the incident and were equally shocked by how the situation was handled. I shared my experience with the front desk staff, who were kind and professional. However, when the restaurant manager approached me, the response was simply, “What can I do to make this right?” as if free drinks or appetizers could make up for public humiliation and the way I was treated. This was not about compensation. It was about respect, dignity, and being treated like any other guest. No guest should ever feel judged or profiled while staying at an establishment of this caliber, especially one that commands a premium price and prides itself on service. Unfortunately, this incident completely overshadowed my stay and left me feeling unwelcome and uncomfortable for the remainder of my visit. I hope this feedback is taken seriously and addressed appropriately so no other guest has a similar experience.

Hilary, Matthew & Myrna help make this hotel feel like our second home - coming here for over a decade and it never gets old

Nice simple clean room, but excellent location, beautiful lobby. Electric car charge - upon request and if available.

Every visit here is wonderful. Their location right on the water can't be beat. If you can swing it, get a room on the ocean side - it's worth it because you will be rewarded with views of sea otters, sea lions, birds, and boats. Rooms are spacious, clean, and quiet. The hotel is elegant but with warm hospitality. I've stayed there 5 times and each experience has been wonderful. Shout out to the super friendly and fun parking valet folks and the concierge staff who reach out before your stay to see if you need anything. The front counter people are nice (painfully polite) but the friendliest folks are elsewhere in the hotel. I've been there when it was quiet in the dead of winter and also when it was bursting at the seams with events and the experience has always been consistent. I've visited the spa a few times and that's also been a lovely experience. I'm a traveler and it's one of my favorite hotels. It is not cheap so if you want that, there are lots of options in Monterey. This hotel does deliver value and keeps their promises for a great experience.

We stayed at Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary. The hotel acknowledged the occasion by gifting us a bottle of wine, which was a nice gesture, though the quality could have been better for a luxury property. We booked through Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts, and the upgrade was honored. The upgraded room was very spacious and comfortable—more than enough space for us and our child, which we really appreciated. However, our late checkout request was denied, which was disappointing, especially since late checkout is typically a benefit of booking through Amex FHR. Valet parking was expensive but expected for a hotel of this caliber. What was frustrating was that EV charging was not complimentary. Paying over $40 for parking plus an additional $20 for charging feels excessive. Luxury hotels should offer complimentary EV charging, as many comparable properties already do. We dined at Schooners, and unfortunately the food was a letdown. Dishes were either overly salty or completely bland, which was surprising given the hotel’s reputation. Checkout itself was quick and not busy, but despite requesting an emailed receipt, it was never sent automatically. I had to call three days later to have it emailed, which should not be necessary at a hotel of this standard. Overall, the hotel has a beautiful location, spacious rooms, and attentive gestures, but several service and value-related issues prevented the experience from fully matching the expectations of a luxury anniversary stay.