Monterey Travel Forum

Driving up from Santa Barbara to stay for 4nts around Monterey /Carmel,Wondering which is the best one to stay in? We plan to drive out and about during the day but want a base. Can anyone recommend a decent hotel, budget is $180-200nt. Also what can we expect the weather be like.

Many Thanks

Carmel is a more posh area than Monterey, and the hotels/resorts seem to be more expensive. There is a very nice area called Pacific Grove which adjoins the two towns. It's right on the water and there are quite a few beautiful B&B's right there. At Cannery Row in Monterey, I remember once staying at a nice hotel but I can't remember the name (many years ago). On your drive up, have lunch at Nepenthe at Big Sur. It's a nice, roadside restaurant with beautiful views (if the fog isn't in!). It's a beautiful drive up that highway... enjoy!

Personally, I love downtown Monterey. This area is where most of the locals spend their time and has some of the area's best restaurants and bars with relatively inexpensive prices (is $5 for a beer inexpensive?). This is also Monterey's historic district filled with secret gardens, tiny adobes, the wharfs, numerous parks, museums, and so much more. The best (& only) hotels right in downtown are the Marriott, the Portola Plaza Hotel, the Hotel Pacific, and the Monterey Hotel. Rates for all of these hotels will probably start at or just over $200/night in the summer. I've never stayed at any of them, but they all appear very, very nice (Expedia gives them all 3.5 or 4 out of 4 stars).

Have fun!

Joe

You may want to check out some of the inns in Carmel. I really like the quaint charm of Carmel, there are some really nice art galleries, restaurants and shops here. The beach area in Carmel is very pretty, there is also a mission there and you can wine taste out in the Carmel Valley if that interests you. The weather in June should be nice, maybe foggy in the morning with sun in the afternoon. We have had some fantastic weather in Dec. when we have gone to Carmel for our anniversary trips. Tickle Pink Inn and the Highland's Inn in the Carmel Highland's are are both very nice but the rooms there start at around $230/night at Tickle Pink Inn. Keep checking websites for specials and packages that the hotels run.

We have stayed at the Monterey Plaza,it is very nice with full amenities. You many want to consider the Spindrift Inn in Monterey, it is in a good location right in Cannery Row and walking distance to the aquarium. If you like lots of activity and tourists, Monterey would be for you. There is also a wharf area there. If you like more culture and charm, Carmel would be the place for you. They are really close to one another, so you could easily visit both places. Pacific Grove also is adjacent to Monterey. They have some really nice paths that run along the ocean where we like to bike ride. Hope this helps!

He, he. Good points. I tend to look at things from my perspective. I kind of avoid tourists as best I can no matter where I travel (and that's tough here in the Monterey area), so I generally stay away from Cannery Row and Fisherman's Wharf. Carmel is a little too high-class for me (OK, a LOT too high class for me), but downtown Monterey still has enough areas which maintain some of that old that blue-collar feel. For example, last week at a Monterey bar (London Bridge), I sat between some young students from one of the nearby military bases, a local boat mechanic, and some neo-hippie college students--talk about diverse culture! That will not happen in Carmel, and probably not along Cannery Row. Pacific Grove is a little too quiet for me, but it is a very nice town! It all depends on what you want to do and experience while you are here.

Joe

Monterey has a lot of variety and the weather can be a little nicer than Carmel sometimes. June typically has morning fog which burns off by the afternoon. The Hotel Pacific is one of my favorite hotels with complimentary breakfast each morning and large rooms with fireplaces and sitting area. It's downtown within walking distance to Cannery Row and fisherman's Wharf.