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Cannery Row Inn
- Category:
- Hotels
- Location:
- Monterey, CA
Rates starting at just $69 per night plus tax! Valid only Sunday-Thursday
74 reviews for Portola Hotel & Spa
We just spent a Sat. night there. They do everything they can to make this slightly older property as nice as possible, including great customer service. But there are a couple major flaws:
1. The $17 parking fee you're told about at check-in is a big negative. They would be smart to hide that fee somewhere in their room rates/fees.
2. The other neg is this place is huge, and the layout/signage is very confusing. We had a really hard time finding our rm. each time we came back to the hotel. Or even when we took the long walk to find an ice machine then tried to get back.
We got a nice room on Priceline for $150. Kinda high for what you get, though. Esp. since it sounds as though others have gotten much better deals. Now that we've been there, we'll shop around a bit more in the future. Actually, we'll probably try to stay in Carmel instead. :)
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The hotel's lobby was very beautiful and the staff was quite nice and hospitable. We even got warm fresh cookies upon check-in. The cookies are to soften the blow of them letting me know they charge an additional $17 per night for self-parking which I had not expected.
Jack's, the restaurant and bar/lounge was very nice. Food was very upscale (we ate in the bar, but the food is from the same restaurant).
The room we stayed in was below our 3-star expectations (out of 4). The bed was soft, the linens and bed covers were old and outdated. The bathroom was not especially clean and was not updated. Our room tower (3-stories) was located Northwest of the main lobby in a separate building, although connected to the parking garage.
It may be fair to note that I booked this room on priceline and got it for $85/night ($100 after taxes), when the going rate was about $320/night no their website. So for $85, I think we still got a great value. But I'd be VERY disappointed if I had shelled over $320.
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Just spent the weekend at this hotel with my honey and I have to say, a bit disappointed based on the price of the hotel.
Let me start with the positive...the hotel is situated in an awesome location. Within walking distance to Fisherman's Wharf, Cannery Row, the Aquarium, etc. There is also a great bike trail nearby, so whether driving, hoofing it or biking, the location can't be beat.
However, the hotel is so sadly outdated! We're guessing the rooms haven't been updated since the 80's. It's very clean, but for $300+ per night, it's in sad shape. There wasn't a fridge in the room and the remote to the ceiling fan had tape on it to keep the opening to the battery on. The TV was really old school as well. And, as others have noted, you do have to pay $17 per day for parking.
There are hotels with a better value just a short distance away, so even though the location is great, the value just isn't there. I would save your money, stay somewhere less expensive and spend your left over dough on a meal at the Monterey Fish House.
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Since this property changed from the Doubletree to a private entity the quality of this hotel has gone down completely. They are also way too expensive for what you get. Stay at the Marriott across the street!
This hotel is truly one to remember. The staff was very friendly and the location couldn't be better. Try their cookies!
Dear Reader,
I hope you have a hot cup of hot cocoa or coffee, and a crumb cake. DO NOT SKIP THIS REVIEW BECAUSE IT IS detrimental to your health and spirits that you read this BEFORE YOU BOOK AT THIS HOTEL.
Pros:
1 - Warm cookies upon check in. They're better than Mrs. Fields.
2 - Pool area landscape is pretty, and was not crowded at all. Then again, with how cold it was (60°F) when we'd gone to pool, I wouldn't expect it to be crowded.
3 - Location, location, location.
4 - Did I say location?
5 - at checkout, hotel manager was empathetic and apologetic for our crazy stay. Really sounds to me like Hotel Manager wasn't working the Friday we'd arrived, so his staff partied on instead of focused on their job.
6 - 3rd day there (at checkout) seemed like a different world. It was Pleasantville. Front desk and all hotel staff were "different" in a good way. The way they should have been on task the first day of check in! Oh, their manager was there! I get it :D
Cons:
1 - Friday night, valet area driving up was UNattended. Took 15-20 minutes before we got help, had to check in at front desk FIRST to notify them of valet attendants missing before we got help for valet.
*Tip for hotel management: If you advertise for valet service, make sure you've got attendants working every morning/day/night of week. Otherwise, customers will think self parking is much less expensive and more convenient.
2 - Website is misleading. The 4-5 star rooms must be the Presidential Suite and Deluxe King suites only. Even then, it's hard to imagine.
3 - Beware of staying on the 2nd floor. IF you are given any room on the 2nd floor REFUSE it.
((( - WHY - ???)))
4 - Hotel bar will be your lovely view for entire stay.
5 - Hotel bar noise (sounds very similar to being inside of a mall's food court with muffled loud annoying sounds) will last until 2 A.M. (something Hotel website will NOT disclose)
6 - Hotel bar noise (oh, I've mentioned that already)
7 - Piano. Piano playing does not stop at 9pm as front lobby will say. It's stops at 11pm, after a few call complaints to front desk, and then will start again and wake you up around 2am.
8 - No elevators to 2nd floor. Fine if you're healthy and can lift 50lbs on each hand with no problem (luggage, etc.), BUT if you are with any disability, cannot lift heavy objects, or have an infant/toddler or whatever, I don't see how it's possible for guests to climb up 2 flights of stairs with all luggage and possibly children and a disability? Bottom line is, FRONT DESK ASSUMED guests could all manage 2 flights of stairs.
9. Other reviewers are RIGHT: air conditioning does NOT work. With how stuffy rooms can get (especially 2nd floor where if you open window all you'll hear are BAR NOISES), air conditioning should be the ONLY option. Think of it: there are CEILING FANS. Honestly, with how other reviewers say this hotel nickel and dimes guests, I wouldn't be surprised if air conditioning were purposely off and made to look like they're "broken".
I mean really such a coincidence that SO MANY OF US HAVE experienced a NON WORKING AIR CONDITIONER in our rooms.
10 - Plumbing was not working. It was not stuck, the tank was broken. This was a night reserved on it's own. The "Hotel Engineer" (aka plumber) had to come in, assess problem and it took 15 minutes to assess problem; 10 additional minutes for him to radio front desk to tell them, "These guests either need another room, or I can fix it but it will take 30-45 minutes".
HELLO. 30-45 minutes? It was already 7:30pm. We hadn't had dinner. We were starving. We already dealt with 20 minutes of waiting for valet attendants to freaking show up.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!
Oh, then front desk said they were 95% booked and that we wouldn't get adjoining rooms but one of us guests would have to stay at a different building.
We came on this vacation together. Hotel rooms were NOT prepared. Plumbing was NOT working. Oh, and on top of air conditioning, clocks weren't working either. They should have accomodated us and figured it out. Not the other way around.
11 - I'll save the BEST con for last: DIRTY TOWELS.
Hotel management needs to have an all hands maids meeting. Topic needs to be:
"Your guests KNOW when you're *hiding* dirty towels, folding them up the *right way* to pass off as CLEAN hand/body towels." GROSS.
Readers, please note, this was not a one off in the one room. How do I know? Well because, luckily we were "upgraded" from 2nd floor to the 5th floor the 2nd night because of all the major inconviences of the first night (bar noise, piano at 2am, plumbing, dirty towels, air conditioning and clocks not working...etc.)
And even the 5th floor had a dingy bathroom tub & dirty hand towels with brown stuff (concealer makeup? i HOPE?! and not anything worse) were so visible that it looked like it was from the previous guest stay.
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Stayed here twice, they've recently renovated the place. Not a bad hotel, but nothing special. The hotel is in a prime location, which is its biggest selling point. The Hotel does have a confusing campus layout, so if you get lost easily I recommend leaving a trial of bread crumbs to the elevator or leaving a travel plan and emergency contact info at the front desk. Beware of getting a room that faces the street, it's noisy. The front desk will tell you that a courtyard facing room (no view) is some kind of UPGRADE, but insist on one anyway. The hotel has no A/C, but here in Monterey it's not an issue and every room has a ceiling fan. The Gym here is very nice, but you have to go outside to access it.
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Yummy cookies upon check in :)
Friendly staff in my experience... but then my friends did note some experiences with not so friendly staff.... but I wasn't there so can't comment.
Decent rooms, clean, but walls can be a bit thin. Not the newest place but not too run down, though kind of pricey. Sucks that you still have to pay for self parking even as a guest, but that's not unheard of for hotels :(
Seagulls annoyingly loud and you can totally hear them from the room (windows shut).
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For the price, I didn't think this was a good deal. Here are the pros and cons. If it were a cheaper hotel, I would give more stars, but for the price, I think we could have done much better. I've had better amentiies in motels than this.
Pros:
* Nice enough room and did get a free upgrade
* Location was pleasant
* Bath & Body Works products in bathroom
* Balcony over the plaza
* Allowed us late checkout of 1 pm
* Clean
Cons:
* Surprise $17/night parking fee
* The upgrade we got over the phone disappeared on arrival (but they did go ahead and fix that)
* No air conditioning in the room and it was a hot day when we stayed
* No HBO or interesting TV channels (which for a nice hotel was surprising)
* Internet costs about $10/day
* No free or discounted use of saunas in Spa for guests - around $40 to use
* No free breakfast of any kind
* Had to take a small hike to get to the outdoor pool
* No bathrobes, and felt a little weird walking through maze of hotel in swimsuits and towels
* Beds okay, but not particularly comfy
All in all, I wouldn't pay more than $100/night including parking for this, and so unless you can pay less than this, I would say don't bother.
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Recently stayed at the Portola to celebrate our wedding anniversary. The location was perfect. A few minute walk from downtown or Fishermans Wharf - and a scenic 15 minute walk to Cannery Row.
The hotel itself was pretty nice. The lobby is a huge atrium with several trees and is very tranquill. The front desk gives you warm, fresh baked cookies upon your arrival, and was very friendly. There are two restaurants on site, a fancy nautical themed one, and a brewery. We were lucky that a festival with arts, crafts and food was in the back courtyard of the hotel during our stay.
The spa was a little small and lacked some of the amenites that I'm used to - but all in all, a good place for a rub down.
Only negative, we didn't get our romantic ocean view room. We were downgraded to a courtyard view, and also landed noisy neighbors. All in all, I'd definitely come back. A great place to stay when visiting Monterey.
We stayed here for 4 nights for our mini-moon. We very much enjoyed every part of our honeymoon except for this hotel. Lets see - they couldn't find a gift that a friend left for us, put us in the wrong room at first (an ugly view of the building next door, not the courtyard/ocean view we reserved) they called us at 7:30 *AM* on our first morning there to ask about something, and then again at 8:50, didnt clean our room one day, didn't have amenities listed in their book in the room, many little things. They get 2 stars because they did upgrade our room and send champagne to the room. But overall I would never recommend this place or stay there again. They claim to be a 5 star place, but are no better than a Ramada Inn. They claim to be so cheap but really it's because they nickel and dime you for every little thing. Internet was $10 a day, but free up the street at the Motel 6.
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The Portola Hotel & Spa is great place, much to all those other reviews. I was able to get a beautiful room, costing $189 for only $85 on priceline. What a steal. The hotel is right on the wharf. Many dining options are literally minutes away. The hotel layout is beautiful. You feel the classical resort style hotel. Staff is quite friendly, for any questions. Just a block away is a giant supermarket for all your last minute needs. I defitinly recommend the Portola for visitors of Monterey. My only concern is you have to leave the A/C and fan on all night. The room got a little warm, for my only one night stay. The room does have a cabana style balcony which gives style to the room.
I like vacations. I like Christmas lights. I like big soft beds and warm cookies.
Portola's got it. Hot tub, yes. Bath & Body Works lotions, conditioners and soap, it's in the room. Beds are soft, rooms are clean and nicely furnished. The staff rocks. It's like they knew my Girl and I needed some pampering. When you check in, they are super friendly and as they send you happily off to your room, they hand you a warm cookie. Jerks. Just happen to be oatmeal chocolate cookies too. I don't know what marketing genuis they were talking to, but if I get a cookie when I check in, shit I will check out only to check back in the next morning.
Friendly people, beautiful hotel and it's in the middle of the warf, fresh seafood, coffee shops and pubs are just out the door. It's a treat and that's the truth.
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my bf booked one nite here. it wasn't a holiday weekend, so it wasn't crowded or anything. it was a nice hotel, but i'm just not used to paying that much for a room. it was about $100.
pros:
good service at check-in counter
nice spacious room
bath and body works products !
outdoor swimming pool and spa
walking distance to pier
cons:
no view
hallway layout was a little weird
no free wifi
$10 parking! (shouldn't it be free for guests?!)
also i looked at some of the prices for the spa... also quite pricey. but i guess this is where romantic couples go for a weekend away. and i'd go back just for that.. a special getaway
Clean and friendly and awesome for families with kids. We bought the aquarium package and for the price of one night hotel stay and two adult one-day passes, we got to enjoy the aquarium with Luna for two whole days. Plus, the bar downstairs has a nice wine selection and homemade potato chips. Oh, and the free trolley that stops right outside the hotel is super convenient for getting around. Loved the free stuffed whale for Luna and the warm homemade cookies on arrival. This place is great!
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What an adorable hotel. Huge conference center with a very cozy boutique feel. Right on the boardwalk. Best chocolate chip cookies upon check in. Pricey, but worth it.
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We stayed 3 nights and enjoyed our stay. However, they have all different levels of accomadations. Apparently we were at the bottom level although my wife paid a kings ransom for a room. After you complain (nicely) they will upgrade you. Get that straight before you pay for your digs! The service was good and the rooms were clean and convenient to the wharf We would stay possibly again if the price were right.
S Weldon
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Made the smart decision to stay here instead of the Monterey Plaza Hotel. Customer service was very good. Shout out to the girls behind the counter - thanks for the cookies. For a hotel in the middle of Monterey, the lobby and decor was very nice. We asked for a quiet room and received exactly that. Beds are fairly nice and soft. Honestly, for the price, you can not find better. Shout out to the bartender who made our dinner reservations at Passionfish - nice pour on the scotch. Pool area is nice, has jacuzzi and chairs. Asked for a robe, brought it up quick. No complaints, just a good hotel. Shout out to the whole damn staff for giving us complimentary parking!!
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sometimes a girl just wants to be fancy-schmancy. unfortunately "beer pockets, champagne taste" seems to be the motto for this girl's lifestyle. fortunately for her, sometimes, through careful planning and collection of http://hotels.com points, fancy-schmancy meets budget!
used http://hotels.com credits to get the executive penthouse suite...the room was huge, the shower was huge, dual sinks in the bathroom, and bathrobes to boot! gorgeous window seats, awesome TV, and welcome basket and room service breakfast in the AM.
the best part of the room was that it had a spectacular view of the bay AND it had a balcony! (the only one of the top floor!)
http://hotels.com wins in my book for creating such an awesome rewards plan that made this room only $30! (for parking!)
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I stayed here for 1 night as part of my LA to SF road trip. We got a good deal through Travelzoo for a deluxe king room. The room decor wasn't all that great, but the big windows and balcony overlooking the plaza made me happy. Plus the warm cookie at check-in is a bonus after a long drive up from LA! We used our $35 Travelzoo food credit to order room service for breakfast... starting the day off right! The hotel is located walking distance to a lot of restaurants and shops. Parking was $17 per day for us with in/out privileges.
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I stayed for 4 nights recently while attending a conference at the hotel. Going in with low expectations, I have to say that I was quite impressed with this place. They didn't have my preferred room type available, but the room they gave me was very large and comfortable. Beds were pretty good (not on par with my favorite Westin Heavenly Bed, but that's ok...). Bath products were high quality, from Bath & Body Works, and they were plentiful. Free bottled water was plentiful! Wired internet connections were $9.99 for 24 hours, but wireless wasn't really an option (super expensive, and seemed to be designed for conference organizers rather than individuals).
I would definitely come back to the Portola.
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I don't think the hotel sites rated the same hotel I stayed out. This place was supposed to be a 4-star hotel and it sure had the 4-star price tag. Let's say I was very disappointed. The hotel looked a little run down with cheap cosmetic touch ups and the furniture was very worn. They didn't have the amenities of a 4-star hotel but did try to offer Bath and Body Works products in the rooms. The front desk was not very friendly but they did give you cookies upon check in--I think they try to appease people and blind them to the problems by offering quick fixes like cookies or a nice lotion in the rooms. Self parking was a ridiculous $17/day and when we checked in, it was the weekend of the Concours d'Elegance in Pebble Beach and our hotel was holding some sort of car auction. The parking staff informed us that if we self-parked and took the car out again for dinner, we probably would not find a spot back in the lot and would probably have to valet the car [for $20/day.] You think that if you are a guest at the hotel, they will do everything in their power to guarantee that you would have a spot instead of letting the public park there. For what we paid for the room, valet should have been free. The hotel is VERY VERY NOISY. You can hear everything. They have a bar that is outdoors and it just echos throughout the hotel plaza and you can't get away from the noise. This kept me up until they closed the bar at 2a.m.! Also the walls are very thin. I could hear doors closing in the hallway and I could even here the room next to me flush their toilet [pretty gross]. Also, the fire alarm went off at 10:30p.m. on a Saturday night and kept going for about 10 minutes--the sound was so piercing our ears hurt. We came here for our two-year wedding anniversary and were very disappointed. The rooms aren't even very comfortable, there is no air conditioning, and the cable tv has nothing to offer. Also, the parking, spa, and gym is detached from the main hotel so you do have to walk past shops to get there. The only benefit of this hotel was location. It was steps to Fisherman's Wharf and had a trolley stop [which was free] right out front that took you to the aquarium or Cannery Row. It was also a 5 minute drive to Carmel or the 17-Mile Drive. All in all, I would have chosen a different hotel if I could. Not worth the money for all the noise and sleepless nights and they do nickel and dime you every chance they get.
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This really is an old ( redone somewhat) hotel. I was upset as the pictures online really did look 1000% better and for the price that was paid for 3 nights - it really was very upsetting! The only good thing about it was the "location" on Main st and close to Wharf ( we did not like the FISHERMAN'S WHARF itself-) go to CANNERY ROW instead! The hotel has old doors and over inch gap on the bottom of the doors- you can stick your fingers through it! You would hear everyone in the hallway walking by and the room across from us (smoked) we had to wet the towels at night to block off the smell ( did call the front desk)-
the balcony sliding door is VERY OLD and even on Second Floor- you question security aspect of it. UNLESS you can get this hotel for 85 dollars a night....DO INDEED PASS!!!! there are better places! This is simply an attempt to to look freshened up....TOO MANY short cuts were taken during last remodel. The hallways were always dirty too. PASS!
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Absolute dump and complete waste of money. I stay at a lot of hotels, both in the US and around the world when traveling for business or leisure, so while I'm certainly no expert, I do know a thing or two about accommodations, service, quality, and standards.
The word "standards" has very special meaning to me as I think it sums-up the best and worst aspects of the vacation/restaurant/hotel industry. If your standards are even higher than the place where you work, you'll go far in the service industry. If you refuse to lower your standards, you'll go far in whatever you are doing. Thus, since I hold myself to a high standard in my profession, I hold others to high standards as well (I think that's also why we're all here on Yelp to one degree or another).
This place has clearly lost whatever sense of standards they had when they opened, and their popularity seems to stem purely from their location (which is lovely, but I mean it's Monterey, that's not exactly rocket science - find water, build hotel) and their rates (very inexpensive, like peak season for a king room was like $185 or something - and I mean inexpensive considering its location). The service here was absolutely atrocious, and there is absolutely no communication between the different departments (valet, concierge, front desk, maintenance, housekeeping).irdh
During the duration of our stay, our phones did not work, our internet did not work, our room was barely cleaned (bed haphazardly made, had to call twice - from cell phones mind you - to get towels, etc), bellmen took forever to come up or down (and they were hardly busy here), and while I realize it's somewhat inevitable, there's birdshit literally everywhere.
We had a decent time in Monterey (the tail end of our honeymoon was derailed by the fires - no getting to Big Sur for us!) even though we hadn't initially planned on going there. This hotel really made it hard to enjoy ourselves, and definitely tainted what was otherwise the perfect honeymoon.
In terms of standards, if I'm going to spend my hard-earned money somewhere, I expect at least the pursuit of excellence if not excellence itself. This place has truly forgotten the meaning of service, and couldn't even muster up the strength and effort to meet their own standards let alone my own. I would highly recommend staying at the Intercontinental down the street - they also have this crazy new thing called air conditioning! Which the Portola does not (I don't give a shit if it's cool and breezy all year round, our room was about 95 degrees the entire time we were there - be prepared for shit people!!!).
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This isn't a bad hotel. Location is good, and I'm sure the spa services are great. My room overlooked a busy plaza, so I guess that was my issue - drunk people yelling during the night, and there is a bike rental place that was a bit noisy - lots of ringing bells. Room was fine, but could use updating. My husband liked the room and found it charming. We were on the second floor that was only accessible by stairs, so that was slightly annoying when we had to take our luggage up. Cookies at reception were good.
Hubby wants to add his two cents - we got the cheap room and he thought it was nice that the room looked out onto the plaza.
We stayed for a couple of days in the middle of the week during mid-August. The hotel was not too busy at all, so it feels rather relaxed. The location of the hotel is great - just off the Fisherman's Wharf. We walked by the hotel during our prior visits, and always wanted to try it out. This time around we found a good time to visit.
The beginning of our hotel stay was quite a downer. The person at the Registration Desk (the only man working at the front desk) is courteous, but completely forget that we had reserved a fridge (Which costs extra per day) in advance. We did not remember it until we noticed the charge showed up in our bill. Since hotel offers mini-fridge as an option, the guy at the front desk should be a bit more alert. Also, we got a really crummy room - next to a noisy walk way leading to the fisherman's wharf, and is the only room in that class that does not have a balcony. We went back to the front desk and checked to see if our class of rooms were like that - we asked politely but the guy (same guy checked us in) were very defensive and only promised to check for availability later. Definitely not 5 star service there. A simple "sorry about that and I will see what I can do now" would be a much better response.
However, the rest of the stay was much better - room is clean and comfortable. Pool and Jacuzzi is nice. And we did get change to a nice room (better location, a little bit of view, etc) the next night. Also, when checking out, the person at front desk (her name is Jasmine) was very nice and helpful - she took care of the erroneous mini-fridge charge quickly, and gave very detailed driving directions. I had really wished we had her checking us in initially, instead of the guy. I would probably give 4-5 stars if that's the case.
I think a little staff training to achieve consistency is service is definitely in order. Otherwise, a really nice hotel to stay at in Monterey.
I loved this place. It used to be the Doubletree which "closed" (sorta), meaning it switched names.... then switched names again..... and well.... here ya go! They are really fighting to reposition itself from a 4 star to a 5 star, so to compete with the likes of the Monterey Plaza or Intercontinental. I think, personally, they have done a great job and really taken it to the next level. I think it's the nicest hotel in Monterey. But I worked there YEARS ago... and the type of front office work would mean there was more love lost than not.... so complimenting it is a sign of it being a really nice place.
I still think it is the most beautiful, open, and naturally lit lobby I have ever walked through. They have 12 trees throughout the lobby.. full grown trees!
But the lobby... hotel.... location...
I really think it is, with negative prejudice, one of the loveliest hotels in the entire Monterey Bay Area. Seriously.. if you have a top 5 with Post Ranch Inn at the top, Portola Plaza/Doubletree might still be in it! Maybe!
I think you should probably check this hotel out first, as you will get the best experience to the dollar. Their new pool and spa cabana deck looks incredible as well, and the work out room is impeccably set up. Great place, and the staff is 5 stars. A lot of turnover recently, but the main components of the hotel that make it great are still there. Cheers Portola... well done!
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1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/7/2008
Location is superb for DOWNTOWN Monterey... not so good if you are looking to be mobile to the… Read more »
My wife is a pretty amazing lady especially when it comes to scheduling us massages. She does not want one of the hokey couple massages, she wants us both to have private rooms, and she always requests that a woman massage me because I've recently learned that watching and/or thinking about another woman touching my body turns her on. After learning this I told her that is something we should really explore more. Really we should. Really. I'm serious. Seriously being serious about the level of my seriousness around this issue. Really.
What was I talking about? Oh - so the Portola Hotel not so nice as hotels go but the spa was really quite lovely. After a slight scheduling mishap we received a 10% discount on our massages and we were both just completely giddy with our respective massages. I got a massage from Kat who probably weighed about 102 pounds but if you had your eyes closed her hands suggested the strength of a 240 pound German man named Sven. So while Kat put her German man hands all over my body, my wife was getting a long overdue pre-natal massage.
When she asked me how my massage was I told her it was incredible. It was like a large German Man was rubbing me down and he smelled like lavender and fresh laundry.
A little advice to you future dads out there - When the pregnant wife asks you how the massage was don't say, "The best part was when she was massaging my naked ass." Mention the words German and Man Hands and everyone goes home happy.
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Ok to be fair, I need to point out that we stayed in Monterey for two nights. The first night my daughter and I stayed at the brand spanking new INtercontinental Hotel on Cannery Row while the husband was at a conference at the Portola HOtel. We stayed the second night at this hotel since husband's company was paying for it and his roommate had left.
So coming from brand spanking new hotel to the Portola was less than pleasant. The rooms show wear and tear and there is no A/C. Ok you really don't need A/C in Monterey, but when it is about 90 degrees outside, it would be nice to come into a cool room ... The service was good at this hotel and the location was nice. The hotel is nice not the best. If I need to come back to Monterey I would not pay to stay at this hotel, I would rather stay someplace else.
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We didn't spend the night here, but we spent a few hours in a room... Noooo, it's not what you think!! :) The family I nanny for was staying here for the weekend, because the mom was here for a work convention. Saturday night was a big event, and they had my boyfriend and I babysit the kids for a few hours.
The rooms are very nice. The beds are comfy and bouncy and soft and perfect. Rooms are nicely decorated and spacious.
The location of this hotel is absolutely PERFECT. You couldn't ask for a better place.
Navigating the hotel is a little confusing. We couldn't find the elevators once we left the family's room!
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Wow! I absolutely loved my/our stay here and was so happy we chose the Portola for our pre-wedding and partial honeymoon stay. Throughout our wedding planning we stayed at several places on the Monterey Peninsula including: Hotel Pacific in Monterey, Marina Sand Dunes Resort in Marina, Ramada, Marina, Otter Inn, Monterey, Sea Breeze Inn and Cottages, Pacific Grove and the Portola Plaza. I have to say the Portola was the absolute best in ammenities, convenience and consistency in service. I've stayed at the Portola for work and enjoyed my stay here and stayed in a standard room while visiting and finally stayed in one of their executive rooms for our wedding. The view was amazing. I loved the view of the bay and boats and the bay view at night. It was perfect for us. The executive room included breakfast each day and we had the option of enjoying it in our room or at Jack's downstairs. It was tasty and delicious. I felt so spoiled staying here. The room had a hugh flat screen TV, a comfortable bed with lots of cushy pillows, a bay window that opened to reveal the great relaxing view. On our wedding day it was very convenient to stay in this central location. The night before we enjoyed a great night out with family and friends at the Crown and Anchor Pub a block away, my fiancee stayed at Hotel Pacific just a block away and moved over to the Portola our wedding night. Also our wedding day, I had a last minute emergency (forgot deodorant haha) and was able to walk down to Walgreens and pick it up (less than 5 min.) We had a last minute hemming job to do too and the hotel staff sent a mending kit right away. We ended up staying there for a total of 3 days and didn't want to leave. It was great. Forgot to mention, fresh-baked cookies every night and turn down service was a nice touch, can't wait to go back!
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Good customer service. We did the whale watching package and there were no problems from check in to check out. Nice location near the the pier. Overall great experience and would go back if we are in the Monterey area.
I went here with all the other college seniors in my class for a dinner/dance weekend. I heard from a number of friends that the hotel had screwed up their reservations (no record of reservation at all, or booking the wrong days). Although our reservation had a few problems as well, the staff was really helpful. The actual place is nice and is in a good location near the main street. The rooms don't come with wireless or a fridge (I thought fridges were standard!). The ballroom was nice and spacious too.
In general, I don't think the price for the room ($219/night, and that was with a special discount) was reflective of the quality. Being a poor college student, I'd say it was too expensive for what we got; but if I had the money I might stay again.
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The location is great. You can walk to some good restaurants. The rooms are a little worn and I believe the beds need to be replaced. Mine was very lumpy.
I love the location of their newly renovated spa which is open quite late (8pm). If it weren't for the spa, I would stay elsewhere.
Upon arriving, we were greeted and check-in was nice and short. They asked how many are in the party and handed me warmed chocolate chip cookies as welcoming gifts. I was already sold!!!! The premise was nice and clean. The lobby is one of those that you enjoy sitting around talking and having a drink. Sitting under the trees in the lobby was very relaxing! Our room was situated above the bar and it was a bit noisy......but after 10:30 or so, there must have been someone who shushed people away, the noise died down.....The room was modern and clean. The shutters were a nice touch to the sliding-doored balcony. In the morning, we went to the pool area with the kids, the pool area was pleasant and it was equipped with a very warm spa, almost too warm! The swim was nice but bit far from our room. You have to leave the main building to go to the pool and the gym. Did not try the on-site restaurants....but they had great Concierge, bell desk and parking service. Valet parking was $20 though.....self-parking was $17.....It was centrally-located and we went mid-week, so it was affordable. We will definitely go back if it has the same good rate.....
Just OK, and far from great. Decent location, but no quality retail to speak of. The two or three dining establishments that are connected to this place were really "iffy" (mostly empty, and hit or miss food). A colleague got a massage at the spa, and said it was "nice", but didn't sound life-altering.
Rooms are nothing special, and the internet access is $10 per day (why do some places STILL make you pay for this?
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We spent one of our many anniversaries here for 4 days and we had a wonderful time. Room service was not bad and the hotel is conveniently located on the Wharf.
It's in the middle of everything and walking distance from the Fisherman's Wharf.
The rooms are clean and service is good. You can pretty much walk anywhere to have lunch, dinner, or hang out at the Wharf.
We really had a nice relaxing time here. If we come back, we'd definitely stay here again.
Perfect Hotel!
My Wife and I just had our 3 year anniversary here. Really nice staff. Perfect room. As we walked in a bottle of champagne on the house was waiting for us with 2 glasses. They all gave us free parking and some nice warm chocolate chip cookies. When I called the front desk for some help they answered the phone with " Hi Mr. ------ how can I help you?" Now yes I know the tech stuff we have these days and it just told them who was calling, but still it felt good. Not only the staff but the room was in a really nice condition, perfect temperature and can I say all the Bath supplies were "bath and body works." The wife loved the fact that I smelt like Vanilla bean all night. Thanks Portola Staff for making my 3rd year anniversary a memorable one!
Ah Portola Plaza, you're the "gem" of the Monterey Coast. Whatever.
The first feel I got when I entered - this is the type of place that tries really hard to tell you it's elegant and nice and peaceful, when it's just old. Kind of like hookers, you know?
The rooms were small and I felt the decor was trying to make me feel like i should have be in a midwestern mother's home watching her crochet something onto the wall.
Thank you very much for letting us use your luggage hop to carry our Costco cases of beer up into our room. But did you *really* have to call the Monterey Police Department on us?
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I recently spent an enjoyable weekend at this hotel. It's big and it feels a bit corporate - it's no boutique hotel - but it's a nice place and they give you warm cookies at check-in. The rooms are your standard hotel rooms in terms of size and layout, but with a nice cheerful color palette. They provide Bath & Bodyworks bath products, and cute little touches like a seal bath toy and a soapdish that has those tiny floaty rubber duckies in it. The beach isn't very close but you can hear the sea lions barking outside, especially in the morning. And while we're on the subject of wild noises, the walls are somewhat thin.
There's a shopping area in the immediate vicinity, but none of the shops or restaurants there were too interesting. But this place is a good base from which to explore the area - Fisherman's Wharf is about a mile away and it's a short drive to Carmel and Pacific Grove.
There's a nice pool and hot tub, but they're going to renovate it in early 2008 so check before you pack your suit.
The staff was really nice and helpful - my friend left his jacket behind when we checked out but he had no problem getting it back. It's lame that they charge $15 a night for parking but if you fish around for deals you might be able to get the fee waived.
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