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Sand Dollar Inn - CLOSED
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9 reviews for Sand Dollar Inn
Another staple for my nearly annual Monterey Peninsula stays. Once upon a time I got to work for the Carmel Forestry Department - the best $4.50/hr job I ever had! I also got to live, by an accident of romance, in a gorgeous architectural gem ON the ocean, just south of Carmel proper. The area, unlike the boyfriend, remains in my heart as one of the great nearby treasures, so I come down from time to time to bask in its sheer beauty.
As you may know, it is pricey down there, and unless you want to slum it in Seaside, you're not going to find a great hotel deal from Pacific Grove to Big Sur...unless you go to the Sand Dollar Inn. It's everything you need: It seems separated from the nearby Motel Row, it's close to the Aquarium without being overrun by tourists (about a 4 minute drive), it's clean, there's a pool and jacuzzi, gas fireplaces in the rooms, pleasant staff, there's a mediocre Chinese restaurant (see Great Wall review) and the BEST FRENCH PATISSERIE ANYWHERE OUTSIDE OF FRANCE (see Parker-Lusseau review) literally just across the street. I noticed in one of the earlier reviews someone complained about a lack of Air Conditioning - I also noticed they were from SoCal. Monterey Bay provides natural air conditioning year round, and while heat is occasionally necessary, the AC hardly ever is - just open a window!
For $70, my son and I had a wonderful stay. I was a little daunted that they are building on to the place, with much fancier rooms, some of which will have ocean views, and they're planning to redo the old rooms as well - my brain started making that cash register sound. I'm just guessing that the prices will climb accordingly. But still, it's a great place to stay, convenient to everything.
As we melted in the Jacuzzi, we met a couple and a family who also came year after year, and we all knew why. Tell 'em we sent you.
People thought this was:
- Useful (9)
- Funny (7)
- Cool (9)
There's basic criteria for grading a hotel:
Room: Clean, simple, fireplace
Bathroom: Looked remodeled, good lighting
Location: 10 minute walk from the pier, good bakeshops close by
Bonuses: Pool, jacuzzi, 24hour desk help
And here's my criteria for grading a hotel:
(When you're in your 20's and travel on a budget, you can't expect the Fairmont)
Does it smell like the last guest smoked crack in it?: No
Does it feel haunted?: No
Are there any hobos visible?: No
How many places other than the bed can I (hypothetically) do it on?: many
-on the floor in front of the fireplace
-bent over the extra sink (the mirror was a bonus, thanks!)
- chairs
-a small table that's a very good height
-dressing area with full length mirror
Continental Breakfast: basic but good.
-Various croissants & breads
-juices
-hardboiled eggs.
I'd have to say I was verrrry satisfied at... I mean with this hotel. I also got the place at Hotwire for about $50. Talk about more bang for your buck.
People thought this was:
- Useful (18)
- Funny (25)
- Cool (19)
Basic accommodations in Monterey. Stayed here for three nights when we had a family gathering in the area. Researched lots of hotels and ended up choosing this property because it had a good location (you could easily walk to downtown and the pier) and got a good AAA rate.
We were there as a family and I grabbed one of the one-bedroom suites so I didn't have to listen to the little ones grind their teeth all night long.
The hotel was clean, but it is an older property, so it felt drafty. You can hear the neighbors and the room and bathroom could have used some updates. Our room did have a fireplace which was nice and we enjoyed using the pool and hot tub. Not big enough for swimming laps, but nice for a dip in the evenings. The room also had a balcony which was great since we had a lot of beach gear, so we could spread it out and let it dry.
I was happy with the continental breakfast and didn't have any major complaints. You get what you pay for and I wasn't willing to spring for a nicer resort on this trip.
People thought this was:
- Useful (2)
- Cool (1)
We stayed here overnight. Room was pretty basic and very clean. Our room came with a fireplace. Not sure if ALL rooms come with a fireplace but it seemed odd for me. Felt like an upgraded Motel 6 room with a fireplace. Sadly, we didn't get to use the fireplace because we were pretty much on-the-go.
I liked how they even had a mini-bar set up across from the bed stocked with a mini-fridge, an extra sink and mirror.
The bathroom was neatly stocked. I liked the tiled floor, showerhead, faucets, and hot and cold water handles were all new and pretty modern.
We stayed on the second floor and wished there was an elevator that would've helped with our luggage instead of dragging them or carrying them while using the stairs. Ample parking available throughout the site. It was in walking distance from their Munras' downtown of shops, cafes and restaurants.
Want a bang for you buck while you visit Monterey? You'd be hard pressed to do worse than the simple, no bullshit Sand Dollar Inn.
Though it's janky enough that you can hear the people next door re-enacting a scene from 9 1/2 Weeks (anyone remember that film? anyone?), and though there are a lot of kids running around banging their heads into things, the fact that the rooms are clean, the service perky and nice and that there are free cookies from Otis Spunkmeyer in the registration office (which I'm noting here as a distinctly Bay Area thing) are enough reasons for me to tell you to stay here if you're in the area and looking for something cheap and comfortable.
Nice fireplace in each room, too.
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Funny (2)
Only paid $69 per night for a king on http://hotels.com! Coming from an expensive bed and breakfast in Santa Barbara I thought we would spend more money on doing the touristy things in Monterey and less on the hotel, but I was pleasantly surprised. The room was spacious, neat, very clean and the bed was comfortable. There was a small frig and kitchen, which was a very nice touch. Service was fast and very friendly, breakfast was just okay and the hotel was within walking distance of the pier, aquarium and Cannery Row. You have to go to the Grotto and try their chowder if you're at the pier. YUM!!!!!!
There was no air conditioning, which I found very odd. We requested a wake up call but did not get one. If I had not set my back-up alarm, there would have been serious repurcussions. It was cute how the housekeeping staff made the towels and tissue look like little fans. Staff was very nice and helpful. Would've been nice to have ramps instead of steps at the entrance to the hotel, because carrying my luggage up and down the steps was not great fun. Very close to Fishermans' Wharf, but NOT close to the Aquarium, as their web site would have you believe. That's just flat out false advertising!
After seeing a lot of really scary prices for rooms in Monterey, I was even more afraid of what about $110/night was going to give us at the Sand Dollar Inn. However, we were pleasantly surprised. The Inn was comfortably crowded (not sold out, but lots of people staying there), but we never had any sort of noise problems at all. The bed was fairly comfortable, and I thought the fireplace was very charming, especially that weekend since it was so cold along the water. The staff was courteous and friendly, and checking in and out was a breeze.
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Cool (1)
I loved this little Inn. From the minute I walked into my room I was completely satisfied. I loved the balcony we had. The fireplace was so nice and cozy. The room was very clean and the King bed was to die for. The weather was kind of sucky during my trip which allowed me and my boyfriend time to advantage of the room. It was right across the street from a great chinese and mexican restaurant (which I'm going to write a review on as well). The room was very affordable too. I paid $99 a night and I could have gotten it cheaper but I didn't want to go through the hassal and changing my itinerary. If there was one thing I could change though it would be to have ice machines on every floor. My room was on the 3rd floor and the ice machine was located on the 1st floor. I know it doesn't seem far and lord knows I can use the exercise but it just got annoying after a few trips. Also, they bath tub was very very slippery once we took a shower. The should really invest in having something in the tub that wouldn't kill you. Other than that...I recommend :)
