We recently made a trip to Monterey, to do the usual fun stuff- see the Monterey Bay Aquarium, whale watch shop etc. For our jumping off point we stayed at the Best Western Beach Resort. Let me... More

We recently made a trip to Monterey, to do the usual fun stuff- see the Monterey Bay Aquarium, whale watch shop etc. For our jumping off point we stayed at the Best Western Beach Resort. Let me start off by saying that this is the only hotel with beachfront property. On that side of the hotel, the view is gorgeous. If you love the beach, like I do, it is worth the extra money to stay on that side. When I booked the room online, I was dubious of the view, and opted for a non-view room. I was pleasantly given an upgrade upon my arrival. I could not tell you why, as I did not ask for it. I did not have to pay the extra premium for the room. Having never had stayed at a Best Western before, I was quite pleased. The lobby is very nicely decorated. If I had to give it a style I would call it kind of a Spanish- casual California style. Handsome chairs with dark wood, tile floors, and a magnificent view of the beach. Since the lobby is on the second level, it is possible to sit next to the fireplace and see the beautiful surf ebb and flow on the beach. Here you can also have evening beverages. Staff is pleasant and eager to help make your stay a memorable one. The room we stayed in was on the first floor, facing the beach. The neat thing about this room, is that there are wooden platforms built in front of the rooms, interspersed with sand and sand-loving plants. There is a necessary retaining wall between the beach and the platforms. I would imagine these are here to save you from some large waves, which no doubt can appear at your doorstep in large storms. The hotel is also next to a public beach, which is kind of fun. Since we visited in the spring, there was no one in the water that was not screaming. The Pacific is way too cold even for casual wading. With an air temperature of 52 F, you can see why it would be a bad idea. However, in the warmer times, this may be a nice place to paddle around. At night, it is possible to get firewood from the hotel, and dig a nice fire-pit to enjoy the waves by. Several fires were present the first night of our stay. The room itself was a basic room, 2 queen beds. There was a small table and a decent sized tv. The bathroom was composed of an open shower bay and a toilet. The sinks were outside the door. I found that to be a little crowded, but I do not generally hangout in the bathroom enough to make that an issue. There was a small fridge, coffee pot and hair dryer. The best part was the toiletries- generally I could care less, as I bring my own, but the hotel uses the Proterra line, which I find to be particularly fragrant. I loved it. The beds were comfy, pillows perky and best of all, the bed featured giant feather comforters. I left the small window open all night, just so I could relish the chilly morning under that comforter. ( By the way, this small window being open should be explained-it isn’t a window you can see through, but a small vented opening below the big glass window- this way you can sleep securely with it open, and hear the waves crashing all night long.) Overall- service was great, price was reasonable and I slept like a baby! We will make this our new Monterey digs.
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