Hampton Inn & Suites Marina

We enjoyed our stay, and I'm not sure why the hotel has so many negative reviews. It's hard to find a renovated hotel in a good spot near attractions, and this one worked out really well. It's clean, and housekeeping cleaned the room daily. The service was good too. The buffet was okay, but omelettes weren't available without cheese and there were no egg whites. The indoor pool was unavailable because, they said, the heater was broken. Pools can have malfunctions, so call ahead to check.

The pool looked like one of the nicest I've seen at a Hampton, but it was freezing because the heater was broken. We were really disappointed, and the kid was crushed. The front desk person was very nice and upgraded us since we're Hilton Gold members. This is a modern, nicely built Hampton Inn with gorgeous studio suites, a huge bathroom, and super comfortable beds. The location works if you're visiting the Monterey area and don't want to pay $350 or more a night.

Walmart across the street was convenient, and it's a two-minute drive to the beautiful Marina State Beach, which is free. There are also restaurant options just a few minutes away by car in Marina. For our three-night stay we booked a suite with a king bed, sofa bed, fridge, microwave, and sink. The room was spacious, the bed was comfy, and the bathroom was very good. Breakfast is included, with waffles you make yourself, eggs, bacon, pancakes, cereals, and more. Parking costs $10 per night.

The hotel looked very new, and the breakfast was good. My husband and I enjoyed the little pour-your-own tap area. Even a regular room was spacious enough for us and our two small kids. The pool was broken when we arrived, but nobody told us until the next day when we went down to swim. That's the reason we booked this hotel. The pool area is also remarkably slippery, so I'm rating the room lower because of the pool problem.