Monterey Bay Lodge

We had a nice time walking around the area, and the nearest beach was about a five-minute walk away. We caught the sunrise there. I enjoyed my stay, with friendly staff and clean rooms.

Expedia showed this as a pet-friendly hotel, but we were turned away when we arrived with a dog, on Thanksgiving night of all nights. They don’t even allow check-in until 4 p.m. The two staff women were extremely rigid, and the whole thing felt like a complete lack of hospitality and customer service. I wouldn’t recommend this place to anyone, with or without a dog. My mom made the reservation as a gift, and either she never got the confirmation below or it went to spam. Neither of us knew about this “policy” beforehand. I’m not surprised the owner didn’t include any apology.

The front desk clerk was caught off guard by the construction too, and said they’d pass our concerns, including those of other affected guests, to management. But waking just before 7:30 a.m. to a tarmac grinder and men with sledgehammers tearing up the parking lot around our car was awful. The machinery was loud enough to shake the windows. Maybe it was a one-time event, but charging full price for a room when part of the stay is a demolition zone felt unfair. We couldn’t even move the car until the ditch around it was leveled. The lot had seemed fine and didn’t look like it needed a full replacement, so it’s hard not to wonder if the hotel industry has money to burn.

Thanks, Lorie & Dennis. The receptionists were friendly and professional, and getting checked in was easy. The hotel was clean, comfortable, and well maintained. Great service and quality, and I’d definitely stay again.