Monterey Beach Hotel, A Tribute Portfolio Hotel

“Sunsets, Beach and Relaxation”

What a spectacular location with the waves crashing up against the beachfront. If you are lucky enough to get an ocean front room you can enjoy a complimentary wine and watch the sunset from your room or the wonderful lobby bar. The staff go the extra mile and even provide marshmallows and chocolat… more

What a spectacular location with the waves crashing up against the beachfront. If you are lucky enough to get an ocean front room you can enjoy a complimentary wine and watch the sunset from your room or the wonderful lobby bar. The staff go the extra mile and even provide marshmallows and chocolate to have smores down by the fire pits right at beach level. If you are looking for views, beach and a staff that makes you feel like home, look no further!

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“On the beach.....”

Throw back with updates... amazing property!! Well played Marriott!

“Wonderful staff member!”

The hotel has a beautiful location and is clean but not luxurious. What makes it stand out is the staff. My boyfriend accidentally left his credit card at a restaurant and the wonderful employee named Jun, came to our room to personally deliver it so that we would not be frantic. He was so lovely a… more

The hotel has a beautiful location and is clean but not luxurious. What makes it stand out is the staff. My boyfriend accidentally left his credit card at a restaurant and the wonderful employee named Jun, came to our room to personally deliver it so that we would not be frantic. He was so lovely and thoughtful and greeted us the next day. The hotel should be very proud to have such a long standing employee that still takes such pride in his job and taking care of his guests.

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“Tanya Saved the Stay”

We stayed at Monterey Beach Hotel June 5-6 while celebrating our daughter’s last day of 2nd grade and the start of summer. We were looking for a relaxing family getaway, and after seeing several influencer videos, we were excited to finally check out the property. Let’s start with the positives. T… more

We stayed at Monterey Beach Hotel June 5-6 while celebrating our daughter’s last day of 2nd grade and the start of summer. We were looking for a relaxing family getaway, and after seeing several influencer videos, we were excited to finally check out the property. Let’s start with the positives. The front desk team was great and surprised us with a suite upgrade, which was much appreciated. The extra space made the stay more comfortable for our family and dog. One thing that confused me right away was the complimentary wine program. We arrived ready to kick off vacation mode and headed to the bar, only to learn there were specific hours and rules around it. Nothing wrong with that, but a quick explanation at check-in would have made things much clearer. To his credit, the bartender was professional, patient, and helpful throughout the stay. The biggest disappointment came when our dog accidentally knocked over my daughter’s drink in the lobby area. We were embarrassed and immediately took ownership of the situation. I even asked for a towel because I wanted to help clean it up myself. Unfortunately, the response from a female employee made us feel more like an inconvenience than guests. We were already embarrassed, and a little grace would have gone a long way. What bothered me wasn’t the broken glass. Accidents happen. We were there celebrating a special occasion and trying to enjoy family time. We even used it as a teaching moment with our 8-year-old daughter, explaining that sometimes people have bad days and not to take it personally. Later that evening we had dinner at a local restaurant and experienced incredible hospitality, which gave us a great example to show her of how customer service can make people feel welcomed and valued. The next day our daughter wanted to eat in the lobby. To be honest, my wife and I were hesitant after the previous night’s experience. We just wanted to enjoy our final day without any drama. Thankfully, that’s when we met Tanya. Tanya was fantastic. She stepped in while the waiter was on break, took our order, checked on us several times, and genuinely made us feel welcome. What really stood out was watching her handle another table’s broken glass incident. No drama, no attitude, no making guests feel bad. She simply handled it professionally and moved on. Watching that happen made me realize how differently the exact same situation can be handled. If management reads this, Tanya deserves recognition. She completely changed the tone of our stay and reminded us what hospitality is supposed to look like. As for the property itself, the beach was nice to look at, but not somewhere we spent much time with our dog. There was a lot of seaweed, bird activity, and it just didn’t feel very clean. My biggest concern was the pool deck. In several spots it looked like screws were missing and some boards noticeably flexed when walked on. Around a pool where guests are barefoot, that felt like a potential safety issue that should be addressed before someone gets hurt. We also noticed empty glasses and bird droppings around the fireplace area that sat longer than they should have. One final memorable moment: on our last night near the pool and hot tub, a pretty strong marijuana smell drifted through the area. I came expecting ocean air and a sea breeze and got something completely different. My wife and I just looked at each other and laughed. By that point it felt like the perfect ending to a stay that had some great moments, some confusing moments, and a few “you can’t make this stuff up” moments. I also think the influencer videos did this place a lot of favors. Online it looks like a luxury beachfront resort. In reality, it’s a decent hotel with a great location and some very good employees, but once you’re there you start noticing the dated pool area, maintenance concerns, inconsistent service, and extra fees. To the hotel’s credit, Ian from management personally reached out after our stay and took the time to listen. He wasn’t defensive and genuinely wanted to understand our experience. I wasn’t looking for compensation. I simply wanted to recognize Tanya and provide honest feedback. I left that conversation feeling heard, which goes a long way. Overall, not a bad stay, but not quite what we expected. If your main goal is beach access, this place works. However, Monterey and Carmel have a lot of great options. Personally, I’d probably explore Carmel or another Monterey property next time. In the end, Tanya, the front desk team, and Ian’s follow-up are why this is a 3-star review instead of a lower one. Tanya was the bright spot of the trip and deserves a huge thank you.

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