Worst experience we've had at a supposedly high quality hotel in years. Starting with the worst problem and working down to irritations:
1.The entire wing was at about 85 degrees all night, two nights. There was nothing that could be done with the themostat (no A/C) to help on this. If you opened the windows ----unfortunately we were on the costlier bay side------the sea lions, maybe 300 of them, were barking very loudly all night and all morning without let-up. Neither I nor my wife could sleep.
2. The shower in our room made a noise like an alarm clock every time it was used, for the entire time it was in use. Four for four on this.
3.We all know that "ocean view" means a view from an angle. But when the room is ,in writing, presented as built directly over the water like on a cruise ship, I really wasn't expecting a plaza overlook.
4. It took 10 minutes to get hot water--ironic is it not?----even though I guessed right on which direction to turn the knobs and persevered steadily. I hate to think how long it could have been.
5.This is one of those places that charges you a daily spa membership fee (waxes, saunas, etc.) if you want to use the treadmill and weight machines. I think these are 2 very separate activities and, in the context of everything else, this felt like a rip-off.

My wife started to complain but the reaction was so blase that she gave up and concluded that the number of complaints had likely numbed the staff to customer concerns. Congrats to those who had a better stay than we did. We think you were very very lucky!

My husband and I stayed there August 29, 30, 31 for our anniversary. We booked an "ocean view" room (plus spa package), but really the first view come in sight is the concrete block of a building which you can see in one of the "Traveler Photos" "Schooner's As Seen From The Spa." We had a terrible experience with the spa. My husband's massage was average. The server was not able to adjust the pressure as requested. I was refused a pedicure AND manicure because the server said I have fungus in my toes. When I requested that she present such spa/hotel policy to me; she had none to show. She showed me a list of health regulations from some Board. I saw provisions related to stripe throat and such but none regarding fungus. When I spoke with the spa director and assistant director on the phone, they were unable to show any written policy regarding the determination of fungus or refusal of services. I'm still waiting for a reply to this day. When I informed the hotel my displeasure and requested to talk to a manager, "none were available as they were all in a meeting." I had to leave without a resolution because I did not want to miss my flight. I was offered a refund of spa charges but don't know if it was reflected in the total fees, as I still have not received a final statement from the hotel. I'll report back when I have some updates.

We stayed here for a wedding and thought this would be the most convenient place to stay. We paid $250 a night and were given a room right above the valet entrance. We could not fall asleep until midnight when the traffic finally slowed down. But at about 6 a.m., the traffic began to increase and we were awakened once again. The room was ok, but a bit outdated. When we took a shower, all the water got all over the bathroom floor, as the flimsy shower curtain just couldn't do its job well. The beds were comfortable, but the noise did not let us enjoy them much. There is no air conditioning, so the room got rather warm by mid-day. As for the service, it was terrible. We left on Saturday to go to the aquarium, and when we returned, the room had not been cleaned. I made a point to take my privacy sign off the door before we left, but housekeeping said we did not and tried to blame the incident on us. We had a babysitter coming at 3 p.m. and had to tidy the room up ourselves before she came. When we told the front desk, they said they were sorry, but it did not seem genuine. Anyway, we would stay elsewhere if we came back again. We have always wanted to stay here, but now we know better next time.

Date: September 23rd, 2006
Reviewer: François Boutin, Montreal, Canada

Just back from The 2006 Monterey Jazz festival. And what I miss most is The Monterey Plaza Hotel. If luxurious rooms & stunning views are what you are looking for, than I'd say this hotel is well worth discovering.

Fine dining (2-restaurants) & attentive service will make your stay a memorable one!

My 9-day California trip (San Francisco, Monterey, Carmel & Big Sur) was one that I won't soon forget. The food, the music, the people, the area's many attractions and activitities, the scenic drives are some of the many things that tells me that I'LL BE BACK again...

Thanks for the memories.
F.Boutin