Stay And Play In Monterey
With its oceanfront location and laid-back ambiance, Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa is an ideal retreat any time of year. Use the code "forbes19" when booking your Pacific-view accommodations and receive a $40 credit for breakfast at waterside Schooners Coastal Kitchen & Bar to fuel up before scuba diving or exploring nearby Monterey Bay Aquarium. A $200 spa credit ensures you can unwind in style after a day of adventure.
Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa
A waterfront paradise along the Pacific
Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa caters to guests with discerning tastes and an appreciation for the outdoors and nature. This hotel offers luxurious accommodations, service and amenities with the Monterey Bay as a dramatic backdrop. From your room, enjoy a glimpse of dolphins, seals or otters at play — or play in the ocean yourself. The expert concierge team can arrange sailing, scuba diving or whale watching during your visit.
Whenever hotel guests are ready to explore the city’s offerings, the concierge staff is happy to assist with planning activities around the Monterey Peninsula area. Popular attractions include the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey Maritime Museum, Point Lobos State Park, championship golf courses, opportunities to scuba dive, kayak, bicycle, and play tennis.
Both day and night, relax to the gentle sounds of the water and the fresh scent of the sea air. The Monterey hotel allows you to get in touch with nature while being surrounded by lavish accommodations.
Whenever hotel guests are ready to explore the city’s offerings, the concierge staff is happy to assist with planning activities around the Monterey Peninsula area. Popular attractions include the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey Maritime Museum, Point Lobos State Park, championship golf courses, opportunities to scuba dive, kayak, bicycle, and play tennis.
Both day and night, relax to the gentle sounds of the water and the fresh scent of the sea air. The Monterey hotel allows you to get in touch with nature while being surrounded by lavish accommodations.
Our Inspector's Highlights
- This hotel occupies coveted real estate overlooking Monterey Bay where you can catch a glimpse of playful sea otters and dolphins from many room balconies and the wide outdoor patio areas. You’ll appreciate the close proximity to the aquarium, championship golf courses, upscale shopping and restaurants.
- Monterey Bay is a sightseer’s paradise and the architects beautifully designed the hotel around the water. The European-style architecture of the hotel includes vantage points from both the guest rooms and public spaces where you can enjoy coastal views.
- Executive chef James Waller expertly leads the staff at Schooners Coastal Kitchen & Bar, which serves contemporary American cuisine and seafood dishes. Café La Strada offers a more casual setting and serves coffee and pastries in the morning and sandwiches, soups and desserts throughout the day.
- The Vista Blue Spa is an 11,000-square-foot sanctuary of relaxation, renewal and comfort perched above Monterey Bay. Enjoy a full or partial day of soothing massages, facials and body treatments to calm and rejuvenate your body. In addition to personal treatments, you can unwind in the relaxation lounge, stream room, sauna and hot tub.
Things to Know
- This hotel is a certified green business by the Bay Area Green Business Program. The luxury hotel has earned this distinction by adhering to a strict water conservation program throughout its property.
- Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa also uses environmentally safe cleaning supplies, has adopted a recycling program, and actively participates in a program to promote sustainable seafood, sponsored by the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
- The luxury hotel has a preferred partnership with Del Monte Golf Course. Guests of the hotel receive preferred tee times and discounted green fees. This Pebble Beach golf course is one of the oldest courses in the U.S.
- Broaden your horizons and learn something new during your visit to the hotel. Monterey Plaza offers opportunities for you to attend cooking demonstrations, jewelry-making classes and wine-tasting events.
The Rooms
- Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa has 290 luxurious guest rooms and 10 suites that overlook the water or Cannery Row. The European-style rooms range from 400 to 2,100 square feet in size.
- The elegant décor includes gold striped wall coverings and earth toned draperies. White linens on down feather beds and coverlets brighten the dark wood furnishings.
- Other amenities include HDTV flat-screen televisions, free Wi-Fi, marble baths and microfiber bathrobes. Seventy percent of the guest rooms have balconies.
- All rooms except for the four largest suites have tub/shower combinations. For a separate tub and shower, as well as mahogany crown molding and a fireplace, book one of the luxury suites on the penthouse level.
- All of the rooms are adorned with plush down-filled feather bed covers, soft feather pillows, 19th-century-inspired furniture that reminds us of Biedermeier, HDTV flat-screen televisions, complimentary high-speed Internet access and bathrooms lavishly covered in marble.
The Restaurants
- Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa has one restaurant and one café. Schooners Coastal Kitchen & Bar offers a casual nautical theme for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
- You have the choice of a lively bar atmosphere, with scenic dining on the heated patio suspended above the surf, or the bustle of the open kitchen from the comfort of the cozy clamshell booths.
- The menu aims to please all palates with seafood, meat, pasta and side dishes. The wine menu features several Monterey County vineyards. For a quick bite, Cafe La Strada is open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. and offers Peet's Coffee, pastries and light fare.
- Schooners Coastal Kitchen & Bar has a vibrant, lively atmosphere, but with a heated outdoor patio and ocean views, it provides an intimate setting if you’re looking for a date-night spot. It’s comfortable, peaceful and a bit romantic.
- And whatever drink you’re looking for, the bar's got it. To channel the tropics, try its famous margarita, or just enjoy one of the various premium spirits. If vino is more your thing, the extensive list is filled with Monterey County wines, so you’re sure to find something to entice your palate.
Getting There
