Embassy Suites on Monterey Bay Hotel

, Seaside, United States
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Embassy Suites on Monterey Bay Hotel

, Seaside
3 star
1441 Canyon Del Rey - Seaside - California - 93955 - United States Hotel Website | 831 393 1115
291 Traveller

Reviews - Embassy Suites on Monterey Bay Hotel

Historical Traveller Reviews of Embassy Suites on Monterey Bay Hotel

Pricey but comfortable

from serenasea
We have stayed many times at Embassy Suites on both coasts and found this to be on the disappointing side compared to other experiences at this chain.

Our stay was for two nights, May 16 & 17 (Monday-Tuesday). Check-in was smooth and friendly. Our room was a corner room on the 11th floor with a view of the water. It was booked with the AAA rate of $269/night+tax. (We thought it was expensive, especially when we could have booked the Bellagio in Las Vegas for four nights for what we paid here. California prices -- ouch!) Although it was nice to look out on the water, I wouldn't pay the premium for the water view again. Whenever you're out of the hotel, you'll have the water view. Also, our room was near a "staff only" room, so there was some noise from the comings and goings throughout our stay.

We noted quite a bit of renovation activity on several floors.

The previous poster described the room and breakfast selections in detail, so I won't repeat that information. I'm another one who wipes down the phones, light switches, and remote(s) as soon as I enter a hotel room. Our bed was very comfortable. The bedspread seemed a little worn, but again, I turn down the bed from the get-go. I too saw mold in the bathroom. Ugh.

The fitness room has nice equipment and the indoor pool had only one family there when we stuck our heads in. There is a nice jacuzzi adjacent to the pool.

The room was nicely appointed, and the towels in the bathroom were new. For the price of the room, you'd think Embassy Suites could stock a decent toilet paper, though. The tp in the public restrooms on Cannery Row and in the Aquarium were of better quality.

We enjoyed the breakfast provided by the hotel. One morning we saw a piece of moldy bread that someone had toasted and then left by the toaster. (I would have removed that pronto.)

At the evening Manager's Reception (5:30 - 7:00 p.m.), I was provided with a margarita that was generously poured and better than some of the ones I've gotten at our local Mexican restaurant. The bartender was friendly and kept the line moving and people laughing -- two thumbs up for having a perfect "people person" pouring the drinks. As far as the complimentary snacks, we were expecting the cheese and crackers, hot meatballs, or teriyaki chicken skewers we'd had at other Embassy Suites. I guess they're really budgeting on the food because the offerings were potato and tortilla chips, salsa, onion and ranch dips, and popcorn.

The electricity to the hotel was cut off our second morning right at prime "getting ready" time (between 7-8 a.m.), which did disrupt things a bit.

When we reviewed our bill prior to check-out, we found a restaurant charge on our bill that wasn't ours. (We ate at the Chart House in Monterey that night, and highly recommend it. Great seafood and a chocolate lava dessert that was to die for.) There was no problem removing the charge from the bill once we pointed out the error.

Be sure to bring some dollar bills to tip the bartender and the omelet guy.

This would be a good hotel to stay at with your family. I think if I were to return for another anniversary visit, I'd probably look to stay in Carmel or at one of the resorts.

Great hotel for toddlers and kids!!!

from designmoderne
After spending endless hours surfing through ALL the reviews for 3, 4 and 5-star hotels in the Monterey/Carmel area, we decided on the Embassy Suites in Seaside. We have a 17-month old toddler and wanted to find a place that had a suite or separate bedroom/living room with a door AND was nicely furnished and clean (I'm a clean freak and will walk into any hotel room and swipe all the door knobs, toilet lid/flusher, light switches, etc. with anti-bacterial wipes). I booked the room at their website and got the Aquarium package. Much cheaper than booking the room and purchasing the Monterey Bay Aquarium tickets at the site. It costs us $214/night (Friday night stay) not including taxes. It included: 2 adult tickets to the aquarium to be used for TWO consecutive days! (actual tix costs $19.95/adult per day).

We checked in yesterday around 1:00pm, got our room within 5 minutes, shuffled our luggages to our room on the 10th floor and came down and picked up our tickets from the concierge and headed over to the aquarium. After a few hours of fun, we strolled Cannery Row, then took a FABULOUS scenic drive (to put our toddler to sleep for a 1 hour nap in the car) down Highway 1 past Carmel/Carmel Valley. OH MY GOD! It is SOOO BREATHTAKING!!! As you are driving, you are literally hugging the cliffs and winding road with an amazing 180 degree view of the pacific ocean!!! It was such a jaw dropping experience. Crashing waves hitting the beautiful rocks below. Just purely amazing. Lots of stops to enjoy the views.

Back to the hotel. It was clean, tidy and just like what I thought it would be. Nothing fancy like the Inn at Spanish Bay in Pebble Beach where we've stayed before (that would set you back at least $500/night!) but it definitely suited our needs especially for our curious and active toddler. He could even run around the whole floor as all the rooms face the central core of the building which is the atrium and have at least a 40" high railing wall around each floor (my husband's an architect and I'm an interior designer as you will tell by my detailed descriptions!). The room looked updated with new wavy green-blue carpet (to reflect the ocean theme), a nice pull out sofa, a 48" rectangular dining table with 4 dining chairs, 2 TV's-one for each room, a wet bar area with a bar sink/microwave/undercounter fridge/4-cup coffee maker/mugs/glasses/ice bucket. Lots of light fixtures and ceiling lights. The bathroom was furnished with Neutrogena products (soap/shampoo/conditioner/lotion), glasses, towels. But the only annoying thing I found was that I smelled mildew in the bathtub (and was thinking of putting my son in for his evening bath) and saw that part of the bathmat was lifted. I grabbed a tissue and lifted it more and found BLACK mildew at the edges! Nasty! No bath for me or my son (my husband did as he ran 20 miles the next morning and needed a shower!). The bedroom was nicely furnished with dark maple armoire, nightstands, desk, and wood/upholstered chair. The bedding was a new tropical floral pattern with clean white sheets. Yes, I am such a clean freak that I won't even let my son touch those comforter covers that I roll it up and push it down to the edge of the bed. The bedroom window opens up to approx. 6" (to prevent people climbing out). It did get stuffy in the room and the a/c was loud when we turned it on.

The staff were courteous and friendly. My son and I headed to the breakfast buffet the next morning. It's alot to keep you full even past lunch time. They served: Cooked-to-order omelets, scrambled eggs, diced potatoes, bacon, sausage links, french toast, pancakes, cantaloupe, green melon, Yoplait yogurts, bananas, apples, juices, coffees, hot cocoa, 3 different cereals, danishes, muffins, bagels, wheat/white bread, toasters.

All in all, it was a pleasant experience. We'll be staying at more Embassy Suites soon (San Diego for 6 days and New York City for 5 days) because of the 2-room suite, the amenities (free breakfast, toiletries if we forget anything but most hotels do anyway), clean/tidy rooms, etc.

One more thing, like the previous post said (or several, I can't remember) they were upgrading some rooms on the 2nd floor while we were there. So it does look like they upgrade a few rooms at once and at least do damage control when need be.

Pleasant

from cmishnr
Had an enjoyable week' stay in April 2005 at this very conveniently located hotel. All things equal, we would have preferred to stay in Carmel, but used Hilton HHonors points to stay here inexpensively. The hotel is right off a Hwy 1 exit and only 3-4 minutes by side streets to Monterey wharf -- very easy access to anywhere on the peninsula. There is also a Target and all other big box retailers a half mile away for necessities.

Our typical ES room was clean and well appointed. Our two boys loved the buffet breakfast, esp. the cooked-to-order omelets (helps to tip the cook!). They were refurbishing all the rooms in the hotel by floor -- one worker I spoke to said they do this every year! Service was friendly everywhere. The pool, whirlpool, sauna, and exercise room were clean and well-maintained.

The hotel is only one of two hotels on the peninsula that can handle sizeable corporate meetings, so it is primarily a business/group clientele -- but I can recommend it for families with a car who want comfort and amenities but are willing to give up the charm (and expense) of staying right in Carmel.

A solid 3 stars!!

from sanjoseca
Stayed there for one night with my husband and two young kids last Friday. The room was nice and clean, the staffs were very friendly and the restaurant offered a good food and service. (We paid $23/pp for seafood buffet dinners) It’s not as crowded as other Embassy Suites that we had stayed, it made easy for us to enjoy the Breakfast and the chips/popcorns in the evening.
I’m highly recommend this hotel if you’re traveling with kids. A solid three-star hotel.

Quieter than othe embassy suites

from JudyD
Stayed for one night through priceline. Had a Nice room on the 10th floor. It was an easy drive to Monterey and back. Happy hour was very nice. It was not as hectic as other embassy suite we've stayed at. All the staff was friendly.

good for a family with kids

from A TripAdvisor Member
This hotel was nice, like an upscale Holiday Inn...which is right nextdoor by the way ( an Express version). Free hotel parking is a plus! It is clean, and the frontdesk staff is EXCELLENT! I have worked in the airline industry, as a crewmember, for 25 years, so I am pretty much used to hotel stays in general. The "happy hour" is a little bit like going to an impersonal social gathering, and the breakfast in the am, is fine, like a Denny's. The price is what caused me to downgrade the property. If you are staying as just a couple...WOW! We paid the AAA rate, around $150 for the night, including tax. Which was a better deal than the interline rate or the webbased rate, so look into it! It was clean, and quiet.. we stayed on a Thursday night, December 16, 2004. We have kids, they wanted to swim... we wanted our own room, with a TV, you get the reason we stayed there. It was fine, but average, nothing overly special. If you don't need a pool, don't drink or you can get to a bar or liquor store, can skip a morning meal, and do not have kids then, don't stay here...there are so many cute hotels/b and b's in the area for singles/couples. It was very convient to all the attractions and was good deal for the four of us, but I feel when my husband and I go back, it will be just the two of us, and we're going romantic next time!

Great visit!

from A TripAdvisor Member
I took my boyfriend to Monterey for the weekend and stayed and the Seaside Embassey Suites, and had a great time!

About the hotel: Nice indoor pool and jacuzzi, (1 dollar a game) pool tables were a lot of fun, nice atrium (with fun glass elevators), free drinks (full bar) and snacks in the evening. The free breakfast was fine, I don't know what everyone complains so much about. The eggs and potatoes are a little weird, but theres lots of pastries, toasts, bagels, fruit, yogurt, coffee, tea, Oj, milk, (and the french toast is pretty good) which is enough to satisfy most people. (if you think there is nowhere to sit and eat breakfast you can take it to your room, or eat in the bar which is usually empty).

The service was fine, we had no problems with the staff. The location is great, its right next to the "Entering city of Monterey" sign. Its about 10-15 minutes to the wharf and the aquarium.

I didn't eat at the restraunt inside, but there are several good restraunts in seaside and you are very close to the wharf, which has top class, fun, places to eat.

The indoor of the hotel is okay, the atrium area, pool, and outside, all look pretty new and nice. I'm not sure the rooms have been redone in a while, but you get a living room and a bedroom and a half kitchen. The quality and cleanliness is about like a best western- pretty good. You're paying the extra money for the space, the hotel, the breakfast, the pool, having room service, et cetera. (Free outdoor parking, that is right outside and fast to get too.)

I had a great trip, but this depended on several factors:

Money- I went on November 19-21, which meant that I paid less, especially since I paid the NetFair, buying through the hotel itself onine. (You can also find good fares from travelocity, orbitz, et cetera). The relative inexpensiveness made it a lot more worth the trip, and the hotel seemed that much better.

Space- The hotel was about 3/5 of the way full- which made the trip easy. But I can imagine during summer, when its almost comletely full, a lot of things would of gone less smoothly.

Try it out, its a nice hotel, all Embassey suites hold certain standards. Just a few more tips:

Bring a laptop and movies if you have them to watch. A pay-per-view movie is $13.00, a big surprise to me.

Go a little off season, you'll have just as much fun and will enjoy the hotel more.

If you want to sleep in past 8, (and for just in case) definatley bring earplugs. Like most hotels, you can hear smaller children and shouting throught the walls sometimes.

If you hate kids, don't go to embassey suites! It is a family hotel and you will have kids around a bit, in the pool and near your for breakfast, et cetera. My boyfriend and I had no problems having a romantic weekend even though there were many families and kids around.

Don't pay for the ocean view. You're not on the water. Everyone has an okay view, as the hotel seems to be the tallest thing in Seaside. (Another good thing, you can't miss the Hotel, it sticks out).

It would be best if you had a car, there is not much within short walking distance. (such as restraunts.)

Good luck on your travels!

Nice time, Nice Hotel but bad shower

from A TripAdvisor Member
Stayed at the Embassy Suites for two nights in October for our 2nd Wedding Anniversary. Loved the free cooked-to-order breakfast. Omelettes were tasty. The manager's reception and free cocktails was also a nice touch....I enjoyed a couple of beers and my wife had a couple of glasses of wine while we watched the World Series on the lounge television. The food served (or lack thereof) at the manager's reception was a little questionable-- chips, and that's it. (when they advertised free drinks and appetizers). Ate at the hotel restaurant which was ok but not great.

Hotel suite was great. Nice and spacious. Only regret was the shower. The water pressure was terrible and it took me twenty minutes to wash all the soap and shampoo off of my body.

Overall, however we would probably stay here again.

Nice big room, not so great breakfast

from Curt41
Stayed on a Saturday night. I were initially concerned about noise because my room was near the elevator. Due to the well-planned layout of the suite, I did not hear it at all. I greatly enjoyed the clean spacious suite. The lobby had a nice pond containing many beautiful koi fishes. The minuses: the bathtub contained a glued down anti-skid mat that was peeling at one end. I lifted the end to see mildew (no bath that night). The breakfast was not very good except for the made to order eggs and omlettes. The food sitting in the warming trays appear to have been sitting there for a long time. The bacon, pancakes, and sausages was tough and dense. The scamble eggs were runny. I got the last piece of french toast and was waiting for them to replenish it which they did after 25 minutes when I was done. I can understand this when it toward the tailend of the buffet but I got there at 9:00 with the buffet running from 7:30 to 10:30. Other then the dismal breakfast buffet and mildew bath mat, my stay was positive and I would stay there again.

Not up to Embassy Suites standards

from vabeachlady
Family of 5 stayed here in July, 2004 as part of a cross-country trip. We stayed on a Tuesday night and paid $389 for a two-bedroom suite. This was one of the most expensive places we stayed, and also was one of the least satisfactory. The picture of the hotel posted on the Hilton/Embassy Suites web site is misleading. The hotel is not right on the water as the picture suggests - unless you count the storm water retention pond alongside the highway, which IS right near the hotel. If you wanted to walk to the bay, you'd have some pretty busy streets to cross and walk beside. There are no restaurants to walk to except a McDonald's across the street, and we never found any other restaurants within close driving distance. So for dinner we ordered a Pizza Hut pizza from room service, which was advertised as costing $13.25, but actually cost $19 once they added in all the service charges. (I know it's Monterey, but $19 is a bit steep for a medium size pizza.) The guest laundry was out of order during our stay (and looked like it had been for some time) and no alternatives were offered. Our two bedroom/two bath suite was spacious and sunny, with a nice view of the massive air conditioning unit on a lower roof. The door lock to one bathroom was broken, as was the hook in that bathroom for hanging wet towels on. As at other Embassy Suites, the in-room high speed Internet connection cost $10. (Doesn't Embassy Suites realize that even the Holiday Inns and Comfort Inns offer FREE high speed Internet?!) The complimentary breakfast was very good but very crowded, with a mix of tourists and business people. I noticed that many of the business people gave up trying to find a seat and instead took trays back to their rooms. All in all, I wouldn't pay the same high price to stay here again. The overall room maintenance was disappointing, the location was not as nice as we expected, and the value just wasn't there.

Top Local Tips for Seaside

If you get lost Del Monte Blvd. runs from the Cannery Row area all the way back to the hotel. Although the freeway is well marked, just remember to stay on Del Monte, traveling north, should you miss the exit.

Monterey Aquarium Don't go on a holiday. We thought presidents day would be a nice 3-day get away to the aquarium. So did another gazillion people. The isles and walk ways of the aquarium were choked with bumper to bumper strollers. The aquarium staff did not enforce their "no stroller" policy in many of the exhibits. It is very difficult to move small children through a musuem when you have to manuver a virtual sea of strollers to get from point A to B.

Sea Lions Don't miss the wharf in Monterey and the performing sea lions.

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Other names for Embassy Suites on Monterey Bay Hotel

  • seaside embassy suites
  • embassy suites seaside
  • Address: 1441 Canyon Del Rey - Seaside - California - 93955 - United States
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