Casa Munras, Monterey

My sister and I booked the Whale watching special. When we arrived the hotel dicected us to room # 597. This room is directly located by the kitchen and service area exhaust fans and all night the fans were noisy. I called the frontdesk and asked to be switched to another room but was told that since we had booked on their whale watcher special that no other room was available. What difference does it make since it was the Casa Munras that advertised this special. Will all guests be penelized with having to stay in the hotels worthed room if they dare to take them up on their special? This is not good advertising and I would not recommend it to anyone.

I remember staying here years ago with family and didn't remember any ill memories of it. So when my husband and I booked, I expected it to be worth the $189. Being that we came on a busy weekend we got a room on the very end next to a building they seemed to be in the process of renovating. When we entered the room was small, the bathroom , tv, and cooling system outdated. I thought there would be some kind of information available in the room about nearby attractions and dining. Instead we needed to go to the front desk for that. The positives were the very comfortable beds and pillows, L'Occitane bath products, and the location was decent. The staff was helpful as well. I can't completely rule out staying here again, because it doesn't seem like they have finished renovating everything yet..Maybe the third time will be a charm!

I booked the hotel on Priceline.com and didn't know what to expect really. I called the week prior to arrival to confirm the reservation and after stating that I was celebrating an anniversary, the receptionist kindly offered a free upgrade to a King with fireplace. What a fabulous surprise! Upon arrival, we were greeted with a bright smile by the concierge in the lobby. There was a short line at the reservations desk so he checked us in without hesitating. It was the most pleasant and swiftest check-in ever. He asked if we needed directions anywhere and we told him that we were scuba diving for the weekend at San Carlos Beach. He pulled out a map, highlighted the route and off we went! I was a bit restless the first night of our stay so I listened to the sea gulls above the rooftop. Closing the windows helped tune out the gulls. The most pleasant part of the room, however, was the amazingly soft featherbed and smooth sheets. It's on par with those ridiculous thread counts that they have on cruise ships where you want to take all the bedding home! Def helps you fall asleep. The location is fantastic. If you've done your fair share of visiting the Aquarium and Cannery Row and you like getting away from tourists, this is the perfect place to stay! It's a short drive into town and the wharf (~5-10 min) and only a few blocks from Downtown (Alvarado St.) where you have a ton of restaurants and shops to choose from. 2 bakeries, gas station and Denny's located across the street. But you don't have to even leave the hotel if you want a great meal. I didn't get to try the restaurant but the food looked and smelled great! Sano Spa is also located on the premises for additional relaxation. The only downside is the parking sitch. Get there early to scout out a spot close to your room. Can be a bit tight on weekends, but I'd definitely stay here again!

Nice location, great restaurant and lobby. A bit dated on modern amenities like air-conditioners or exhaust fans which are completely missing. And the rooms are very small with old and dirty carpets. Dont book through any of the discount websites (priceline, hotels, hotwire) though, as the hotel then gives out the worst rooms for such bookings. Other than that the place is charming in its own way. Seriously over-priced for just the 'charm' factor though.

Let me preface my review by letting you know I work for a company that maintains hotels and motels in an investment portfolio. So, I am aware of the marketing effort that takes place to draw in people. That said: This is one of the few places where, the moment I arrived at the room, I partook of the free wifi to find out what the cancellation policy is. We booked the place for 3 nights, and within 5 minutes of walking into the room, I had canceled the third night (48 hour notification unfortunately). I was almost willing to cut this place some slack and say that I came with VASTLY different expectations than what the reality is. As another reviewer noted, I was under the assumption that this place was a cozy, boutique-ish hotel that was quiet and would provide a relaxing getaway vacation. Good Lord was I wrong. This place is nothing more than a second rate motel. However, upon reflection, I am not willing to give this place a pass. They actively marketed this place to make it seem like it is a cute little boutique. Let me reiterate: Nothing better than a typical motel. The first night, I didn't sleep b/c my legs were itching so bad, I finally had to go and put on some sweats (alleviated the situation). Also, the in-wall heater is so loud, I had to turn it off and brave the cold in order to drift off into a haphazard sleep. Let me tell you: Arriving at this place with the expectations I had (drawn from their representations on the website), I have rarely been more disappointed in my life with regards to 'hotel' accommodations. And let me tell you; the other, more disappointing instances involved third-world countries, very late arrival times, and communication difficulties. Please note, the website photos represent the absolute best side of the property. Larkspur obviously put a ton of money in the lobby, the 'spa' and the street-side portion of the property. The rooms aren't disgusting, but could be best characterized as barely above average (for a motel). Walls are thin; 1st floor hears walking on the second floor loud and clear; and I can't tell you enough how loud that stupid wall heater is. Not a relaxing getaway.

The website makes it appear as though it's a secluded resort on the beach while you smack dab in the middle of town. If the lights don't keep you up the lack of ammenities will. While we found the room clean, we had no cold water and a "semi" broken toilet. Our intentions were to spend a nice cool night on the coast and instead we roasted in bed (even with the hotel supplied fan). Parking is extremely difficult. Upon check in Manny was extremely thorough. We appreciated this. The gentleman who checked us out could care less how our stay was. I would not recommend this hotel in Monterey.

I love the newly redesigned rooms at Casa Munras......really pretty and the detail shows. Also loved their new Mediterranean and tapas restaurant, Esteban.....my husband is a big fan of the salmon. We are looking forward to many more visits to Casa Munras and Esteban when we visit my dad in California!

We loved the 4-star Casa Munras Hotel and the delightful "new" gourmet Mediterranean restaurant, Esteban! We were all wowed by the chef's seafood creations and the stellar service in Esteban! Don't miss this wonderful gem!

THE CASA MUNRAS WAS DELIGHTFUL THE STAFF WAS COURTEOUS THE ACCOMIDATIONS WERE VERY COZY.THE BED WAS EXTREMELY COMFORTABLE AND THE FIREPLACE A VERY ROMANTIC ADDITION, I TELL EVERYONE ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE.

We definitely enjoyed our stay! The staff was pleasant and professional, and the contenential breakfast was really nice. The rooms are on the smaller side, but definitely comfortable. The DVD player is a nice touch. The location is good, in a very pleasant part of historic downtown--not noisy like the other motels on Munras Ave. We would definitely stay here again.