Home2 Suites by Hilton at the Dunes on Monterey Bay — Hotel in Marina

This is a fine hotel (really a motel) to stay in. It is brand new and from what I understand, opened in the March/April 2024 timeframe. We stayed for five nights in August 2024 during the very busy Car Week activities in the Monterey Bay area. We've never stayed in Marina, which is around a ~20 minute drive to all of the shows/races/events, but the price of this Home2 Suites was excellent for that timeframe so we booked it. ||The room was clean and well-maintained (brand new hotel) but was basically a large rectangle. No design elements of note. Just a rectangle. We booked a suite with a balcony and the room was quite large. King bed, small sofa, night stands on either side of the bed. Decent drawer space in a dresser. Desk. The closet was not a "real" closet. It was the corner of the room with a curtain that we were able to close. This item alone made the room feel cheap and was unsightly.||The balcony was nice and had two chairs and a small table. We had a distant view of Monterey Bay.||There was a kitchenette in this room. Full size refrigerator, microwave, toaster, sink, coffee maker. They also provided real silverware, dishes, glasses, and other cooking utensils. While I thought this was nice, it was a little strange since the microwave was the only way to actually cook anything. ||They had a paper at the front desk indicating they would only provide housekeeping services upon request but in the room there was a permanent placard on the bathroom mirror indicating housekeeping services are provided every other day. We called to request housekeeping when we needed it because we weren't sure which was correct. The housekeeping staff did a great job when we used that service.||There were three negative things to note:||1. There is a constant (and loud) fan that runs in the bathroom. There is no way to ever turn it off. This was quite annoying.||2. The bathroom door is a real issue if you want ANY privacy. See photos attached. The door hangs on a roller bar and slides open and closed. Even when fully closed, there is a 1-2 inch gap. No way to really close the door. I hated this and felt there was never any privacy.||3. The parking lot is poorly designed with white curbing blocking the way to walk from your car (in any space in the several rows directly in front of the door). If you have any roller bags, you have to either lift them up and carry them over or walk all the way around to avoid the curbs. I almost killed myself several times when walking from the car to the front door because it just slipped my mind that there is a curb blocking the way. It's not painted yellow or anything so it blends in. It's a safety issue...

This is our second visit to this hotel and I must say it's been consistently a pleasure. We CHOSE this place for our Mother's Day weekend, and it was above and beyond expectations. The facility is relatively new and is kept up and maintained as it remains clean and organized. The customer service is great. The font desk, breakfast service team, and room service team is a testament to great quality management. Employees are not only proactive in customer service but they do their jobs with ownership and a smile. They hustle without looking stressed.

Last time we were here, my daughter was pregnant, and this time we're here, we have our beautiful grandbaby. The staff remembered us and were memorable from our last visit and still provided great service and interaction that really made us special and part of the family. So shout out to Patty and Briana at the front desk. They were so nice and interested in talking to us about our grandbaby and daughter and their family as well. Just great interaction! Also, Franchesca in the evenings was great as she ensured we were able to watch the Warriors game and also went out of her way to get us wine glasses. We were watching the breakfast team on how they hustle with clearing tables, emptying the dish trays, and straightening the dining area....all that with a smile and "Happy Mother's Day" greeting. Juan, was his name. Breakfast menu was good, and had two waffle makers so no long wait there. It's great having hot water and coffee and cream, and hot chocolate kept out for the guest all day.

The rooms are clean and laid out very nicely with plenty of storage shelves. Dishwasher, microwave, and full size refrigerator are included.

They also have a very nice outdoor sitting area with plenty of furniture, firepits, night lights, heat lamps, and two full size BBQs that are kept up and maintained with utensils. Just a real nice vibe. We BBQed, had charcuterie, and wine.....it was one of our favorite evenings during our stay.

Ok, if there was one thing I would comment, it would be the serving tray for the eggs, bacon, sausage.....please get rid of that. People were complaining, it takes two hands, the plates slide if not set up right....there are better ways.

About 20 minutes from Fishermans Wharf, Cannery Row, Monterey Bay Fish Aquarium.

Great experience. We'll be back and strongly recommended.

THANKS FOR MAKING US...

While not perfect, as the newest place to stay in town, this Home2Suites should be considered one of the better rated options in Marina. Once more reviews are added, you’ll see it move up the list. It opened earlier this year and is a reasonable choice for most people who are looking for a place to stay in the nearby vicinity. ||Admittedly, the community of Marina is NOT a go-to destination in and of itself. There’s not much to see or do here and I also found the local restaurant scene to be abysmal. Marina is void of any charm and should only be seen only as a springboard for those who plan travel further south. Marina serves primarily as a somewhat lessor priced alternative to the more tourist appealing Monterey & Carmel. (Not everyone has the financial wherewithal to spend $300-$500 per night for a quaint inn or bed and breakfast in Monterey or Carmel). Unfortunately, both of those communities lack newer and nicer chain hotel establishments, and the price point for their older lodging alternatives can be very high.||As for the Home2Suites, I found the place generally acceptable. The August 2024 review posted by CaddieKelly hit all the key discriminating points and I agree with that consensus takeaway. The hotel sits one block from a newer, large retail development that includes a nice Target and REI. There are a few fast casual restaurants at this location as well, but no restaurants of a higher quality. ||A couple of minor items that management could attend to:||The exterior of the window in my guest room was filthy and needed attention. Also, the trash receptacle near the elevator was often full with additional bags sitting adjacent on the ground. Send your Maintenance team around on a greater frequency to attend to this. The whirlpool appears visibly dirty as the painted “under the water” floor/walls need attention, or a re-painting. It was not visibly appealing to users. Sadly, during part of my stay, the swimming pool was closed, with a posted “Out of Order” sign. This should not be occurring at a new place where everything should be in good working order.||Bottom line, the Home2Suites is a decent option if your travels have you in the vicinity for one reason or another. If you can afford premier lodging in Monterey or Carmel, feel free to...