Monterey Marriott — Hotel in Monterey

I had my wedding in Monterey last weekend. We coordinated with Monterey Marriott for many of our guests to stay at - they all expressed liking the rooms and location to the venue.

Honestly, the service from the team left a lot to be desired. We had reached out to them to see if we could host a “after party” to our wedding at the bar- we had walked and talked to a host previously who said they do it often for weddings and will stay open until midnight as Monterey weddings often have a curfew of 10 p. The manager confirmed they would stay open for us but if guests seemed to already have had enough to drink, they will reserve service which we respected and agreed on.

Well come wedding night, my brother was the first to head over and calls me to say the 1 person working the bar is asking about how many guests are coming and who’s card to use. I told my brother to tell them I had already coordinated with (Michelle) the host and she knows guests will pay for their own drinks and most likely around 30-40 people.

When my bridal party and myself finally walked over, our guests who were there started telling me “the server has been kind of rude” and “they’re not serving cocktails now.” I went to talk with the server but was caught off guard because he was telling my mom to stand in line, when she was just standing next to another guest. He then said he is not able to serve me (the bride) because I didn’t have my ID on me. I said that’s okay, I know it’s a law - and asked for coffee (as I saw them just making espressos) well he then said they have no more coffee after restaurant service is complete. I just kind of walked away at that point because I was really caught off guard by his attitude. My mom then told me “not to worry, she gave her card when the server was asking for one” thinking that’s what I was talking to him about. I was super confused and went back to him to tell him guests were suppose to pay for their own drinks, as discussed. My mom said they wouldn’t serve at first until there was a card. I closed the tab and asked to speak to his supervisor.

The supervisor honestly just added to the stress and was rude as well. He told me how “overwhelming it is to have a group of this size for one bar tender” and I agreed and said totally, which is why we coordinated in advance so the bar could be prepared and made sure it was okay. He said the bartender broke a glass in the ice which is why they stopped serving cocktails (which I wasn’t even aware of). When I explained about the tab he said that was never communicated to him from his supervisor and I said that’s okay, but that’s also a communication issue within your team and it was more the attitude and overall experience. I would not recommend this...

I take my family on vacations routinely. At times, we encounter crazy policies, rude employees and outrageous prices. I rarely write reviews (negative or positive) because I'm busy, but I felt the staff we encountered at the Monterey Marriott was exceptional, not just one employee but everyone we encountered.

The valet was polite and not overbearing. He did his job without expecting a tip. The luggage was promptly brought to the room and he was professional and again, did his job without expecting a tip. For the first time, in a long time, I gave a good tip and I feel like I got my money's worth. The front desk said our room was ready and the roll up bed was in the room already made. What, no argument about fire hazard, we can't do a roll up, it's an extra fee? I have 3 kids, I know it's rare and hotels don't want children, but my kids are quieter than most guest, but I'm not getting another room for a 5 year old, just out of principle. At any rate, no excuses, the roll away bed was made up and already in the room when we arrived. The front desk was polite, someone was trying to talk with her and she politely said she was busy and continued to explain what I needed to do. Excellent and very professional. In the morning, the servers in the buffet were excellent, I think his name was Fadi. Prompt, polite, professional. I dealt with the concierge and she explained how to pack the car, valet it at the hotel, take the shuttle. I never leave without the car, but we did and it worked great. Check out, again, was a breeze. I drank a water in the room and I just left a tip for Fadi so I wanted to make sure we were charged once. We were late for the tour at the aquarium and the front desk quickly added the charges and we were out of there very quickly. When we arrived back at the hotel, the valet staff (again) was superb.

The hotel was very clean, but I think it can use a little updating, new carpet in the rooms, but we do typically stay in 5 star hotels so I might be a little picky. But I will tell you this, the service we received at the Monterey Marriott was amongst the best we have ever received. We usually go to SF or Half Moon Bay, but we will definitely be back to Monterey and we will stay at the...

Overall a good stay, but not as good as I had hoped given the price per night. We stayed in a junior suite room that clocked in at ~$500/night due to limited room availability. The room was very spacious with two rediculously sized televisions and a couch to lounge on. It was also very quiet and isolated from the hallway.

The suite did however have multiple issues that should not exist for how much they are charging per night:

Door card reader was a pain to use, required multiple swipes Light switches were difficult to use (push button finicky) Poor bathroom lighting and ventilation Awfully designed sink faucet that due to placement, would launch water everywhere when you put your hands under Poor shower water pressure with a leaking bath faucet Various power outlets did not work Televisions unresponsive, broken remote, constant pixelation on live programming HVAC was barely able to cool the room Awful pillows (this is a problem at all Marriott properties)

We used the pool and hot tub which were your standard fare, towels aplenty were provided and the surrounding patio and furniture was nice.

The hotel has vending machines on every floor, but every single one was sold out of everything, the card reader didn't work, or it was just turned off completely, so what is the point?

We also used the self-service laundry on the second floor (a single washer/dryer for the whole property, so be prepared) which cost $1.00 for each cycle in quarters. The front desk was able to make change and the machines worked well.

I did have very positive experiences with staff and the valet was quick and painless at arrival and departure. I want to stress that all staff were incredibly helpful, definitely one of the highlights of the visit.

Overall I would consider staying here again, but the property is a bit dated compared to other Marriott properties and the price in my opinion did not match the quality I...