Portola Hotel & Spa at Monterey Bay — Hotel in Monterey

We booked a 2 Queen Beds (Partial Harbor View) at the Portola Hotel & Spa for 1 night via Hotels.com. We had stayed here before about 15 years ago. Our plan was to arrive in Monterey early in the evening, check-in at the hotel, and head to the Old Fisherman’s Wharf for a Father’s Day Dinner. The plan worked great.||THE SUPER|- The room overall felt spacious and was well-furnished. Listed at 342 sq ft, there was even a work desk area, and a built-in cushioned seating area with side table. The floor to ceiling plantation shutters added to the open feeling. The balcony with two patio chairs was also quite large. The only area that was slightly cramped was the bathroom.|- Our room was on the fifth floor at the end of a hall with a slim yet pleasing view of Monterey Bay, the beach, harbor, and wharfs.|- The hotel has a contemporary feel. We were very impressed with the lobby and restaurant areas. The trees and fauna inside and around were soothing in a nature-based way.|- Complimentary WiFi was good with SpeedTest results of 9.51 Mbps Download/9.97 Mbps Upload. Connectivity was strong and reliable.|- We chose to use valet parking which we feel is at a reasonable cost especially since we wanted to get checked in and head to dinner. The valets when we arrived and left were courteous.|- The LOCATION was perfect. Getting from the hotel to Old Fisherman’s Wharf was about a 5 minute scenic walk. Being so close to the wharfs and the harbor is a definite benefit. We also roamed across Del Monte Avenue into Downtown Monterey for evening and morning walks.|- Very comfy Soft Touch-brand spa robes. If only there were spa slippers too.|- We enjoyed cocktails at Jacks. Great service.||THE GOOD|- The bedding was comfortable. Linen and pillows were Sobel Westex brand. Medium firm shredded memory foam pillows (good for side sleeping, less so for back sleeping). Sheets were breathable medium thread count cotton and in good condition. The bed had a fairly thin mattress pad most likely for mattress stain protection instead of sleep comfort. Mattress was medium firm and tall, and sat on a platform base. We overall slept well. Would wish for more luxury-level pillows.|- The blue art wall behind the bed is very nice. Calming.|- Bathroom generally had a luxury feel, especially with the numerous quality amenities. EcoPure shampoo, conditioner, and bath gel in the shower. Body lotion and mini hand soap bar at the sink. Andis 1875 Watt Tourmaline Ionic hair dryer (applause, applause). American Standard toilet.|- Hot water arrived to shower in around 15 seconds, but water pressure was a little weak. Shower head had four adjustable flow positions.|- Bath towels were ok. Q-Tees Oasis 65% cotton, 35% bamboo. Clean. Not quite luxury soft, but close.|- There was an HVAC unit at floor level next to the balcony sliding door. Easy to control the settings. There was also a ceiling fan for times when you want to enjoy cool fresh air from the outside (there is a screen door as well).|- Clean mini-fridge.|- Closet had room safe, iron, ironing board, laundry service amenities, ample number of hangers and the aforementioned robes.|- Plenty of room lighting and easy to access switches. Especially nice was a rotary dimmer control at bedside for a light strip that was on top of the bed headboard (cool idea).|- Quite sharp 1080p 49" Samsung television with about 65 channels of programming. It also had Google Chromecast function (it did work).|- AC outlet and USB ports at work desk. AC outlet and (non-functioning) USB ports at bedside.|- Plenty of drawer storage space.|- Keurig coffee machine.|- There was an ice machine with a water dispenser, and a vending machine near the elevator.|- Elevators were quick.|- Welcoming front desk staff. Late check-out request granted.||THE WISHLIST|- Complimentary water bottles or water were not provided. Important for me since I have to take medication in the evening.|- The sliding door to the balcony was difficult to close. Got sticky midway and took a couple of tries to get in place to lock.|- Would like to have a nightlight in the hallway.||Great hotel experience. We were very pleased with the service, location and accommodations. Recommended for anyone who prefers a high standard hotel in a...

OVERALL THIS IS A FAMILY HOTEL....NOT AT ALL SOMETHING YOU'D WANT FOR AN ADULT DATE WEEKEND. Hotel has nice lobby and bar area that looks very pleasing but the rooms at Wave St Inn are much better. The photos online are very pleasing with the cute wallpaper but misleading in the slightly upscale look. See the attached photos, I would have taken more but the whole experience of our stay was already off putting. The man in charge at the valet booth was yelling at his employees in a demeaning manor in front of customers...we made eye contact and he went to apologized to him. Sunday morning we were awakened by a loud automated intercom announcement saying the Emergency alarm was false...we never heard an emergency alarm...just a loud annoying repeated alarm saying the emergency alarm was false...this was just after 8am. Lucky it wasn't before 8am quiet hours or I would have called the police!!!(you will read why this is funny later) Booking an appointment for my girlfriend and I at The Spa was much more difficult that it should have been, I sent 2 emails and they responded....but did not address the questions I had...they responded with urgency of putting a card on file. When I eventually called in the girl who picked up was not at all rude but definitely gave the tone that my call was an annoyance to her time. When we showed up, the girl who picked up the phone actually check us in....was very young which is no problem to me...but was definitely lacking in customer service experience. This was disappointing as I was already not happy about spending an additional $500 at this establishment after the experience we had the night before....we were already there and I didn't want to ruin my girlfriends birthday weekend since our first night arriving was already ruined by this establishment. If it wasn't for not wanting to mess up her birthday experience I would have left and demanded my money back shortly after checking in.

OUR FIRST NIGHT CHECKING IN To start we received an IMMEDIATE threat from security that they would call the police because our TV was too loud at 10pm (volume level was at 36/100). Please note, after they (two men) knocked and asked to turn it down we politely asked if they could come in and let us know what an appropriate volume level was since it already seemed very low to us...they then rudely stated "you should just turn it off." As two black women staying outside of our local area at what is supposed to be a somewhat upscale hotel and receiving threats to call the police we went downstairs to the front desk and spoke with the night manager Zaida...who was extremely apologetic for the completely unwarranted threat offered us free breakfast and an option to change rooms change incase it was the next room making false reports. I completely understand and respect quiet hours at hotels as a travel frequently for work and need my rest...there was no argument from our side on respecting quiet hours...but the request of these men seemed unreasonable and as if they were trying to bully or overly enforce us for no good reason. She also offered to comp the stay since she clearly understood the threat was unprofessional and unwarranted. She must have meant THE NIGHT and not THE STAY because they were only willing to comp us 1 night after everything was said and done....which if that was the case we definitely would have left and stayed at another place. We agreed to move rooms which was a huge hassle after unpacking and settling our items in and getting to the point of laying in bed and watching TV for the night...meaning we had to repack all of our belongings and move. I'd like to mention, the security guard who had came to our room was oddly eyeing me in the lobby while we were having a drink in the lobby....this was before he came to our door and threatened to call the police. I came to this hotel thinking it would be a good place for me to take my girlfriend for her 37th birthday and boy....was I...

My husband and I recently enjoyed a delightful three-night stay at the Portola Hotel and Spa, and we were thoroughly impressed! From the moment we arrived until our departure, every aspect of our experience was seamless and exceeded our expectations.

One of the standout features of our stay was the exceptional professionalism displayed by the staff. From the warm welcome at the front door to the efficient and friendly check-in process with Alexis, to the valets, porter, housekeeping staff, servers and more, we felt very well taken care of throughout our time at the hotel. It was clear to us that there is a great training program at this hotel, resulting in a highly motivated and knowledgeable staff.

During our visit, we had the pleasure of interacting with Chris Boyle, the hotel's Concierge, whose expertise and recommendations greatly enhanced our experience. Her knowledge of the local area was invaluable, and we appreciated the personalized attention she provided.

Our room was bright, spacious, and thoughtfully appointed with modern amenities such as a large flatscreen TV, desk, refrigerator, and coffeemaker. The attractive bathroom featured eco-friendly toiletries, adding to the overall sense of luxury and sustainability. The high quality of the bedding made for a very comfortable night's sleep, and we appreciated the option of adjusting the air/heat to our liking. Additionally, the balcony provided a refreshing breeze and a lovely view of the gorgeous Monterey Bay.

We opted to dine at Jack's located inside the beautiful tree-filled lobby during our stay several times and were delighted with the culinary offerings. The thoughtful extensive menu includes a cauliflower crust vegetable pizza that was very tasty, catering to both vegan and non-vegan preferences. The chicken entrée was also delicious, showcasing the restaurant's commitment to quality and variety. We had a breakfast omelet filled with our favorite ingredients all three mornings which we loved.

The hotel's location proved to be another highlight, situated conveniently near Old Fisherman's Wharf and Downtown Monterey. This proximity also allowed us to explore the area's many historic sites with ease, adding to the overall enjoyment of our stay. We enjoyed the large historic photos in the hallway, too. Located next to the Monterey Conference Center, the circular drive was easy to navigate and park and we enjoyed seeing the unique fish-themed center fountain, too.

We also must commend the very modern elevator system, which was unlike any we had encountered before. Quick to arrive, it clearly directed us which elevator to take directly to our desired floor, and it further contributed to the convenience and comfort of our stay.

Overall, the Portola Hotel and Spa exceeded our expectations in every way. From the impeccable service to the luxurious accommodations and convenient location, it truly is an excellent choice for anyone visiting the Monterey Peninsula. We cannot wait to return...