Riverside Campground & Cabins — Hotel in Monterey

My mom and I traveled to Big Sur and stayed at the Riverside Campground and Cabins. We booked the studio, site 41. Entering off of Highway 1, the driveway and crossing of the river is narrow. First impressions is that the campground as a whole is not very big. We arrived early and were able to check in around 2:00 p.m. The RV and Tent sites offer very little privacy from other neighbors and are situated close to each other. We would not have enjoyed bringing our 22 foot trailer to this campground. ||Our cabin was basically a modified shed. There was not much storage space but it did come with a mini fridge and space heater. The queen bed came with clean bedding, 2 pillows, and one larger (thin fleece) blanket - for colder weather I would recommend bringing additional blankets - we brought a duvet and extra pillows. The bathroom had towels, washcloths, and small bottles of shampoo, conditioner, etc. There were cobwebs and the windows sills needed to be cleaned. The walls had patched holes from missing shelving and the studio needed a fresh coat of paint. The storage could be improved by adding additional shelving near the bed and in the bathroom. There are plenty of plugs available in the the studio and we had no issues accessing the wifi when needed. ||Our cabin outdoor area was clean and included a set of 2 chairs and a table, along with a firepit and picnic table. It would have been helpful if the firepit had been emptied and the grill had been cleaned, it had food partials left over from previous meals that we had to clean off before using. At night time it does get quite dark, and I would recommend bringing lanterns, head lamps, flashlights, etc. - to be able to walk around safely. To note, read the descriptions of what comes with your accommodations - some cabins have shared firepits, some cabins have shared outdoor bathrooms while other cabins have their own. Cabin 3 and Room 5 are situated over Room 6. If you have a small group of people - 2/3 couples, Cabin 3 and Room 5 would be a great choice! Cabin 1 is in the center of the roundabout with cars driving around it to reach their campsites. The staff was really helpful in answering my questions when I called to book my site. ||Overall, we did enjoy our 3 night stay in the studio cabin. I did feel like it was a bit pricey for the bare amenities provided. Some updates and personal touches in the cabin (i.e. water bottles, a local guide of places to eat/visit, a few wood logs in the firepit, etc.) would be a...

This campground is generally great. The location is really nice. There is a little river that runs through it, which is mostly very shallow and perfect for kids to play in. There is a playground at the next campground over and a restaurant and general store that are easy to walk to. We tent camped and felt very comfortable and safe. Unfortunately, I had a frustrating situation with the battery dying in my car, which ended up necessitating a call to a tow company on the day I was scheduled to leave. I tried jumping my car multiple times (I ended up needing a new battery). I was doing everything I could to get my car out of the spot, but I was physically unable to move it until about 2 and a half hours after check out time. The staff kept coming around and warning me that if I didn’t move it, they would be charging me a late fee. It was very stressful and almost felt like they didn’t believe me or understand that I could not move the car (it’s hybrid, and I couldn’t even figure out how to manually get it into neutral). I get that this is the policy, but I think it is important for people to know that there is no wiggle room on this even in cases that are entirely out of your control. Furthermore, if you have any concerns about your own car, get a spot down by the river, not up the hill (the staff kept telling me that a tow truck might not even be able to get up to my car… so stressful). To be fair, I would add that there are some really lovely staff members there. The woman who runs the camp store is very kind and tried to be helpful, which I...

There’s no option to book on their website. I called to book and ask some questions. I asked about booking in April. A man on the phone said April isn’t open yet, but that some people already have requests in. I wanted clarification, but had to take an urgent call from the vet. So I called back to clarify about what he said. He literally started to YELL at me on the phone. Yes. He went on a rant that started with a normal tone, talking about he already explained to me, and how it’s rude of me to ask the same question over and over, that I’m wasting his precious time, and etc etc, and as he was rambling, (and not even letting me say anything), he began to angrily scream at me. All I wanted was to clarify what he said to me. Believe it or not, just because YOU think you’re communicating clearly doesn’t mean that others understand you. I am a potential paying customer, and deserve to understand the process and how to book a campsite. That’s their duty to explain. Especially because their website does not allow you to book there! So one must call in to do it! Absolutely unacceptable. What kind of business treats potential customers like this? Very unprofessional. They think they hold a monopoly on people staying in Big Sur. Well they don’t. They lost my business. I decided to book somewhere else. Fernwood Resort and campground, in Big Sur, had great customer service, let me pay on the phone, and sent an email confirmation. It’s time to hold these people...