Since its opening in summer 2008, right on the waterfront in the middle of Cannery Row, the luxurious InterContinental the Clement Monterey has become the top rated hotel in town, offering guests breathtaking views over the Pacific Ocean, and a great location, within walking distance of the many attractions of downtown Monterey such as Monterey Bay Aquarium one block north. The hotel is an attractive pastel-colored, wooden-paneled building of 4 floors and 208 rooms/suites, many with a private balcony overlooking the bay. The restaurant, bar and courtyard lounge also have expansive sea views, while the many other amenities include a modern fitness center, spa, outdoor pool, several shops, children's day care service, guest laundry and over 15,000 sq ft of meeting/event space.

The boutique-style Holiday Inn Express in Monterey provides just about the closest accommodation to Cannery Row; at 443 Wave St the hotel is just one block from the Pacific Ocean and a short walk away from all the many other attractions of Monterey's beachfront area. The 43 clean, modern rooms are on 3 floors, some overlooking the sheltered courtyard/garden area (with hot tub), others with views over the town or out to sea. Free underground parking is available; also complimentary are continental breakfast and an evening cheese & wine reception.

The location is one of the main attributes of Best Western Victorian Inn - the hotel has a quiet position on a tree-lined road (Foam St) near the center of Monterey just 2 blocks from Cannery Row and the Pacific Ocean, and 5 blocks from Monterey Bay Aquarium. The inn offers 70 rooms of varying types, divided into several 3 floor blocks separated by gardens and courtyards. Most rooms have a balcony; all have a microwave, refrigerator, gas fireplace, mini bar, coffee maker & ironing facilities. Free amenities are continental breakfast, evening wine/cheese reception, newspaper and coffee, but like most hotels in the center of Monterey, an extra charge is made for parking. The hotel has a hot tub, though no pool.

Two blocks from Fisherman's Wharf and the marina, the Marriott Monterey is one of the best located hotels in town, as well as among the most luxurious, with many facilities for both business and leisure. There are 341 brightly-decorated rooms & suites, many with ocean views, others looking out over the surrounding leafy suburbs, and all featuring the extra comfortable Marriott bedding. The range of dining outlets on-site comprises a coffee bar, cafe serving breakfast & lunch, and a bar/grill open for dinner and evening drinks. Meetings facilities are also about the most comprehensive in town, with no fewer than 24 rooms on offer, and a grand total of 56,000 sq ft of event space, either in the hotel or the linked Monterey Conference Center.

'Directly on the beach' says the hotel sign - Best Western Beach Resort Monterey is about the closest hotel to the Pacific anywhere on Monterey Bay, with 102 of the 196 rooms having perfect ocean views, less than 50 feet from the water. The resort takes up quite a large site on the beach along the appropriately named Sand Dunes Rd, just next to Highway 1 but separated by the main road from all other development, and is within a couple of miles of the districts of Seaside, Retreat, Del Monte & Sand City; the center of Monterey is 3 miles west. East facing rooms have relaxing views over the hotel's courtyard, gardens or outdoor pool. The many amenities include a restaurant, gift shop, exercise room, hot tub, and event facilities for up to 650 people. One service not included, however, is free parking.

One of six Best Western hotels in Monterey, the De Anza Inn is 2 miles east of downtown along N Fremont St, close to the suburbs of Seaside & Del Rey Oaks, and just 2 blocks south of Highway 1. The nearest beach is a mile away. This is a well regarded hotel, significantly cheaper than those nearer the town center, but offering clean, comfortable, spacious lodging in 43 rooms on 3 floors with all necessary facilities - free continental breakfast, adjacent to a 24 hour restaurant (Denny's), outdoor pool, hot tub, spa and free parking.

Fremont Street is the main road between Monterey and Seaside, and has many hotels & motels - one of the smaller properties is the 34 room, 2 floor Best Western Ramona Inn, which provides simple but clean lodging about 2.5 miles east of the center of Monterey. The main road is quite a busy thoroughfare hat has plenty of restaurants & shops, including a Safeway just next door. Standard services on offer are free breakfast, an outdoor pool (right next to the road) and a hot tub.

Another of the many hotels along N Fremont St, 2 miles from downtown, the Comfort Inn Monterey Bay has 48 rooms on 2 storeys, exterior corridors, an outdoor whirlpool & hot tub, and free parking. Room rates are generally low, reflecting the basic facilities and distance from the main attractions of Monterey (2 to 3 miles) but the motel is perfectly adequate for a few night's stay. Free deluxe continental breakfast is served, and the highway has many restaurants a short walk away.

Although next to the municipal airport, away from the coast, Comfort Inn Monterey Peninsula is still within 7 miles of all the varied attractions in Carmel, Pacific Grove, Monterey and Seaside. The immediate surroundings are quite peaceful - the hotel has a spacious site on a pine-wooded hillside, one block south of the airport terminal buildings. Rooms are very large and well furnished, all containing a microwave & refrigerator, and some with a private balcony looking out over the trees. The on-site Steak House 68 restaurant provides all day dining, including free continental breakfast.

At 2075 N Fremont Street, Quality Inn Monterey is 2 blocks east of the major intersection of highways 1 & 68, and between 2 and 3 miles from the many attractions of downtown Monterey. Closer sites (less than a mile) include Monterey County Fairgrounds, the Pines Golf Course, US Naval Post Graduate School, the airport and Del Monte Lake. The main road has a good selection of shops, restaurants, and many other budget motels. The main facilities of the Quality Inn are an outdoor pool, free parking, guest laundry and a dining area serving free continental breakfast.

On the south side of Fremont St adjacent to Monterey County Fairgrounds, the Econo Lodge is a simple but clean and comfortable motel of 47 spacious, ground floor rooms, most with views of the central parking area. There is a small outdoor pool & hot tub at the rear, away from the main road, and interior amenities of guest laundry and a dining area for the basic free breakfast. All rooms have a refrigerator; some contain a microwave.

Best Western Monterey Inn is one of the closest hotels to the center of Monterey, located at 825 Abrego St, a little way south of downtown - in a generally quiet, wooded neighborhood that is 1.2 miles from Cannery Row and 0.6 miles from Fisherman's Wharf/Monterey State Beach. The hotel is built on a low hill, high enough for some of the top floor rooms to have views of the ocean. Accommodation consists of 80 large rooms, all with a microwave & refrigerator, and some with a private balcony. The inn has an outdoor pool/hot tub, and serves free continental breakfast; other meals are available from several nearby restaurants.

The Clarion hotel in Monterey is one of the northernmost of over a dozen lodges along Munras Avenue, south of the town center - this is the main road into Monterey from the south and links with Highway 1 next to the Del Monte Shopping Center. Fisherman's Wharf is one mile north, along roads that offer a gradually better selection of restaurants and shops. The property is another 2 floor motel, offering amenities of an indoor pool/hot tub, sauna, newsstand, guest laundry, microwave/refrigerator in each room, and free continental breakfast.

Best Western Park Crest Motel is south centrally located in Monterey along Munras Ave, about half way (one mile) between the beach and Highway 1. The surroundings are quiet, residential and tree-lined - on the far side of the road is Don Dahvee Park, which features a hiking trail through oak woodland. The motel has a typical appearance with rooms (53 of them) on 2 floors linked by exterior corridors, and amenities of a spa, outdoor pool and free continental breakfast. Some of the rooms have views across town to Monterey Bay.

Just up the street from the Best Western, Quality Inn Monterey (1058 Munras Ave) offers similar motel-style lodging, within walking distance (albeit a long walk) from the beaches and Fisherman's Wharf. The inn has 58 rooms, equipped with ironing & coffee making facilities, a microwave and refrigerator. There are many restaurants a little way north along Munras and Abrego streets. For leisure, guests can take advantage of a sundeck, hot tub and indoor pool.

Comfort Inn Carmel Hill (1252 Munras Ave) presents an attractive appearance, surrounded by gardens with decorative flowers, and provides a basic range of amenities including free continental breakfast, free coffee, an outdoor pool and free parking. This is a small motel (30 rooms), but accommodation is comfortable, and good value for the cheaper end of the market.