Open November 2008, the newly built Holiday Inn Express Salinas occupies the last piece of vacant land along Kern Street, a short road with many hotels, next to exit 328 of US 101. There are 74 comfortable, well furnished rooms & suites in the building, some with views over farmland to the north, and every one equipped with a microwave & refrigerator. All the other standard Holiday Inn Express amenities are present - free continental breakfast, fitness center, pool (indoor), guest laundry and a convenience store. Event facilities comprise three meeting rooms and a business center.

Amongst the top rated hotels in Salinas, CA, the Courtyard by Marriott offers 90 large, clean & comfortable rooms, a cafe/lounge, fitness center, business center, guest laundry, indoor heated pool & hot tub - all managed by courteous, efficient staff. It is quite a new building, situated next to residential district on the north edge of Salinas, two blocks from US 101 and 16 miles from the Pacific Ocean at Monterey. Within walking distance are various large stores and a good selection of restaurants.

Right next to the Courtyard hotel stands the Residence Inn Salinas Monterey, catering to extended stay travelers, large groups, or just those needing more space and facilities; this is an all-suite property of 107 rooms, each with a full kitchen, extra sofa bed, and separate sections for living & sleeping. The grounds are well maintained, decorated by flowering bushes, and contain a sports court though no pool - that is indoors, together with a whirlpool and a fitness center. Complimentary breakfast is provided each morning, and a free reception is held in the evenings.

Most hotels in Salinas are found along one short road (Kern Street), beside US 101 near the northeast edge of town. One of the newest is Best Western Salinas Monterey Hotel, an elegant, pale-grey, 3 floor building with 58 rooms, an outdoor pool & hot tub, fitness center, sauna and business center. Breakfast (continental) is available free, while lunch and dinner can be purchased from the adjacent Margie's Diner restaurant. All other services can be found towards the center of Salinas, just the other side of Highway 101.

The second Best Western hotel along Kern Street is the Salinas Valley Inn & Suites, at the north end of the road looking out over an area of farmland; like the Salinas Monterey Hotel this is a medium-sized (62 room), 3-floor property offering the expected amenities of free breakfast, an outdoor pool, fitness center, guest laundry and spa. One difference is that enhanced accommodation choices are available, including several sizes of suite. The inn is within walking distance of local sites such as Cesar E Chavez Community Park (hiking trails & picnics), the Exposition Grounds, and Market Street which leads to downtown Salinas.

Just east of downtown at 144 Kern St, the Quality Inn Salinas provides basic but clean & comfortable lodging, right next to Highway 101 - 60 miles south of San Jose and within 25 miles of all important attractions of the Monterey Peninsula. Free continental breakfast is provided, while for other meals there are many restaurants nearby, both local diners and chain fast-food establishments. The 3 storey inn has 32 rooms, each equipped with a microwave/refrigerator.

The Comfort Inn Salinas hotel is situated between two Best Western properties, at 181 Kern St, about 1 mile from downtown and just east of Highway 101 (Market St exit). With the coast 11 miles away and Monterey a further 8 miles south, the inn, like the neighboring motels, is a good choice for those visiting the many attractions of Monterey Bay, being rather cheaper than hotels nearer the ocean. The modern, 3 floor building has 62 rooms, all with a microwave & refrigerator; other amenities are an indoor heated pool/hot tub, fitness center & aerobics class, free continental breakfast, guest laundry and plenty of free parking - room for boats and RVs.

Reasonable rates, comfortable rooms and a good location are the main reasons to stay at Econo Lodge Salinas, an old-style exterior corridor motel near the southeast edge of town, just off US 101 along N Sanborn Rd. Amenities are limited to free continental breakfast and a picnic area, but there are various restaurants a block or two north, and the town center is just a mile west.