Michelle S.
Yelp
Only stayed here 1 night while I was in town with my mom for the Big Sur Half Marathon in November. (My mom is a huge fan and has stayed here a few times in the past in various rooms, but it was my first time here.)
Overall, I thought the place was really nice. Wendy from the front desk was extremely sweet and helpful and really took the time to talk and show us (mostly me, since I was new) around.
The property is located slightly off a main road, but is still a good walk away from the main center of town where the Aquarium and such are. I'd say it's perfectly suited if you're looking for more of a getaway and plan on spending more time in your room or driving. If you want to be central, there are other places. I thought the way they did the property itself was also really nice. You do still get the sense that you're surrounded by other houses pretty close by, but the garden makes for a nice sitting area and backdrop from the rooms above.
As for the room, ours was really lovely, but I think it's also one of the nicest at the Inn overall. We had a living room and a huge Jacuzzi - great for pre-dinner soaks with lavender bath salts and a small glass of port and a plate of cheese. It worked well for us as mother and daughter (or if you are a couple), but I know my parents would also likely avoid this room as the jacuzzi (which is hard to get in and out of the way it's set up) is pretty central, and the bathroom is very small and a few steps down from the bedroom. Favorite parts of the room were all the light that comes into the cozy bedroom with the great views of the garden in the reading nook, and the living room with the fireplace and the port. On sunnier days, having your own tiny terrace in front may also be lovely for reading a paper in the morning.
Love the small touches like the port in the main living room and the wine and cheese happy hour in the spacious, warm living room with the fireplace.
My biggest complaint with this place would be the breakfast. Other inns I've stayed in around Oregon and in California offer at least two selections, and have a window of time (even if short) or two different seatings when you can all come down to breakfast. It worked perfectly fine for us since I had run the race the day before so we didn't have much on our agenda that next day, but I can see where it would be less convenient if you're trying to start your day earlier or later. We did meet lovely people at breakfast, though, as everyone is seated together. There is also only one option for breakfast, and my mom had said it doesn't change much from stay to stay. Again, one of my favorite things at other inns has been the breakfast - my mom and I will each try one of the options and share (homemade French toast with fresh fruit, omelette with local vegetables, etc) and here it was just an egg souffle. A delicious egg souffle, of course, but I would have loved some other options, especially if you plan to stay a while or come back often.
Overall, it's a great inn in Monterey. Love what was done with it and the great customer service by Wendy. If I were to come back to Monterey, I would personally probably try another place out as well, as I imagine each stay would be very similar with the breakfast and otherwise, but would recommend it as a couple's getaway en route to Big Sur or other great California coast options.