Embassy Suites Monterey Bay - Seaside
(It's actually in Seaside!) Web page
link
1441 Canyon Del Rey, Seaside, California, 93955, USA 1-831-393-1115
Myron McWhorter, Front Office Manager
Check-in: 4:00 pm; Check-out: 12:00 pm
Smoking: Not Available Parking: says $10, but free
Reward category: 7 (50,000 points per night)
Getting here: You won't have any problem - this sore thumb of an alien pink cube is visible from anywhere in the area. Just drive toward it, check in and be assimilated.
(Exit Highway 1 at Exit 403 for CA-218 toward Seaside/Del Rey Oaks. Travel east on Canyon Del Rey to first stop light. Hotel is located at the intersection of Canyon del Rey and Del Monte Blvd.) 2 miles from MRY airport, 70 mi from SJC. 3 miles from Cannery Row, 6 to Carmel, 30 to Bug Sur.
Wow, Grace, this IS amazing - no trip reports since 2005!
Nonetheless, I suspect not much has changed since
nwr1txg's 2004 report, either. This property is still the gross, huge pink block with a blue roof you can see from anywhere in the area, a true architectural eyesore on the bay. Views are OK (across a pond and highway CA 1, Home Depot to your immediate right), and of course the Monterey Peninsula, Pacific Grove, Carmel, Point Lobos and Big Sur make this area a spectacular destination.
It's truly huge. Sprawled parking lot - you arrive late on a weekend, you may have to walk a block to check in, not so convenient at night or on a rainy day. It's actually not so far from Monterey itself, and you have two options - Del Monte Ave. along the seaside or Highway 1, but you can expect to be at your destination within minutes (unless you take Del Monte during rush hour at the Naval Postgraduate School).
On arrival, there were two huge cartloads of baggage blocking the three check in desks, but there was nobody at the desks anyway (nearly 3 PM on a Wednesday, 19 Sep 2012).
When an agent finally came, of course she went to the far left desk, as I was at the right / center desk, separated by the pillars of luggage. I smiled, said hello and told her my name - six times, spelling it after the first. She told me there was no record of my booking, so I showed her my TripIt printout and she checked the number - "Oh, J-diver - I was hearing A-diver". (I enunciate pretty well, as I have done much public speaking, legislative testimony, some radio and television.) No apology, just shoved my keys at me, and then realized... and got my preprinted letter, asked me what beverages I wanted, and shoved a basket of snacks at me and told me I could take one.
We moved to the elevators (there are three - two near the entrance, one at the far left of the atrium), but one was broken and placarded, and as we entered the working one an employee jammed one of the pillars of luggage on wheels between us and the elevator buttons; neither he nor the other passenger could be bothered when I asked if someone would please press the "12" button, so I had to reach around.
We were assigned a suite on the 12th floor - 1208 - 1212 have western views of the Monterey Bay as well as have patios; 1208 is the northern corner and 1213 is the Presidential Suite. The 12th floor is the highest, and you can feel and hear the rumble of what I presume is the air conditioning system continuously day and night. Though there is double glazing, you can still hear some traffic from the streets below and Highway 1, and as we bedded down I could hear the television in the room next door.
The suite itself has the bedroom with ocean (and highway 1) view on the right, after the bathroom, and the dining - living area with the patio with table and two chairs on the left. All are in an blue-green coloured carpet with grey wavy lines, slightly textured and vermiculated patterned ivory coloured walls, with an overly ornate gold framed print in each room, blonde woods with some sea-decor, like a table lamp with a faux ammonite on the table. The living room has a sofa-bed and armchair, large sliding glass door looking out to sea, and a three drawer chest with flatscreen television.
The dining table could seat four, but only has two very uncomfortable side chairs with wet bar, fridge and microwave, cafe express two-cup maker with tea and coffee packets in a box immediately behind. (WiFi available, but not very rapid.)
The bedroom is a bit more compact than many Embassy Suites, with a niche and chair for makeup with a fairly ghastly fluorescent fixture over it (takes a minute or two to come on), a chest of three drawers with flat screen TV, small closet with ironing set and luggage jack, night tables, duvet and several pillows on what I believe is actually a Queen bed and not the advertised King. The decor is so 1950s... Welcome, President Eisenhower!
The bathroom is long, with a long faux marble counter, only one sink, a shower tub with a sagging shower curtain rod that has apparently been broken for some time, with a shower curtain that has at least one grommet torn out of it, so no matter what you do the curtain will not stay fixed at either end = water escaping onto the floor. The housekeeper hid some dirt under the nicely folded curtain, found when we tried to deploy the curtain for a shower.
We missed the "manager's reception", but we came into the property toward the end and saw hordes of people with paper plates with chips and salsa, and plastic cups of beer.
Breakfast is again adequate for an Embassy Suites - omelets to order, but forget pancakes, waffles, etc. and a buffet with a couple of fruit offerings, yoghurt, scrambled eggs, potatoes, sausage, paper-thin bacon, white bread and bagels (no English muffins nor much varietys) and a couple of "Danish" pastries, juices dispensers and Nescafé machines. Very pro forma, and it can get very crowded (we ate at 6:30 AM, and there were perhaps 20 having breakfast).
Lighting is adequate, amenities are as well, but all in all, this is a hotel that exists for larger families that swarm on the weekends and holidays and does not do much to keep it up nor to welcome HHonors statusholders.
Why are we here? Big event to attend tonight (Thursday) celebrating the 25th anniversary of the founding of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, so a Trustees and Leadership Council event and dinner at MBARI itself, and because it is the weekend of the (55th) Annual Monterey Jazz Festival there was not a room at the HGI, and this was available for $159 plus taxes per night (we depart Friday, no desire for the Festival crowds).
Day 2: The dirt on the tub has not been cleaned, some chipped areas on the interiors (walls, etc.) show too clearly, and with a full house coming today, one of three elevators is still inoperative (and from the look of the placard, it has been so for some time).
