First, a bit of history: the property was built in 1967 and has undergone a few name changes and renovations. It most recently opened at the end of August 2024 and joined Marriott's Tribute Portfolio with 188 guest rooms and 4 suites. It is one of few beachfront hotels in the Monterey peninsula.

Summary: The hotel has great views. The rooms are small but well appointed, and service is good. For a similar vibe with nicer rooms, you may want to consider the Sanctuary Beach Resort.

Booking: Generally rates are somewhat high, especially for the ocean facing side. For weekdays they run around $250-300 for non ocean view and $450-500 for ocean view, while weekends are $400-500 for non ocean view and $500-600 for ocean view. Points wise it isn't cheap either. I redeemed an expiring 50k certificate and topped it off, but the weekend nights often go for 85k which isn't a good value. The main competition on the Marriott side is the Monterey Marriott (which is not on the beach), which seems competitively priced. The Sanctuary Beach Resort is also close by and beachfront, with much nicer rooms but arguably worse views and higher prices.

Parking: Let's get this out of the way first. The hotel charges $45 plus tax of $6.21 for a total of $51.21 for parking. However, there are several free options:
- From 8am until sunset, you can park in the parking lot next door, Seaside State Beach Parking Lot: https://maps.app.goo.gl/s5SHRUYUGnFxYWxx8
- You can park on Sand Dunes Drive right outside of the hotel for 2 hours. Overnight parking is not allowed from 2AM-5AM.
- You can park on Roberts Avenue close to the hotel for 4 hours. Overnight parking is not allowed from 9PM-6AM.
- You can park in nearby Seaside, CA across the highway overnight; I believe there are no restrictions. For example, near Taco's California Grill (400 Palm Ave, Seaside, CA 93955), which is a 10 minute / 0.4 mile walk. Personally, I parked overnight from Sunday around 9pm until Monday afternoon with no problems.

Checkin: The lobby is beautiful and has a great view of the ocean with floor-to-ceiling windows and nice furniture. I was upgraded to a Premium Ocean View room as a Titanium. There are only 4 suites so those seem unlikely.

Rooms: The rooms themself are pretty small. They have nice touches like binoculars but all the rooms seem to be the same size. There isn't very good soundproofing so the waves are very loud outside. Also, we had an issue where the door did not fully close (though it appeared closed) so be careful.

Pool, Sauna, Ice Bath, Fitness: The pool is nice (I believe heated) outdoors as is the hot tub. The sauna and ice bath are being constructed as of May 2025 and should be ready in a month or so. Fitness room looked decent.

Breakfast: Continental breakfast is available in the Lantern Room on the 4th floor. Elite breakfast includes a croissant, yogurt with granola, and fruit with juice/coffee. Very nice.

Destination Fee: This is currently $25 plus $3.45 tax. It includes:
* Daily $25 Credit for Our Self Service Wine Wall (This is supposed to be 2 glasses, but I only received one).
• Welcome Amenity. Including a Nightly Bonfire Ritual with Marshmallows, Graham Crisps, Ghirardelli Chocolates and Roasting Stick for two Guests. (This is very nice, there are outdoor gas fire pits facing the ocean).
• Daily 2-hour e-bike rental for up to two Guests
• Dally use of NOCS Provisions Binoculars to View Sealife in the Monterey Bay for two Guests.
• Enhanced HI-Speed Internet Access (The Internet is about 3Mbps, I would not consider this HI-Speed).
• Beachside Yoga in Partnership with Om Studios (Only on Saturdays)
• Bonvoy Elite Amenity: Daily Assortment of Local Chocolates (Allegedly, this is instead of the breakfast, not in addition to).

Conclusion: I enjoyed my stay but it's a little pricey for what you get. It's a 4 star hotel that wants a premium price for its location. Perhaps stop by for a drink and check out the view first.