monterey/carmel area where to stay
 

our family of four (2 teens) will be in the monterey area for 3 nights in august. should we stay in monterey/carmel/ Pacific Grove? what hotel do you recommend? (we will pay up to $300/night for one room for the 4 of us, but less is better
what hotel should we stay in near santa cruz?

thanks!

Near the beach? Shopping? Cannery Row? Pebble Beach? Quiet PG views? What do you like to do?

quiet and prefer near the beach
shopping not a priority
will spend the time touring the coast especially enjoying nature

Mission Ranch in Carmel comes to mind--what do you think Tess? Near Carmel River Beach, quiet, away from Ocean Avenue tourist craziness in August, easy access to 1 and quick drive to Point Lobos.

Quiet, near the beach and around $300. means Carmel or PG. In Carmel, check out The Green Lantern Inn and Colonial Terrace. Green Lantern has a family suite and the Colonial has connecting suites. You can walk to the beach from both properties and they're quiet...they have websites. Mission Ranch is very nice but it's a hike to the beach. Of course you could drive to nearby Carmel State Beach and park in their parking lot. Pt. Lobos is a must-do. You might want to go to Molera State Park in Big Sur to show the teens the poor recent beached humpback whale -if they can stand the smell.

In PG, there's the Rosedale and Andrils in the Asilomar area. You could take your kids on nature walks and teach them about the preservation of sand dunes as my mom taught my kids when they were very little. The tide pools are great fun, too.

Make sure you spend a half-day at Monterey's aquarium.

As for Santa Cruz, how about Seascape Resort in Aptos?

Another vote for Seascape Resort in Aptos. You can reserve a 1 or 2-bedroom condo with a kitchen, right on the ocean with fantastic views. There is a great restaurant on the property, with more across the street. The beach there is amazing, and goes for miles---and is great for boogie boarding. It is close to Santa Cruz as well as Monterey and Carmel. We just stayed there last week with our whole family, and everyone loved it. We had fires on the beach every night, roasting hot dogs and marshmallows (for s'mores!). There is a nice swimming pool, too. The kids would love the Santa Cruz Boardwalk, and don't miss the Monterey Aquarium!

Always worth checking Asilomar State Park Conference Grounds for openings

http://www.visitasilomar.com/accommodations.aspx

I like Pacific Grove best. Carmel if you are into window shopping.

4bams, we stayed at the Monterey Bay Lodge a week or so ago. You could easily get two rooms and stay within your budget, if they have any available. The hotel is close to the beach, easily walkable to the Wharf, easy to find from the freeway and pretty close to anything. The people who run it live on site and are very helpful. My only quibble is that the rooms are not very big and, while they're comfortable for two people, I think it's crowded with more (we had three).

The Colonial Terrace is very comfortable, but if that beautiful Siamese cat is still in the lobby believe the sign that says "Do not pet the cat!"

I would agree with the Asilomar suggestion. The buildings were designed by Julia Morgan. It is a classic lodge-style conference grounds and they rent out extra rooms. Includes a full breakfast. Beautiful views, right on the ocean with an easy boardwalk to the beach. There is a pool, too, but summer may not be the best time of year for swimming.

Regarding Asilomar - the grounds are very nice. There are not T.V.s or phones in the rooms so you can get some peace but your kids may not like that. Also, I doubt that you can get a reservation for this August. They book up quickly and completely for conferences.

We enjoyed Marina Dunes last year. You get a golf cart to get around the resort

There is a great local company called Resort-2-Me. They are like a clearing house for many local hotels. They do a good job of finding the right place that fits your needs (location, cost, number and who's in your party.)

I would give them a call and see what they can come up with. Ph. (831) 642-6622