Santa Barbara/Cambria/Pacific Grove
 

Planning trip up PCH in beginning of April.
Would love suggestions/reviews of where to stay. 1 Night at each stop.
Was thinking of the following:
Santa Barbara:
1)Harbor View Inn: over our budget, is it worth it?
2)The Eagle Inn
3). Hotel Oceana
Cambria:
1)J. Patrick House
2)Cypress Cove
3)Fogcathcher Inn
4)San simeon Pines
Pacific Grove/Monterey:
1). Grand View Inn
2). Martine Inn
3). Old Monterey Inn-Way over budget/worth it?
Any feedback whether good or negative is greatly appreciated.
Other suggestions would be great! Thanks!

Harbor View Inn in SB, very nice! I also love the Cypress Cove Inn in Cambria, you will be right across the street from the ocean. The Fogcatcher is right next door. :)

Have you considered the Spindrift Inn in Monterey? ***kim**** ((r))

I LOVE the Harbor View but the best rate I could get was 220.00 a night.
How is the Spindrift?
Have you stayed or seen any of the inns in Pacific Grove?
Have you seen the Eagele Inn in SB?

Before a recent trip to Mexico I checked out hotel reviews at tripadvisor.com, and I found the opinions voiced there to be reliable. We were pleased with all our hotels at six destinations.

Of the places you list, I have stayed only at Fogcatcher Inn, which I thought was overpriced; however, motels in Cambria tend to go for top price even when they have loads of empty rooms.

You may be better off not booking ahead because they try to lock you in with a 72-hour or cancellation policy.

Yes, the Spindrift is very nice. We had a King corner room with a fireplace and a nice little window seat where you could sit and watch the sea otters playing in the surf! ***kim*** ((r))

Have you seen any of the Inns in Pacific Grove?
Dining suggestions in the 3 areas would be most appreciated.

Santa Barbara: The Wine Cask, Olie e Limone, Eladio's @ the Harbor View Inn, the SB Shellfish Co on Stearn's Wharf, The Patio @ the Four Season Biltmore in Montecito.

Cambria: Moonstone Bar & Grill (oceanviews), The Sow's Ear Cafe, Linn's, Robin's, The Sea Chest, the Tea Cozy.

Pacific Grove: The White House, the Old Bath House are my favorites for dinner.

Monterey/Carmel/Pebble Beach: Roy's, California Market, Pacific's Edge, Casanova, Cafe Fina, Domenico's, Schooner's Bistro @ the Plaza, The Whaling Station (for steaks!) Cheers! ***kim*** ((f))

I just got this special from Travelzoo for Hotel Oceana
http://dir.travelzoo.com/Lodging.asp...&id=179215

It's a nice hotel.

My boyfriend surprised me this weekend by booking Old Monterey Inn. SO worth it! Everything was perfect. He booked the Mayfield suite and the pictures don't do it justice. The rooms were beautiful, the food was delicious and the staff were very friendly and helpful. He said he'd have no problem spending that kind of money again even though.

Have you stayed at the Hotel Oceana?
I've heard mixed reviews?
Someone suggested the Eagle Inn.
I'd love to stay at Old Monterey Inn, just really over the budget.

We stayed at the Grandview Inn in Pacific Grove last summer. We thought it was beautiful and the staff were very friendly. It was in a good location, too.

I have not stayed at the Grand View but have walked by it several times. It looks very nice. It is right along the shorepath in Pacific Grove. You will be facing the Bay.

Teresa, the Hotel Oceana is just a few doors down from the Harbor View Inn where we stayed in December. I love the location of the hotels here, right across the street from Stearn's Wharf, walking distance to the bike rental shop where we rented cruisers and rode along the water. ***kim*** ((*))

In the Monterey Bay area, Carmel in incredibly quaint and charming. If you stay right in town, you can walk to many restaurants, shops, galleries, a gorgeous beach. Carmel has no numbers on houses, and you won't see a "golden arch" anywhere. It is a real step back in time, and one of the few places where you can be fogged in w/o seeing the sun for a few days, and you'll still think it is beautiful. Monterey is congested, Pacific Grove very nice, but you have to drive for nearly everything. A wonderful B&B type country inn in Carmel is Vagabonds House. Rooms surround a central courtyard, very peaceful.They consistently get written up as among the country's best B&Bs. Casanova Restaurant is exceptional, and Flaherty's for seafood.

So would staying in Carmel or Monterey be better them staying in Pacific Grove?