The Best Hotels for First Time Visitors in Monterey

Where to Stay if You've Never Been to Monterey

Sea Lions in Monterey Bay Sea Lions in Monterey Bay

If it's your first trip to Monterey, California for the activities and sightseeing, then you're in for a treat. But the biggest question is often where to stay for a first time visitor to Monterey. With so many amazing hotels to choose from, it can be tough to make a decision to make the most of your first trip here. That's where we come in! In this comprehensive guide, we'll help you find the best hotels for first-timers in Monterey. After analyzing all of the hotels based on price, location, amenities, ratings, and more, we have come up with our list of the best hotels in Monterey for first time visitors. We'll cover everything you need to know about these hotels, including the amenities, location, prices and ratings. So, whether you're traveling solo, with family, or as a couple on a romantic getaway, you'll find the perfect hotel if you've never visited Monterey beofre. So check out these terrific hotels, many of which have sparkling swimming pools, delicious restaurants, and top-notch amenities, along with the perfect balance of comfort, location, and affordability. So, let's get to it and discover the best hotels in Monterey for your first trip!

(Prices are listed in U.S. Dollars.)

Portola Hotel & Spa At Monterey Bay

4-star Hotel with prices starting at $287 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect Hotel to Make the Most of Your First Visit
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 4-star hotels.
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.
  • Family-Friendly
  • Heated pool

Located at 2 Portola Plaza, Portola Hotel & Spa At Monterey Bay has great rooms from $287 (before taxes). It offers an outdoor pool, room service, a restaurant, a fitness center, and scuba diving. It has a terrific 8.60 rating out of 10 from previous guests who have stayed here. Only 0.1 miles from the city center, first time visitors will especially love snorkeling, a bar, parking, hiking, and laundry services at this relaxing hotel. The room service is especially nice after a long day.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Room service
  • Snorkeling
  • Parking
  • Spa
  • Family-Friendly
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Hiking
  • Laundry service
  • Pets allowed
  • Hot tub
  • Bicycle rental
  • Heated pool
  • Refrigerator


View hotels on the map:

Monterey Marriott

4-star Hotel with prices starting at $294 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Great Hotel for First Time Visitors
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 4-star hotels.
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.
  • Heated pool

A great place to stay is Monterey Marriott which has nice rooms starting at $294. Offering an outdoor pool, room service, a restaurant, a fitness center, and snorkeling, it also has a great guest rating of 8.50 out of 10 from many previous guests. It's located at 350 Calle Principal. This convenient hotel is also nice because it offers a bar, parking, hiking, child care, and laundry services which visitors will enjoy. Also, it's just 0 miles from the city center. You'll enjoy unwinding in the hot tub, too.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Room service
  • Snorkeling
  • Parking
  • Horse riding
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Hiking
  • Babysitting / Child Care
  • Laundry service
  • Pets allowed
  • Hot tub
  • Bicycle rental
  • Heated pool
  • Refrigerator


Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa

4-star Hotel with prices starting at $391 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect for Your First Visit to Monterey
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.
  • Family-Friendly

We found Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa to be a great place to stay, and the price starts at $391. We loved that is has room service, a restaurant, a fitness center, a bar, and parking, and it also has a terrific guest rating of 9.10 out of 10 from previous guests. It's located at 400 Cannery Row. You'll also find hiking, child care, laundry services, golf, and a hot tub which travelers will love. And this fun hotel is just 0.9 miles from the center of town. The service at the restaurant is terrific, and so is the food.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Room service
  • Parking
  • Spa
  • Family-Friendly
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Hiking
  • Babysitting / Child Care
  • Laundry service
  • Hot tub
  • Bicycle rental
  • Family rooms
  • Coffee shop
  • Refrigerator
  • Breakfast in the room


Intercontinental Hotels The Clement Monterey By IHG

4-star Hotel with prices starting at $358 (before taxes) - See All Prices
A Good Stay for Your First Trip
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.
  • Family-Friendly

With terrific rooms from $358, Intercontinental Hotels The Clement Monterey By IHG, at 750 Cannery Row provides an outdoor pool, room service, a restaurant, a fitness center, and a bar. Its terrific guest rating is 8.90 out of 10 from previous guests staying here. New visitors will really like this amazing hotel which also offers parking, child care, laundry services, golf, and a hot tub. It's located just 1.2 miles from the city center, too. The swimming pool is fantastic and lots of fun, too.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Room service
  • Parking
  • Spa
  • Family-Friendly
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Babysitting / Child Care
  • Laundry service
  • Hot tub
  • Family rooms


Spindrift Inn

3-star Hotel with prices starting at $336 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect for Your First Time in Monterey
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.
  • Family-Friendly

Spindrift Inn has a great guest rating of 8.90 out of 10, and offers room service, a restaurant, scuba diving, parking, and hiking. The great rooms here start at $336 before taxes and depending on the season. It can be found at 652 Cannery Row. Furthermore, it also offers laundry services, city views, laundry facilities, bicycle rental, and a 24-hour desk, which is nice for first time visitors. Just 1.1 miles from the city center, this fantastic hotel is a terrific choice.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Room service
  • Parking
  • Family-Friendly
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Hiking
  • Laundry service
  • Bicycle rental
  • Refrigerator
  • Breakfast in the room


Casa Munras Garden Hotel & Spa

3-star Hotel with prices starting at $211 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect for First-Timers
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 3-star hotels.
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.
  • Family-Friendly
  • Heated pool

The great guest rating of Casa Munras Garden Hotel & Spa is 8.60 out of 10. This place has an outdoor pool, a restaurant, a fitness center, a bar, and parking. Prices for the terrific rooms are from $211, and it's located at 700 Munras Avenue. We also love the hiking, laundry services, golf, pet-friendly rooms, and a spa which are great for visitors. And since it's just 0.4 miles from the center of the town, the location is great, too. The heated pool is comfortable, relaxing, and fun for everyone.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Parking
  • Spa
  • Family-Friendly
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Hiking
  • Laundry service
  • Pets allowed
  • Bicycle rental
  • Family rooms
  • Heated pool
  • Refrigerator


Hilton Garden Inn Monterey

3-star Hotel with prices starting at $232 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Among the Best Places to Stay for a First Visit to Monterey
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 3-star hotels.
  • Heated pool

A cool place is Hilton Garden Inn Monterey because it has great rooms that start at $232. It has an outdoor pool, room service, a restaurant, a fitness center, and snorkeling, it also earned a great guest rating of 8.30 out of 10 from people who have stayed here before. It's found at 1000 Aguajito Road. Only 0.9 miles from the city center, travelers will especially love a bar, parking, hiking, laundry services, and golf at this convenient hotel.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Room service
  • Snorkeling
  • Parking
  • Horse riding
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Hiking
  • Laundry service
  • Pets allowed
  • Hot tub
  • Bicycle rental
  • Heated pool
  • Tennis
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator


Hotel Abrego Monterey, Tapestry Collection by Hilton

3-star Hotel with prices starting at $218 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect Hotel to Make the Most of Your First Visit
  • Great Value: the price is lower than average for 3-star hotels.
  • Family-Friendly
  • Heated pool

Hotel Abrego Monterey, Tapestry Collection by Hilton offers an outdoor pool, a restaurant, a fitness center, a bar, and parking which we really like. The terrific rooms here start at $218 (before taxes). It's located at 755 Abrego Street and has earned a guest rating of 8.20/10. This fun hotel is also nice because it offers laundry services, golf, a hot tub, laundry facilities, and bicycle rental which new visitors will enjoy. Also, it's just 0.4 miles from the city center.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Parking
  • Family-Friendly
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Fitness center
  • Bar/Lounge
  • Laundry service
  • Hot tub
  • Bicycle rental
  • Family rooms
  • Heated pool
  • Refrigerator


Monterey Bay Inn

3-star Hotel with prices starting at $307 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Great Hotel for First Time Visitors
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.

Located at 242 Cannery Row, Monterey Bay Inn has great rooms from $307 (before taxes). It offers a restaurant, parking, laundry services, city views, and a hot tub. It has a terrific 8.60 rating out of 10 from previous guests who have stayed here. You'll also find laundry facilities, bicycle rental, a 24-hour desk, a refrigerator, and a sauna which first time visitors will love. And this amazing hotel is just 0.8 miles from the center of town.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Parking
More Great Amenities
  • Restaurant
  • Laundry service
  • Hot tub
  • Bicycle rental
  • Refrigerator
  • Breakfast in the room


The Jabberwock Bed & Breakfast

3-star Hotel with prices starting at $350 (before taxes) - See All Prices
Perfect for Your First Visit to Monterey
  • High Quality: guest ratings are higher than average.
  • Family-Friendly

A great place to stay is The Jabberwock Bed & Breakfast which has nice rooms starting at $350. Offering scuba diving, snorkeling, hiking, rooms with kitchenettes, and golf, it also has a great guest rating of 9.70 out of 10 from many previous guests. It's located at 598 Laine Street. Visitors will really like this fantastic hotel which also offers a hot tub, free parking, horse riding, bicycle rental, and family rooms. It's located just 1 miles from the city center, too. Being able to prepare food in the room is also very convenient.

First Time Trip Hotel Amenities
  • Snorkeling
  • Horse riding
  • Family-Friendly
More Great Amenities
  • Hiking
  • Kitchenette
  • Hot tub
  • Free parking
  • Bicycle rental
  • Family rooms
  • Microwave
  • Refrigerator
  • Breakfast in the room


Also, take a look at the first time trip hotels in nearby destinations: San Jose, Carmel-by-the-Sea, Monterey, Santa Cruz, and Palo Alto.

For more terrific hotel ideas in Monterey, make sure you also see Best Family-Friendly Hotels in Monterey, Best Pet-Friendly Hotels in Monterey, Best Hotels for a Weekend Getaway in Monterey, Best Hotels for One Week in Monterey, Best Hotels for One Night in Monterey, Best Romantic Hotels for Couples in Monterey, or Best Hotels for Scuba Diving in Monterey.


How much do hotels for first-time visitors cost in Monterey?

Monterey Average First Time Trip Hotel Price
$211

After analyzing 24 first time trip hotels in Monterey, California, we found the average first time trip hotel price to be a remarkably economical $211. Naturally, this destination has many fantastic first time trip accommodation options with a variety of prices. The price will vary by the hotel's amenities, available dates, and the general location. If you're interested in more information about hotels here, see our guide to hotel prices in Monterey.

The average prices of our suggested first time trip hotels by star rating:

  • 4-star hotels: $333
  • 3-star hotels: $248
  • 2-star hotels: $145


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