Portola Hotel & Spa

Hotels
8.3 (2982 reviews)
Two Portola Plaza , Monterey , UNITED STATES
1-831-649-4511
[email protected]

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Paid
Children allowed
Pets allowed

Facilities

24-hour business center
Restaurants & bars
Fitness center
Meeting & event space
On-site brewery
Spa treatments
On-site security
Wine lounges
Outdoor pool & Jacuzzi
Pet-friendly hotel ($)
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Review Highlights

Pros:
Excellent location / easy walking access
Large room size
Clean rooms (many mentions)
Friendly staff (many mentions)
Immediate parking / port access
Gym available
Nice hall / lobby area
Good restaurant
Cons:
Perceived poor value / overpriced
Check-in delays / long waits at reception
Occasional poor staff attitude
Rooms not tidied during stay / housekeeping lapses
Clogged sink / maintenance issues not resolved
Noisy rooms / noise from corridors and cleaning cupboards
Uncomfortable mattress for some guests
Confusing elevator system
Pool / some areas outdated
Slippery floor from shower splash

Categories

Cleanliness
7.6
Mixed signals: many guests praised very clean rooms, but several reports of rooms not being tidied, a dirty room, a clogged sink that was not fixed and slip hazards from shower water lowered the cleanliness impression.
Service
7.8
Service is mixed: multiple mentions of friendly staff and helpfulness, but several negative service experiences (late check-in, long waits at reception, missing receipt after checkout, occasional poor staff attitude) reduce the score slightly.
Location
9.5
Consistently praised across reviews: excellent, convenient location with easy walking access to many places and good proximity to the port/parking.
Room Quality
8.6
Rooms are frequently described as large and well furnished with good cleanliness, but some issues noted (uncomfortable/too-hard mattress for some guests, noise from neighboring rooms/cleaning areas, limited in-room items for extra guests, shower splash causing slippery floor).
Amenities
8.8
Amenities generally positive: gym available and acceptable, restaurant praised, immediate parking/port access noted. Some guests found the pool and certain areas outdated or had minor complaints (elevator system confusing, cost issues around certain features).
Value for Money
6.8
Several guests explicitly called the hotel overpriced for the experience (comments like 'not worth the money', 'price for average hotel', disappointment after high payment), so value perception is notably below the overall average.
Food and Beverage
8.6
Limited but generally positive mentions of the restaurant; few direct complaints about F&B beyond incidental issues (e.g., confusion over toiletries rather than food).
Overall Experience
8.7
Overall stays are mostly positive due to strong location, room size and friendliness of many staff, but marred for some by service hiccups, cleanliness lapses and perceived poor value — resulting in a slightly above-target overall impression.
* This sentiment is summarized by AI based on user reviews.
Updated at: 2026-10-30 20:01

Property Description

Inspired by the Monterey Peninsula's natural beauty, the Portola Hotel & Spa offers coastal luxury surrounded by historic charm. Located in the heart of downtown Monterey, steps away from Old Fisherman's Wharf, this AAA Four Diamond hotel is California's premier family destination, featuring 379 coastal-inspired guest rooms and suites, 60,000 square feet of meeting space with the adjacent Monterey Conference Center, on-site dining, and an award-winning day spa. Our coastal inspired accommodations offer a relaxing escape with modern, timeless interiors and upgraded amenities. Each of our 379 Monterey Bay accommodations features beautiful wall coverings, contemporary furniture, air conditioning, headboards with built-in lighting, USB outlets, ceiling fans, and double pane windows. Our Monterey hotel rooms now offer one King or two Queen Beds. Select suites are equipped with a Queen Sofa Sleeper to maximize space and use of the suite for your hosting needs. The refreshed interiors fuse Spanish missionaries' artisanship with tones of the Monterey bay near iconic Fisherman's Wharf. Warm oak tones, patterned textiles, and leather crafted details found throughout the rooms take on the Californios' identity and effortlessly become an extension of the destination's stunning landscape.

Important information:

Guests may make reservations for a maximum of 9 rooms. 10 or more rooms is considered a group and needs to be booked directly through the sales department.

Please note that digital credit cards are not accepted at check-in. A physical credit card with the guest's name must be presented at check-in.

Pool Closure: Please note that the pool and hot tub will be closed November 30 through December 31, 2025, for maintenance. The pool at the Monterey Sports Center, near the Portola Hotel, is open to the public.
Guests are required to show a photo ID and credit card upon check-in. Please note that all Special Requests are subject to availability and additional charges may apply.
Guests under the age of 18 can only check in with a parent or official guardian.
Please inform of your expected arrival time in advance. You can use the Special Requests box when booking, or contact the property directly using the contact details in your confirmation.
A deposit may be required at the property.

Check-in and check-out hours:
Check-out: 12:00 PM
Airport code: MRY

Property Policies

  • Check-in / check-out

    Check-in from 16:00:00, check-out until 12:00:00.

  • Minimum age

    Guests must be at least 18 years old to check in.

  • Pets

    Pets are allowed; charges may apply.

  • Important information

    Guests may make reservations for a maximum of 9 rooms. 10 or more rooms is considered a group and needs to be booked directly through the sales department. The pool at the Monterey Sports Center, near the Portola Hotel, is open to the public. Guests under the age of 18 can only check in with a parent or official guardian.

  • Payment

    Payment: pay at the property.

Location

Guest Reviews

8.3
Based on 2982 reviews
Cleanliness: 7.6
Service: 7.8
Location: 9.5
Room Quality: 8.6
Amenities: 8.8
Value for Money: 6.8
Food and Beverage: 8.6
Overall Experience: 8.7
D
Daniella • couple • us
5
Pros:

Staff was friendly, although slow.

Cons:

The building next to the garage and pool is literally next to a highway tunnel. It’s super loud. People hi k and rev engines through the tunnel and you can hear from the rooms and it makes swimming miserable. Pretty far from peaceful and waterfront.

2026-10-31 • via Nuitee
T
Thomas • couple • us
9
2026-10-29 • via Nuitee
V
Vladislav • family_with_children • kz
6
Pros:

Location

Cons:

Not very clean.
Very bad breakfast restaurant

2026-10-27 • via Nuitee
A
Andres • family_with_children • us
8
2026-10-27 • via Nuitee
S
Samuel • family_with_children • fr
10
2026-10-24 • via Nuitee
I
IDIT MERSEL • couple • il
10
היה מצוין
Pros:

מירום מעולה, מלון יפה ונעים, חדר גדול ונקי

2026-10-23 • via Nuitee
D
Davidson • couple • us
7
2026-10-23 • via Nuitee
L
Lisa • couple • us
9
2026-10-23 • via Nuitee
D
Daniela • extended_group • de
9
2026-10-19 • via Nuitee
K
Kim • couple • us
10
2026-10-19 • via Nuitee
L
Lei • extended_group • jp
10
2026-10-18 • via Nuitee
R
Reyna • couple • us
10
2026-10-17 • via Nuitee
P
Pelle • family_with_children • dk
9
2026-10-15 • via Nuitee
D
Danielle • couple • il
7
2026-10-15 • via Nuitee
C
carolina • solo_traveller • us
5
Pros:

Clean

Cons:

Price for average hotel

2026-10-15 • via Nuitee
D
David • family_with_children • es
10
Genial
Pros:

Está muy bien ubicado. Es bastante grande. La habitación muy limpia y cómoda. La vista no fue buena pero tampoco estuvimos en la habitación

Cons:

Nada

2026-10-14 • via Nuitee
C
Chris • couple • us
7
2026-10-14 • via Nuitee
G
Gerald • couple • us
9
2026-10-12 • via Nuitee
J
Jenny • solo_traveller • us
2
not worth the money
Pros:

location is good

Cons:

Staff attitude -> bad, room was dirty and noisy, and I think the body lotion bottle was filled with body wash instead which gave me a very frustrating experience

2026-10-11 • via Nuitee
Y
Young • solo_traveller • us
10
Vibe the Portola Community
Pros:

Portola staff community throughout facility

Cons:

Some recent life changes make walk to and from elevators and rooms provided challenges, survived! 👍🏽

2026-10-11 • via Nuitee