CONTEMPORARY ESCAPE DOWNTOWN MONTEREY FREE AQUARIUM PASS

The unit was perfect for the three of us. Probably more than we needed but there was plenty of room to spread out and off street parking was very helpful. Kitchen was fabulous but we didn't take advantage too much You need to be prepared to walk a little bit. With the Presidio in the middle of Monterey, you spend a lot of time walking around it. Cant get to the aquarium or Cannery Row as a straight shot.

The walking wasn't a problem for us but if we had young children or were older it might have been a challenge. I loved getting up early, walking to Starbucks and then watching the sun and the seals at the Wharf. Never used the bikes. We ran out of time. We drove to Carmel and the Hearst Castle on different days. Will definitely return to Monterey and spend more time hiking and biking just along the peninsula.
We wouldn't hesitate to stay in the same space.

My wife an I thoroughly enjoyed this wonderful 2 bedroom property in a quiet neighborhood of Monterey. But yet, we were just a 5 minute walk away from the downtown shops and restaurant. It's the same distance to the beautiful walking/jogging bath along the Bay, which we took advantage of every morning. The home was immaculate and we were particularly impressed by the first class kitchen area. Next time, we'll plan on cooking dinner one night so we could take advantage of the kitchen and the wonderful little bistro set on the back porch, with partial view of the Bay.

We are frequent home renters as it's a much more comfortable way to travel. This was one of the best properties we have rented -- it was the right size, right style and right location for us. We would definitely recommend it to anyone.

This home is even better than the photos. The neighborhood is quiet and a short stroll downhill will get you to all the activity. The condominium is spotless, beautufully decorated in a contemporary style and equipped with very high line appliances that make cooking and laundry fun..well maybe doing the laundry isn't fun but the machines are really nice. From some seats in the dining area and from the little deck (that has a grill) you can see the water. The king bed has a temperpedic mattress, good quality linens and pillows and is very, very comfortable. We didn't use the second bedroom but it is spacious and bright. It has a low platform style queen bed. I think the contemorary, bright, light style of this condo adds to the "vacation aspect" of a rental. All those clean, spare lines and the light palette are very relaxing and peaceful. The bikes, parking and additional on-street parking passes, aquarium passes and proximity to shopping (Trader Joes' is a short drive as well as a mini mart around the corner) add to the carefree nature of this rental. We drove to the aquarium but it is walkable; about a 15 minute walk. There is a hill to bike or "walk the bike" down to get to the bike path so you may want to plan for that (e.g. little kids might need their bikes dropped off by car). There is a good quality fish market (with a restaurant) on Foam St called Sea Harvest that we enjoyed. Fishhopper is always reliably good albeit touristy. If you are not from the area and have never heard of them try the sand dabs; it is sort of like sole or very tender flounder. It is really nice to drive/bike walk up into Pacific Grove, park near the water and walk and walk and walk. The paved costal trail is lovely. The trail is dotted with small parking lots so you can park in different places. There is a little "Chowder House" on the way from Monterey to Pacific Grove that we enjoyed (maybe it was on Lighthouse) and right in in the center of downtown Pacific Grove there is a lunch and dinner place in a Victorian with a porch area that has great soup, bread, baked goods etc. There are not too many places to eat there so anyone can direct you to it. This was one of the best rental experiences we have ever had!