Hotel Overview: Portola Hotel and Spa, Monterey

Living on the central coast is amazing and heading into the Monterey Bay area to dine, explore, and shop is a family tradition that I’ve kept going since I was a kid.  My father is a fisherman and always has loved his seafood so the Fisherman’s Wharf is a favorite place to stroll on the weekends.

At one end of the wharf you’ll find the Portola Hotel & Spa where you’d enjoy a wonderful stay in a room with some amazing coastal and mountain views that will leave you, like me, with amazing memories of this gem in central California.  When you arrive you are amazed by the lobby atrium that gives the feel of outside but in, when I visited the Christmas tree was displayed in an utterly gorgeous fashion.

With your room keys, a fresh homemade cookie is given to you and you feel completely welcome, and also want 3 more!

Accommodations are furnished in a nautical and coastal theme that seems to marry the nearby harbor and bring it into each room.  Sometimes the little things make a stay away from home special, like the ability for young kids to enjoy a stuffed sea otter to play with and sleep with!  The otter stays when you check out, but if a connection was made with your child, they are available for sale.View from different areas of the hotel are lovely even on a rainy afternoon!

If you are looking for a kid-friendly hotel, the Portola Pirates Kids Program is a fun way to get your whole family to the beautiful area and not have anyone saying, “I’m bored!”  Kids get their bag of loot at check-in that includes a treasure map for a scavenger hunt, a menu of kid favorites at the hotel’s two affiliated eateries, and a treasure chest full of toys to select from at the end!

Peter B’s Brewpub and Jacks Restaurant are on site to treat you to some delicious local fare and amazing beers!  Peter B’s is Monterey’s only microbrewery where you can indulge in a signature drink, play pool, and watch the game if you choose while dining on burgers and fish and chips!  Jacks casual elegance offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner and I can tell you their tortilla soup is to die for!

Spa on the Plaza is available to guests just steps from your room.  With 60 treatments, lounge and steam rooms, mani/pedi services, and hair/makeup artists available, take a break from it all and relax, you deserve it!  A state-of-the-art fitness center is available along with a gorgeous pool area (heated in the winter) to use and enjoy with your whole family.

With the Wharf and historic downtown within walking distance and a short drive to Cannery Row, The Monterey Bay Aquarium, Pebble Beach, Carmel-by-the-Sea, and wonderful wineries surrounding you, Portola Hotel and Spa is definitely a million dollar location with a more affordable price!  For more information on making your next family trip to the Monterey area, visit http://www.portolahotel.com/.  Can’t wait to book my next “Staycation” at the Portola!

Personal tour, lunch, and gift bag were given, all opinions my own.