We travel to Monterey regularly, and after several false starts found this charming place. Well appointed rooms, helpful and friendly staff, affordable rates, and excellent location can all be found here. We have revised travel dates just to stay in our favorite rooms. (And we're keeping those room numbers to ourselves!) The Colton Inn is the only hotel for us! read more

Was looking forward to our stay in Monterey. We arrived, wanted to see if we could leave our bags until check in. We had 2 adults and 3 kids with us. We were asked how many is staying, we said 4. Asked again and said 4. Got cancelled because they didn't ask if the 5th person was staying with us. Bad customer service read more

This hotel is ideally located close to the wharf, and Alvarado street. The price is very reasonable. My room had a fireplace which really added to the experience. I had a small balcony, overlooking a small brook with lots of rocks and cool, running water. My room was very clean. Lots of free toiletries were in the bathroom. A really nice place. Parking is very convenient. read more

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Just stayed here for one night while taking a mini road trip down the coast. We really enjoyed our night at The Colton Inn and will likely make this our 1st choice place to stay for future visits to Monterey. The woman who checked us into our room as well as the woman who checked us out were both very friendly. They provided us with a nice map of the property as it is laid out a tad bit like a maze, but with the map it was easy peasy finding the elevator and our room. It was a quiet evening since we were here on a Thursday so we were able to snag one of the covered parking spaces which was great since it rained overnight. The room itself, although a little outdated, was nice. It was very spacious with a comfortable king sized bed, comfy side chair, desk, TV, mini fridge, microwave, Keurig, and a fireplace! It was a chilly evening so we loved having the fireplace. We also had a small balcony which overlooked some lush landscaping. We felt the room was perfectly suited for the price. There was a complimentary light breakfast from 7:00am - 10:00am which included waffles, bagels, yogurt, cereal, apples, coffee, and a wide selection of teas & hot cocoa. There was a cute & comfortable seating area inside for breakfast as well as an outdoor patio when weather is nice. We really enjoyed the close proximity to downtown. We knew we wanted to enjoy beers at Fieldwork Brewing (7 minute walk) and dinner afterwards at Alvarado Street Brewing (9 Minute Walk), so the location was ideal for us. Some reviewers complained of the elevator. Yes, there was only 1 elevator and it was quite outdated, but as someone who has a fear of elevators, I felt fine using this one. There is only 1 ice machine as well, which is on the 1st floor near the elevators. Overall, we had a comfortable & pleasant stay. It may not be "trendy", but the walkability, spacious room with fireplace, friendly front desk staff, and price point make this a great choice for a stay in Monterey! read more

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This was in the perfect spot! We had a great stay with options downtown and not that far of a drive to the aquarium and the wharf! It does have continental breakfast, and cucumber water at the front until 7pm which is nice! If you want more water to drink or snacks, I would advise you bring extra for your room :) I think they have a vending machine, but I didnt get a chance to check it out. Definitely will be back! read more

Spent a birthday weekend there and it was great. Looking forward to coming back again next year. Location: Right next to the art museum, 15 min walk to the wharf, 40 min walk (or a free and fun trolley ride) to the aquarium. There was plenty of parking at the hotel, so we didn't have to worry about paying for parking and the area seemed pretty safe. Vibe: I love the retro vibe. It's clean, tidy, and still has a friendly soul, unlike the more "upscale" poorly renovated chain hotels I've been to in the last two years. I preferred this over the Fairmont in SF lol We had everything we needed and more. - When I booked the reservation, I said it was for my partner's birthday and so they left a little birthday greeting card with some hershey's kisses and flower petals. Very sweet! - We got a room with a fireplace in it and they give you one log free per night and it worked out great. Not smokey at all, just nice and warm. Kept the window cracked to regulate the temperature and increase fresh air in the room. - The king bed room was very cozy, spacious, and quiet. - The complimentary continental breakfast (from 7am-10am) was one of the better ones I've been to in the last several years. They had hard boiled eggs on ice, cereal and milk, toast, jam, butter, peanut butter, bagels and cream cheese, croissants, mini donuts, apples, yogurt, eggo waffles, and instant oatmeal. They also had coffee, tea, and hot chocolate. There is a nice outdoor patio next to the breakfast area! - I also really appreciated that you have to ask for room service if you want it, so we didn't have to deal with having a flappy DND sign on our door. - Really appreciated the later checkout time of noon. read more

My boyfriend brought me here to share with me a place he has enjoyed going in the past. We had a great time! The staff is wonderful. The room was comfortable and clean. We will be back! read more

Great stay. Nice clean room, and the staff was very accommodating. We would stay here again if we come back to monterey.

This was hands down the worst hotel experience I've ever had The entire place felt neglected and dirty. The smell hit me immediately it was very strong and horrible The room itself was disgusting. There were random stains everywhere on the carpet. It honestly made me uncomfortable to touch anything. The sheets didn't look clean at all. They were wrinkled and had small marks on them that made me question whether they had even been changed. I didn't feel comfortable sleeping in the bed. The bathroom wasn't any better. The sink looked like it hadn't been properly wiped down, and there were water spots and grime around the faucet. The whole room just felt like it hadn't been deep-cleaned in years. Don't ever go here by far the worst hotel I have ever been at in my life. read more

We loved everything! Friendly check in and checkout. Room sparkling clean and comfortable. Not a chain so tge check-in and front desk closes at 11:PM so be aware of that. Continental breakfast was good and freash. Close to all areas but not in the high traffic area so peaceful. Definitely will stay here again anytime in the area - perfect stay read more

If you check out my profile I usually only positive reviews, but my experience with this hotel was so bad I wanted to save someone from having an experience like mine. Besides the room issues which can happen our bad experience was dealing with the hotel itself. I've never been somewhere where customer service was so bad and so rude. Specifically Noel at the front desk. I've read other reviews where people have the same experience, but didn't listen. I should have!! Never again will I give this inn my business. read more

Spent the night here while visiting family. Nice little Inn. They offer a continental breakfast in the morning, mostly just bagels and yogurt type thing. We got to our room fairly late around 8pm. A young girl helped check us in and was super welcoming. She explained a lot about directions to our room, contacting someone if needed, and what the inn offered. The room we stayed in was a king-bed room. The room seemed clean and well maintained. The room amenities included a fridge, tv, microwave, and coffee maker, as well as some hygiene products. We did not use any of the room amenities due to our short stay. The only downsides we felt were the aging of the inn and the lack of breakfast options. We overall had a very good experience at the Colton Inn and would come back. For local review or travel content you can find us on most socials @sunsetourist read more

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My wife loved the Colton Inn and said she would choose to stay here again if we were to revisit Monterey. We enjoyed our stay here. Simply put, this is a comfy, homey, old-fashioned hotel with great service that's within walking distance to many of Monterey's downtown attractions. We were in town for a symposium at the Monterey Conference Center. Walking to and from the conference center from the Colton Inn was only half a mile, 10 minutes. It was a pleasant, safe walk and one that could be taken a number of ways, whether it be via Pacific Street, passing between Friendly Plaza (park) and the historic Larkin House (built in 1832), or via Alvarado Street, the main drag lined with restaurants, bars, and cafes. Just past the conference center is Old Fisherman's Wharf, a must-see if you've never been to Monterey before. The Larkin House is actually part of the Monterey State Historic Park. The Colton Inn is adjacent to this "park." Read my review on the park to learn more: https://www.yelp.com/biz/monterey-state-historic-park-monterey. We arrived at the Colton Inn a couple hours early and our room wasn't ready yet. Christine, at the front desk, allowed us to park our car in the Colton Inn parking lot and walk around in the meantime. The parking lot has some spots that are covered. We asked Christine for a coffee shop recommendation and she suggested Captain + Stoker which was only a half-mile away (10-minute walk). It was a great suggestion and now I recommend it too. Captain + Stoker on East Franklin Street (there are two locations). Throughout our weekend stay, we also met Anne Marie, Victoria, and Ellen at the front desk. Everyone was helpful and hospitable. I believe it was Anne Marie who grew up in Monterey and attended Monterey High School across the street. Ellen is the General Manager. Free coffee, tea, cookies, and fruit were available at the front desk and in the small dining room. Free breakfast was included 7-10am (my wife and I had breakfast at the symposium instead). I also noticed board games in the dining room. In addition to the lobby, the dining room connects to an elevated back deck that overlooks a small creek and faces some trees. The deck has tables with umbrellas. We had room 210 on the second floor. The hotel has only two floors. It was a clean and comfortable room with a king bed and all the amenities you'd expect of a mid-tier hotel. We ended up paying $270.59 per night for the room plus "taxes & services." The room had a Keurig machine with Starbucks coffee, if I recall correctly. However, I preferred the coffee in the lobby and went downstairs to get that instead whenever I wanted coffee. There were vending machines on the first floor with drinks, including bottled water, and snacks. There was also a water dispenser at the front desk, but only for tiny cups of water. I used the communal ice machine and drank water from our bathroom tap. One thing I liked about our room, that not every hotel room has, was our mini fridge and microwave. This was helpful because we had leftovers from dinner one night and I heated them up the next day for lunch. I ended up spending a good amount of time in our room, using the hotel's Wi-Fi to get work done on my laptop at the desk. In my trips out, to our car, and to the lobby for coffee, I saw the hotel workers (cleaning lady and maintenance man) go about their day. The Wi-Fi connection was reliable and good enough for emails and light web browsing, but it wasn't usable for much more than that. It wasn't fast. Overall, I thought the room had everything we needed and I really have no complaints other than maybe the carpet felt a little damp and icky at times (I'm also OCD). There was no air conditioning unit which is not uncommon in this part of the country. Instead, there was a small ceiling fan in the corner and a small heater on the floor, which I used during the day. We had a view above the parking lot, out onto the street, and of the school administrative building across the street. Another thing I liked about the Colton Inn were the window boxes with flowers outside all of the second floor room windows. Generally, the property had a charming, quaint feel to it. It felt more like a bed and breakfast than more corporate or commercialized lodging like, say, the nearby Portola Hotel & Spa. read more

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We had a lovely stay. The staff was very friendly and helpful. The area is save and short walk to downtown Monterey. It is also a 5 minute drive to Cannery Row. We stayed in the king size bedroom with fireplace. The room was clean, and we loved the fireplace with the provided Duraflame log. The rooms view is beautiful as the rooms faces the back area filled with tall trees. I only gave four stars because the doors could be better insulated to help with noise and a small heater that works well is provided, but it does make a bit of noise. If you sleep with ear buds or white noise, you will not have a problem. All in all, we were happy and the price couldn't be beat. This will be our go to place when we are in town. read more

I really liked the front office, they were both very kind. But the Inn itself really sucks. We opened the door to the room and it smelled old and muggy. The shower was like you were getting peed on, with no pressure. You can hear every sound around the inn, it's so loud. People walking by with wheels on their luggage sounded like a heavy truck rumbling by. The breakfast was so sad, hard boiled eggs, cheap bagels and whole fruit. I was really excited since this inn had good reviews but it was very disappointing. Would not come back. read more

Horrible dump! This hotel is so old and out of date. The walls are paper thin. You can hear every conversation happening next door. The beds are so lumpy and uncomfortable I couldn't sleep all night. There were bugs in the room which made me itch all night. You're better off sleeping in your car. Stay away!!! read more

I've stayed here many times in the past few years. I wasn't sure what to expect when I first booked the place through a third party. After that, I booked directly with the hotel. I must say the hotel is old but very clean. If you are looking for a quiet, clean place to stay, this is the place for you. The staff is very kind and accommodating. When the manager Ellen found out one of our trips was a birthday getaway, she surprised us with a card and candies on the bed. A small gesture of kindness goes a very long way. The location of the hotel is in downtown Monterey and walking distance to many shops, markets, and restaurants. A quick 5 minute drive to the aquarium. Each time we have stayed in a different room and I have been satisfied with each one. I've read reviews of people saying there are too many rules or the staff is rude. Like I said before, kindness matters. A little goes a long way. The staff is wonderful, and the fact that the patio area closes at 8pm is great for those who enjoy the peace and quiet or actually want to get some sleep instead of being loud and partying all night. read more

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Traumatic experience, hotel staff refused to provide a room I booked hotel in advance and tried to check in with my service dog. Hotel manager refused to accommodate my stay while trying to interrogate me about my disability in front of other people who were trying to check in. It was extremely unprofessional and traumatizing. I was turned away at the hotel despite having paid for the room, having all medical service dog documentation and having nowhere to stay that night. Obviously people working at this hotel do not have any slight sense of what should be done when there is a customer with service animal and acted simply rude. Stay away from this hotel. read more

Stopped in for the night to explore Carmel and had a great experience. When your driving and your getting close SLOW down their Colton Inn sign is very easy to miss along with their driveway into the parking lot. We were 15 minutes early and they were not ready yet, but were very friendly. Once checked in getting to the room was very easy and they provide covered parking as well. The thing I dislike about hotel rooms is that you walk into one and it is dark and unfriendly. Not this one! You walk in and the window (with flowers!) provided much sunlight along with the carpet color it felt very friendly and inviting. The room smelt and looked very clean. It did get a little cold, but the room had an extra blanket along with a space heater. The grab and go breakfast was perfect - bagels, yogurt, fruit and cereal Overall for the price and experience I would recommend them. read more

Every contact we had with staff was thoughtful and courteous. The beds and linens are lovely and we had a room with a fireplace! Clean, spacious and comfortable. read more

We've stayed here several times in 2023-2024, in three different rooms, and each one was special in its own way. We always chose the rooms in the back, facing the creek, for more privacy. The rooms we chose to stay in are large and cozy with a fireplace and easy chair or two and a small round table, so it feels like a real room. And a large picture window looks out onto the trees and the creek. Squirrels and birds. Once during rains we saw ducks in the creek! Even though the hotel is in the middle of town, in the back of the building it feels like your are out in the nature. Now, one thing that we really love about this place: it is practically inside the historic old town Monterey. You walk out of the property and down the street, and it is lined with historical adobes and various landmarks. Also we like to visit the little art museum (Monterey Museum of Art), only a 5 minutes walk. Every time we are there, they have a different set of exhibitions. And a walk of 3 to 5 minutes to amazing restaurants located in colorful historical buildings: Stokes Adobe and Cella, and the iconic Alta bakery. A short walk farther on to the ocean, the wharf, the sea lions etc. etc. -- everything Monterey is famous for; or you can catch the free trolley. The place is super clean -- post-pandemics, I took to bringing my own cleaning supplies to hotels to disinfect door knobs, eating surfaces etc., but here it felt like no need. Free breakfast (7-10 am) is pretty basic but fresh and healthful (no junk food here!), cozy eating area with its own fireplace, or you can eat on the patio, creek-side. The staff and GM, Ellen, are super accommodating. One tip: book directly through the hotel's web site or call the hotel for the best rates and additional perks, like free log for your fireplace. Yes, there are many rules (as some reviewers have mentioned); but they all seem to make sense, if you stop to think about it. Dogs are not allowed (except service dogs). The patio closes early, but this is because many of the rooms on the creek side of the building directly face or overlook the shared patio. This place is all about rest and quiet, which is a rare commodity, given their location in the heart of town, so if you're looking for a place to party late, this hotel is probably not a good match. They do have a generous checkout time at 12 noon, unlike many other places. And they are totally chill about letting you leave your car parked there if you arrive early or want to hang out around downtown after you check out. Overall, we think it is an extremely nice, and reasonably priced, place to stay downtown. As someone noted, it is a hotel but has a bit of a Bed-and-Breakfast feel. Very much recommend it. read more

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We stayed there 1 night and were charged for bringing a small dog. No where on the website except if you dig deep in the FAQs do you see the policy. Called hotel to ask about the charge and I told her we didn't know pets were not allowed she said your wife never told me you had a dog when she checked in. Too bad because this place was decent. Went on a busy weekend and paid $275.00 but with the extra $100.00 it was $375.00 plus taxes and fees for a hotel. Lady I dealt with I believe was the manager. read more

What a great place to stay!!! Staff is so kind and accommodating. So close to the wharf and cannery row, a short walk to everything and the beach is amazing. We had a very nice continental breakfast with great coffee to get us going. THANKYOU everyone for being so kind to us. We will be back to stay again. Such a cozy place to stay. read more

The whole experience was lovely for me. For my first solo trip I was so nervous about picking a place to stay, I wanted something close to the aquarium!! The Inn was lovely, well stocked, extremely clean, and the room was extremely spacious. Christine at the front desk was also super lovely and the highlight of my stay. She was super informative and communicative and just all around a great person to meet! Will definitely be returning. read more

It was a good experience.. friendly staff good people.. You get free breakfast, clean room I really liked it... just the covid stuff sucks but this is at a great location. Recommend this for families... friendly staff read more

Colton Inn - Fire place ... clean room nice! - Hotels Near Me - Monterey, California

We made our reservations directly though their website rather than any of the popular booking sites and we not only got a better rate, but we got our requested balcony. The bed was super comfortable and the area was quiet (but it's across from Monterey High School, so it may be more hectic during the school year). It's otherwise close to everything. The room was large and came with a comfortable upholstered chair and a fireplace. We had a fridge and microwave, too. They have added a modest continental breakfast since Covid. The coffee was good and they had a good selection of fruit and tea, too. It was 3 nights for $620 - a good value at the start of summer. read more

We stayed at this property for our 20th wedding anniversary and have stayed here several times in the past 10 years. The bed was very comfortable. Our room was spacious and clean. I was slightly disappointed when we received an email with all the policies and rules. When we checked in, we were assigned a room with a fireplace. However, per the property rules, because we booked on a third party site, we had to pay an extra daily rate for a Dura Flame log and use of the fireplace. I feel this policy to be punitive and it discourages use of third party booking sites. I sense that this property, like many businesses, is struggling. The room could be refreshed only on certain days and for bookings over a certain amount of time. I heard the front desk offer a guest room refresh the day they were to check out. If you do not have the staff to operate the property , perhaps it's time to hire more staff or close the property? We have stayed at this property in years past and cannot recall such punitive policies. We work very hard to save for vacations and I do not feel that we received the same value this stay as we did in years past. If you choose to stay at this property, please read the notice in the restroom, attached. You should also know that the common area deck closes at 8pm. I'm generally a flexible person but feel a bit confined on this particular trip. read more

Colton Inn - Rules about linens - Hotels Near Me - Monterey, California

I had a very good experience with all the staff members. Everyone was very friendly and helpful. We were put in a room with a little balcony and stream down below. I liked how there was a fridge and microwave in the room. The room was very clean and welcoming. They had a tiny breakfast in the morning from 7 to 10. We enjoyed the free wifi. Also enjoyed how close we were to the wharf and downtown area. Walking is very do able for the surrounding area. read more

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Did not expect a $150 deposit for incidentals upon arrival. And I did not expect to get accused of not paying for the room. Sounds a bit racist for her to accuse me before I could even find out what the issue was. First of all, when I book a room and check into a hotel, the hotel normally removes the amount from my account immediately. I didn't receive any email from the hotel until Sunday night when I got home. After I responded to the manager's email, she responded to me accusing me of reading their message 5 minutes after it was sent? Are you serious? Kind of stalkerish. Second of all, I told her that I would double check my bank account to see if there were any issues. She proceeded to reply back to tell me that I didn't have to check my account. WHY NOT? I think I have a right to verify any amounts on my bank account to make sure if it was removed or not. Lastly, I provided 2 credit cards, checked in with no issues, and now my card doesn't work all of a sudden? I have money in my account so I don't know what she's talking about. Something must be wrong with their system. But to accuse me of not paying for something and to be rude to me is very unprofessional. Nice area, but rude manager! And looking at the other reviews, they're known to be racist. I could clearly see that being true after what happened to me! Update: This hotel manager saw my 1 star review then harassed me on Expedia! She didn't even give me a day to respond to her previous message and see if there were any issues with my bank! Why would I refuse to pay? If anything, I was concerned with being double charged! If you see my track record on Expedia and with my recent stay in Grass Valley, I have never had any issues with all my hotel stays. Nor would I stay somewhere without paying! And to threaten to call the cops on me is ridiculous! Be careful when you stay here. The manager will assume that all minorities are thieves! I mean, look at the previous reviews, she obviously has trust issues with minorities. read more

The hotel manager Ellen is HORRIBLE!!! I had to cancel my reservation because I was sick , she was very rude and called me a liar!! I have been calling the hotel for over a week at different times and she has not answered my calls. Do not stay here!! read more

My family and I stayed here a couple nights for a wedding we were attending nearby. My family was very happy with the Colton Inn. My wife was probably expecting the worst because of some of the outlier reviews. Thankfully we had zero negative experiences. Breakfast was definitely enough to get the day started and I was super happy they offered oat milk by their coffee. By the second morning, we figured out that we could have our breakfast on the patio. There's also a little stream that runs along side and below the first floor patio. read more

Colton Inn - A chubby bluejay watches as we eat our breakfast. - Hotels Near Me - Monterey, California

I stayed here for a week while I started a new job in the area. I had a wonderful room by the deck, so I was easily able to enjoy the environment. The manager was friendly and the breakfast, while nothing to write home about, was dependable. The hotel is clean, comfortable, and downtown next to Colton Hall and the library. A great location read more

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Affordable stay for the night. The building is a tad old and it's located far enough where it's quiet but a close enough walk to downtown and I think Fisherman's wharf. It's also about a 10min drive to the aquarium on a busy Saturday. Not bad. We got to town a little earlier than check-in and the staff let us park our car there while we walked around town. That was nice since all the lots in Cannery Row were full. Our room had a small fridge, microwave (perfect for leftovers as a late night snack) and a Keurig with 2 complimentary coffee K cups. Our king size bed was comfy. They also have complimentary breakfast 7-10am and complimentary coffee, tea, cookies and fruit til 9pm. Nice stay for our one night trip to Monterey. read more

I will start by saying that the staff we dealt with were fine. That is the end of fine. I am so disappointed in this hotel. The 2 pages of what to do instructions was interesting. 1) you are allowed 2 coffee pods a day, want more they are $1.00 each. 2) There is no housekeeping. Want clean towels put the dirty ones in a bag, circle what is in the bag. Put it outside your door and you will get (?) replacements. 3) The heating system is a small portable electric unit. The room has a fireplace and you do get a firelog. 4) Two sinks, one bar of soap.... 5) Would we stay again or recommend this property No read more

We booked here using our AAA membership, front desk told me that we could save more by booking directly through them. The place is located near Alvarado St, and about 12 minute walk to the Wharf. There are many restaurants, bakeries and shops around the place, so that's a big plus! The front desk staff are nice and very accommodating! Our room is clean, and has a nice semi shared balcony at the back overseeing the small creek. Parking is free and almost next to our room. The one thing that I didn't expect was their nice free breakfast, our kids are picky, but they said they liked the offered food. Also, they do have good coffee in the lobby all day! I was thinking to take one star off because our room was next to a maintenance room, which made it a little noisy at night. We were tired so it didn't really bother us, but for some folks, that would definitely disturb their rest. It was a nice quick overnight stay for my family. We felt safe inside, and outside walking around the property. We will stay again to Colton Inn, and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to my friends and family. Maybe next time I will ask them if they can beat (if not match) AAA's rate. read more

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Decent price compared to some of the other hotels, and it was clean enough, with a decent breakfast. But run down looking, cigarette smoke smell outside, and ... just didn't feel "good". Can't say to stay away. But can't recommend. read more

We always stay here when we are in Monterey, have been coming here for over 20 years. It's clean, quiet, safe and walking distance to tons of things we like to do. The staff is friendly and helpful. We get a room with a fireplace. All rooms have a microwave and decent sized fridge so I don't have to waste my leftovers from dinner. There's a breakfast room with a lovely patio, too. read more

Simple, clean, friendly, and overall a great place to stay while visiting Monterey! Would definitely stay here again if we come back to the area. read more

Holiday weekend, limited availability at all hotel or super over priced. Found this gem and 100% will be staying here every time we visit (2-3 times a year). Front desk staff - 0-5 stars, they are a 10 Room - comfortable bed, clean and quiet. Breakfast - no frills but still a great selection of quick and easy bites. Great location Very clean and friendly! See you next time! read more

This hotel overcharged me for 3 extra people and a "soiled towel". They're we're 2 people that came to visit our room prior to us leaving for the day who had stayed at another hotel. I called the hotel to see why I was charged $35 extra and they said it was for extra occupants and a towel they couldn't clean. I told them no one extra stayed with us and there were only towels with water on them. They said they'd call me back and never did. I'll never stay here again and will advise against others staying here. Very shady. Beds were not comfortable and breakfast was not good so save the money and stay somewhere else. read more