Past couple of years have stayed at the Portola Hotel & Spa at Monterey Bay. And they have dinged me for $20 per night parking at their outdoor parking garage adjacent to the hotel.
Diagonally adjacent to their parking garage on the opposite side is the Downtown East Garage corner of Tyler and Del Monte Ave, part of the city's 6 parking lots and 2 parking garages in Monterey closest to the Monterey Conference Center, Fisherman's wharf and the Municipal wharf.
All the restaurants on Fisherman's wharf are open with outdoor dining on the wharf, beckoning your return. Just no more clam chowder samplers.
This is not the parking lot for the Monterey Bay Aquarium, nor Cannery Row. You want to park at the Cannery Row parking garage at 601 Foam street, between Prescott and Hoffman streets. Park here at the Downtown East Garage, and it's a 1 hour round trip walk to the Aquarium. Scenic walk, but your legs will be killing you after standing at the Aquarium all day. And as of August 24, the Aquarium is still closed by covid-19 restrictions on indoor events.
The 6 parking lots closest to the wharfs cost $2 per hour, maximum $15 per day, manned by automated gates at the entrances. You get a ticket when you enter, and insert the ticket into the exit machine, pay your fee by credit card or cash, and wait for the exit gate to lift.
There are two parking garages: hourly parking at Downtown West Garage at 340 Tyler and 24 hour parking at Downtown East Garage across Tyler street. Both border on Del Monte Ave. Sign at Downtown East Garage says $7 flat fee, maximum 24 hours.
I want to stay 48 hours, and it's a Friday. I park in the 10 minute parking zone, and go into 340 Tyler office and pay $14, as the office is closed Saturday and Sunday. They will give you a pre paid parking ticket good for 48 hours with your license plate and date/time entered in their database.
I use the pre paid parking ticket to enter the Downtown East Garage, whereas normally you have to pay $7 by credit card to enter.
We walk 10 minutes to Hotel Pacific, towing wheeled carry on luggage and daypack. Yeah, it's up a hill, but I'm saving $26 in hotel parking fees.
Some cheapskates staying at downtown Monterey hotels try to pay the $7 parking fee, and park 48 hours in the garage. Sign says that cars parking 72 hours will be towed.
Chalking tires has been ruled unconstitutional, but that applies only to MI, OH, TN, and KY. And parking enforcement scooters can electronically read license plates with a date/time stamp into the database. Lots of parking enforcement scooters roaming the garage today. Park longer than 24 hours, and you risk getting a hefty citation, enriching the coffers of the city of Monterey. read more