More about The Monterey Inn Bayfront
Spartan but convenient
by A TripAdvisor Member
The location is the best reason to stay here as you can park your car and walk everywhere. The place is very old with tiny rooms that are furnished spartanly at best and even smaller bathrooms. The shower was excellent and the room included a mini frig which was very nice to have. The table top and ice bucket needed to be cleaned before we could use them. The front desk employee was not very welcoming and the parking lot can be a challenge to get in and out of. There is street traffic noise but again the location is the reason to stay here. And you will think you have time traveled back to the fifties!
So pleased we turned right
by A TripAdvisor Member
During a recent trip to the US we visited St Augustine. We hadn't booked a room, so, after visiting the beach area we crossed the bridge and wondered which way to go. We decided to turn right and how pleased we were that did. The Monterey Inn was the first accommodation we spotted and were lucky enough to get one of the last avaialable rooms. It's in a great location, so convenient for walking into the old city, for picking up the Red Train, or just watching the sun go down. We were up early next morning, and after helping ourselves to the comlimentary coffee, walked across the road to watch the boats coming and going, and were really pleased when the dolphins put in an appearance. The Inn itself is clean and well furnished, but has an overpowering smell of oranges!
doubt that we will ever go back
by A TripAdvisor Member
We had been to Monterey Inn twice before, never having made reservations; the room rate was always $59.00 per night. A couple of weeks ago I confirmed with them, prior to our leaving for Fla., that the room rate would be $59.00 per night at the time we would be there. When we got there, there was only one room available and the rate was $79.00 (in the corner with no view). When I told the clerk that I had verification that the rate was $59 on the internet she told me that I was misinformed. After telling me that I was wrong she changed her story and said that because of the room availability, the rate was increased. In other words she said that she did it because she could. We later went to Daytona Beach and got a better room with a kitchen, oceanfront view for $5.00 less. The room at Monterey Inn had many small bugs on the table and the bathroom had black hairs in the tub and a used soap with hair on it. We had always liked the motel before because of the location and easy access to shopping but don't know that we will ever go back. And guess what. I just sent a request to them for room rate information for next week -
the rate is $59.00 per night. (go figure!)
Clean and great location
by A TripAdvisor Member
We have stayed at the Monterey Inn nearly annually for 14 years. It has consistantly been a great hotel. Friendly staff, clean, comfortable accomodations, at a reasonable price. Park the car and forget about it! Once you arrive and park on site, you can walk to all of the Old Town attractions, shops and restaurants. We reccommend this Inn to all of our friends when they are planning a trip to St Augustine. The coffee shop is right next door and has a decent breakfast. Beaches and out-of-the-way restaurants (like Saltwater Cowboys :D) are within a short drive.
Ask for one of the rooms with the picture window overlooking the Bay! These rooms a a bit larger and the view is simply wonderful, especially at night.
Great location! Great price!
by A TripAdvisor Member
Just returned home 2 days ago. Our first plans were to stay in the Daytona Beach area, but after discovering articles on St Augustine decided this was the town for us. Our stay at the Monterey Inn was great! Sharon was very helpful at the front desk. It was great waking up and looking out our window facing the bay, and listening to the sound of mourning doves. Complimentary coffee from the office started our morning and then we would walk to "The Bunnery" for some great flavored coffee and croissants. I would have the almond croissant-my husband the ham and cheese. "George Street" was great fun with all the shops and restaurants.
Check out the "Mill Top Tavern"-the live music was great! We truly enjoyed our meal at the "Salt Water Cowboy." The atmosphere was great- along with the good food and service. The "Monterey Inn" is in a great location. We did not find it necessary to get the trolley, there is so much to see and do within walking distance.
Super Bowl prices at the Monterey
by TripAdvisor Member rwa
Stayed at the Monterey during Super Bowl Weekend ... 2005. The only option offered was $110 a night for a double, no view for us in this corner room for a minimum three-day stay. "Ca-ching" for the ol' place of the 1960's.
On the positive ... proximity to the festivities of the big event in Jacksonville. Walking easily in St. Augustine, a little town trying hard to capture the tourist's eye and interest with three months of Christmas lights. The guy at the desk, Bill, was friendly. And the room was cleaned adequately, clean old-tiled bathroom with a good shower, bed comfortable enough, a small TV, a tiny refrigerator, but the carpet did eminate the covered mustiness of a $40 room.
But road noise and early morning street cleaning machinery was annoying, not to mention the wierd parking lot set-up, pointed out by other reviewers.
I guess we should have just felt lucky to get a room during this special "super" weekend in an area trying its best to milk the cash cow.
Terrible Place!
by A TripAdvisor Member
We booked this hotel on the way up from Miami sight unseen. Upon seeing the place we decided to drive on to Jacksonville, but the desk clerk was borderline rude and would not let us cancel, even though we arrived at about 4.30 pm. He was quie difficult to deal with. The room was 107 dollars and a complete rip off. The room itself was old. musty and dingy, the bathroom area ridiculous,( not even toilet seats) and the air conditioner was so full of mold and mildew that we would NEVER have turned it on. Our bathroom overlooked the street giving us NO privacy at all unless the window was shut completely. To top it all off, when getting ice from the ice machine, there was a dead frog in it!
I have seen other reviewers compliment this hotel..yes, at 59 dollars a night I could have tolerated it, but for 107, it was terrible, and I urge anyone that does not want to stay in a 1950's MOTEL with none of todays's conviniences that the Holiday Inn ( for example) would offer, to stay well clear of this horrible motel.
We would recommend it
by TripAdvisor Member PantalaNagaPampa
We stayed at the Monterey Inn for 3 nights as part of our vacation to Daytona Bike Week in early March 2005. We found the staff to be extremely friendly and the motel, although a bit dated, clean and comfortable. The front desk staff went out of their way to accommodate us and being able to get an early check-in was a great start to our stay here.
The location can’t be beat. It’s in the heart of St. Augustine’s historic district, across the street from the bay, overlooking the Bridge of Lions and the Castillo De San Marcos. St. George Street, and its great shopping, is just a short block behind the Inn. And, although we didn’t use it, the Old Town Trolley has a stop right in front of the hotel.
The Inn has a great deck, overlooking the bay, with tables and chairs from which to enjoy the view. Our room had a refrigerator, so we brought a bottle of wine and drank a glass on the deck each night before going to dinner. The room was clean, with a king bed and TV. Our bathroom was a little small and only had a stand up shower, but that didn’t matter to us. The rates were reasonable at $69, but did go up to $99 on the weekend.
There are many restaurants and bars within walking distance of the Inn. We ate breakfast at Mary’s, right next to the motel. It had a great bagel & fruit bowl special and the wait staff was super friendly. For dinner, our favorite restaurant was Harry’s. It’s on the same street as the Inn and has a beautiful outdoor, candlelit courtyard (call ahead and put your name on the waitlist, as it gets very busy at night).
Parking with the motorcycle was not an issue. There was plenty of space to load and unload the bike off the pick-up truck bed, and they roped off an area of the parking lot for bike parking only. I also understand there were parking arrangements made for big bike trailers.
While we were there the atmosphere of the Inn was one of an older crowd, as to say, not spring breakers. We had just stayed in Daytona for 4 nights where it was loud every night, all night (which we expected), so a few quieter, more subdued nights were welcomed. Overall, we really enjoyed the Monterey Inn and will stay there again if we come back to St. Augustine.
Good Room, Great Location
by TripAdvisor Member wishbone958
The rooms are a little small and outdated, but they are very, very clean. The location is fantastic!!! Park your car and walk or take the trolly everywhere you need to go. Also, request a second floor room if you want to have a beautiful view of the river. All in all for the price, this place can't be beat!
Great Location
by TripAdvisor Member ArleneYvette
The Monterey Inn located across the street and in view of the Bay in Historic Downtown St. Augustine has a perfect location and within walking distance to everything. The Inn is clean, and the price is excellent but we did encounter some discomforts such as the bed. We had a king size bed but when you sat on it, it sounded like you were cracking pretzels. The Inn does need to invest in new beds. There is no coffee pot in the room but complimentary coffee is offered in the mornings in the front office. There is a great viewing area above the office area with chairs and tables to sit and relax viewing the sites of the Bay, but the downside is that they close and turn out the lights at 10 PM and ask you to leave. Another problem we encountered was that the toilet commode was lose and not well seated to the floor. All in all, the best part of staying at this inn is the location.
Photos
Raintree & Robert Mondavi Wines....?
Oldest Drugstore
Nalu's
A Corona ad, but with good beer
