First time at Monterey, the most unforgettable thing for me was the motel room we stayed at. We paid around $60 dollars a night, the lights were dim, it was cramped inside, internet connection barely working, and a tiny bathroom with a super loud vent. It was not a very “relaxing” weekend for us, and I vowed to find better motels/hotels around $100 dollars or less a night when back again.

Well, due to my internship, I had to commute several times a week down to Monterey now. When I am too tired to drive back, I decided it is time to quest for better motel/hotel rooms under $100 dollars. All the stays were within the last 2 months, and remember this is their Spring season, as the price might be different when summer comes.

1. Best Western Plus De Anza Inn

Best Western has never been so friendly and affordable for me! Usually if you look around Best Western hotels in Monterey, most of them requires about $200-$300 dollars a night for a room. However, if you don’t care about the ocean side view and just want a comfortable bed, bathroom, with decent breakfast, Best Western De Anza is the place to go.

For $89 dollars a night (without tax), you can get a room with King size bed, complete with a sofa/living area. The room was huuuge! I can do my video exercises in the room without a problem. I love their bed and pillows, as every time I stay here I sleep like a baby. They also have decent internet connection that I can use to Skype people at night. Their breakfast is very standard, muffins, bread, bagels, cereals, etc. If you are hungry at night, there are plenty of restaurants along the streets here, plus a CVS Pharmacy within walking distance if you forget your toothbrush. They also have a computer with printer at the lobby area for guests to use.

Best Western Plus De Anza Inn Address: 2141 N Fremont Street, Monterey , California 93940-5242, United States

Phone: (831) 646-8300

Website: http://www.bestwestern.com/

2. Eco Lodge Bay Breeze.

I decided to go “deeper” and stay at motels with even lower price tags. Upon my discovery of Eco Lodge – Bay Breeze, I decided to give it a try, and I was not disappointed.

This Eco Lodge is a bit older and the facility may look very boring to some, but I have to applaud for their bed and pillows. For $55 dollars a night (without tax), I was very excited to find a large clean room, queen size bed, quilt blanket (instead of those stiff, plastic type of blanket often used at motels), soft pillows, and the largest bathroom ever with decent shower head & bright lights!

Furniture in the room are a bit old and not very color coordinated. I could not figure out how to open the TV closet doors for some reason, even after 20 minutes of yanking around XDD But if you just want a comfortable bed to sleep on with a nice bathroom, this is the place to go. Their internet is also very good, but note that I stayed in the same building as the front office. There is another building in the back and I am not sure how good is their internet connection.

Their breakfast consists of bread, muffins, waffles (yay!), cereals, instant cup noodles, apples, and more. For a motel and the price of the room, their breakfast is pretty good (thumbs up!).

Eco Lodge Bay Breeze Address: 2049 Fremont Blvd, Seaside, CA 93955

Phone: (831)899-7111

Website: http://www.choicehotels.com/

3. Quality Inn

So after a nice $55 dollar stay, I got a little cocky and decided to find an even cheaper one. I saw Quality online when I Google for motels. For $45 dollars a night (without tax), you can get a Queen size bed. The only catch is that they offer smoking rooms and non-smoking rooms, so choose well.

I was a bit nervous though. After the reservation I checked their reviews, and I panicked when I read complaints about their rooms smells bad (someone accidentally reserved a smoking room and regretted it big time), and the bed was old & too soft.

I held my breath when I checked in…and I was pleasantly surprised. The room was honestly not that bad as some people said on their reviews. They have really nice furniture in the room, the floor was very clean, the blanket smells nice, the bathroom was decent but not as big as other ones I stayed at prior. Internet was decent and no complaints. I had a non-smoking room so smell was not an issue for me.

I did notice though the windows are really thin, you will hear people walking by and cars driving by. The bed is a bit softer than other places I stayed before, and so are the pillows. Their breakfast included sausages, muffins, and bagels (literally that is it). For $45 dollars though, I think it is hard to complain…and I would book this place again if I need an emergency place to sleep.

Quality Inn Address: 2075 N. Fremont St. Monterey, CA 93940

Phone: (831) 373-5551

Website: http://www.choicehotels.com/

These are the three hotel/motels I have experienced so far. I would book Best Western De Anza again when I have some more extra cash during the month. For Eco Lodge Bay Breeze I would go back for their bed and breakfast. For Quality Inn, it is cheap, within my acceptable range, and I will use it as an emergency back-up.