The Monterey Peninsula, as it is, is a pretty kid-friendly destination, so it comes as no surprise to find lots of family friendly hotels in Monterey. Question is, what exactly do you mean by a family friendly hotel? Obviously, you want everything you need which will help you take care of the kids, such as cribs and baby-sitting services, not to mention in-room entertainment (television, VCD player, video games, etc.). For parents, a hotel should be decent (everything works, service and food is good, rooms are clean, etc.) and rates should be economical, as in a family package deal which offers a suite with two bedrooms with a connecting door, a kitchenette and other amenities which make it seem more like home than a room with four walls and a window.

So, a well-planned family vacation in Monterey, with kids in tow, would include a hotel somewhere close to, if not in, Cannery Row and the Monterey Bay Aquarium, provide all the above mentioned necesities and amenities, and be reasonable. After some due diligence, I came up with the Lone Oak Lodge on 2221 N. Fremont Street, which sits surrounded by all the major Monterey attractions, including  Pebble Beach, 17 Mile Dr., the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Cannery Row, Fisherman’s Wharf, the Monterey Path of History, Carmel’s shops and galleries, Victorian homes, the Monterey Fairgrounds and Laguna Seca Raceway.

The Lone Oak Lodge, in terms of size, luxury, price and available facilities, should be rated somewhere in between a star resort hotel and a bare bones B&B. It has 46 guest rooms and 8 suites, which is slightly more than what B&B’s have, while it’s way less than the hundreds of rooms at resorts in the area.

But the limited rooms it has, are well equipped and more in tune with a Hilton than a roadside motel, with hot tubs, a spa and sauna, whirlpool tub, free wireless internet, refrigator, in room Kona coffee, hairdryer,private baths and balconies, fireplaces and King size beds. The double bedroom suites for families come with a fully equipped kitchenette. Cribs and rollaways available upon request. This is way more than what you’ll get at your usual B&B.

In terms of price, specially since it’s located in such a heavily visited tourist hotspot, the Lone Oak Lodge is very, very reasonable, with prices starting at $55 and upto $110, depending on choice of accomodation and period of stay (holidays, weekends, off-season, etc.).

I guess that covers all the bases for a perfect family vacation. Destination - Monterey with all its funfilled attractions, both on-land and acquatic, for both adults and kids. Hotel - Lone Oak Lodge - Family suites with connecting bedrooms, cribs & rollaways, kitchenette and friendly staff ready to ‘arrange’ for whatever else parents or children may need on vacation, from baby-sitters to pointing out popular shopping and dining hotspots. And the rooms, as you can see, are spotless clean. If you’re planning on an extended stay, the hotel offers a fourth night free, if you book for 3 nights.

Info: 2221 N. Fremont Street Monterey, CA 93940; (800) 283-LONE

Posted on March 31st, 2008 by PLing
Filed under: Hotels