Otter Inn

Cute place to stay for a night or 2. The front desk was very helpful and my daughter loved the goodie basket. Hotel does need some room updates, but it was warm, clean and comfortable for our overnight stay for NYE.

Pros:
Its a cheap hotel in Monterey.
Its really, REALLY close to Cannery Row
You get a pretty cool goodie basket with some yummy selections
Front desk staff is really friendly
Cons:
No A/​C or fan or any airflow in the room (there is a heater though…) **Front staff did get me a desk fan, that helped be sure to ask for one in the warmer months.**
No shade, or privacy type covering on the windows that are at the hall (main window for most rooms) so everyone walking back and forth can look right into your room, no privacy when trying to get some sort of air flow into the room with the window open.
All sound travels, especially screaming children
Floors are totally uneven, walking through the room you get that whole «fun house» effect.
You get in room coffee, which is great — if you like your coffee black with no cream or sugar…
Dont plan on ironing your clothes (I’m a business traveler well pressed outfits are a must) there is no ironing board or iron.
Some people complain about the furnishings, yes they are outdated, but whatever to me its not a big deal.
Some have also complained about the seagulls, yes there are many — yes they are loud it is the ocean and they are prevalent at many of the local hotels.
While I agree it does need an update, and for my travels I have learned its probably not the best place to get work done or get a good nights sleep.
But, it will do in a pinch, and if need be I may stay here again.

The location is what totally makes this hotel. A block away from Cannery Row it’s far enough to not have a bunch of noise and foot traffic out front, but close enough just to walk over. The staff were friendly and parking was easy. Unfortunately the weather was warm when I stayed so the room was unbearably stuffy and hot during the day. The evening wasn’t bad with the window open (but the bad part was there wasn’t a screen for the window). The bed was comfortable even though it looked like something left over from the 70s. And the community microwave can stink up the entire hotel even though everything is outside.
Bottom line? You get what you pay for. So overall if you just need a place to sleep it’s a good deal.

I can’t believe people pay an economical price for a room and complain because they expect the Four Seasons. If you want fancy, stay at the Intercontinental Clement down the street. We have stayed at the Otter Inn four or five times. Yes, the Otter Inn has seen better days, but it’s still a very affordable and convenient place to stay within walking distance to everything in Cannery Row. The beds and bathrooms are clean. I always check the linen and the bathroom first (lifting the toilet seat and looking at the base of the toilet and behind) before staying somewhere (and I’ve traveled all over the world). The carpets and fixtures are circa 1986 and the location is noisy with seagulls squawking all day and night, but remember this is THEIR territory and we are just visitors. Staff is welcoming and the basket of goodies is nice. If it’s not to your liking, there is a CVS across the street where you can buy sundries. I would not recommend this place for a romantic get away to Monterey, but if you are planning to spend most of your time exploring the aquarium, the Pier or cannery row, this place is just fine.
The pluses– Location! It’s right across the street from Cannery Row and a CVS. the Free Wifi and internet, the Free Parking, the hotel staff, the goody basket the in-​room coffee-​and finally, the price all can’t be beat! it’s really economical.
Negatives– Hotel property needs a serious make-​over to repair out-​dated furnishings, holes in walls, AC repair (although, even with record temperatures we didn’t need it) thread-​bare sheets and linens, mattresses and pillows, carpeting, paint, curtains, (but when that happens, it won’t be affordable any longer). Noisy seagulls squawk all the time but that’s not the hotel’s fault. You will find that anywhere in Cannery Row – and if it’s not seagulls, it’s the music from the bars. Have an open mind when you stay here, not an open wallet.
Recommend having breakfast at First Awakenings down by the aquarium in the outlet mall– or Coco’s.

HORRIBLE !!! This place needs to be bulldozed. Dirty and smelly !! The worst place I’ve ever stayed. Total dump.

There are only two reasons to stay at the Otter Inn: free parking, and walking distance to Cannery Row. That’s about it. Air-​conditioning never worked and when we opened the window there was no screen, leading to a nice plunge down below. Having our two small daughters with us made this a dangerous setup. Also, the common microwave outside in the hallway in a rickety old piece of furniture was humorous.

We stayed over night for a volleyball tournament. Upon walking into room, the smell of air freshener assaulted my nose. It was so strong, I literally choked. They were hiding the urine stench from the bathroom.
The toilet stopped up and we weren’t in the room for an hour. We called the front desk and they sent up a maintenance guy who spent 20+ min fixing the toilet. We basically got the room with a history of plumbing problems:(No wonder there was a toilet plunger and bucket underneath the sink.
We called the front desk and asked to move to another room. Front desk stated hotel was sold out for the weekend and gave us the option of checking out with a full refund or staying in our room at a discounted rate.
We opted to stay in the room at a deeply discounted rate. You can’t beat the location of the property!
5 stars for great customer service– front desk and maintenance handled the situation promptly and efficiently. Thank you!
5 stars for location– your steps away from Cannery Row. Steps away from the free MTS trolley that takes you to historic downtown and Fishermans Wharf. A 2 block walk away from CVS drugstore and «not so touristy» restaurants. You can basically leave your car parked during your entire visit. We loved the location of this property:)
2 stars for property– halls, corridors, and courtyard could be cleaner. It’s an open air hotel and seagull poop is everywhere! Someone needs to power wash & sweep the walkways at least once a week.
Bed sheets are questionable.
Room felt dark and dirty. Maybe it was the mismatched linens and dark brown painted wall. I kept my slippers on.
Old, rough, small towels.
My 9 year old son loved the basket full of Costco snacks: pastries, granola bars, etc. Front desk even offered to re-​fill it if he wanted more.
My hubby loved the coffee maker to make coffee in the morning.
My teenage daughter loved free wifi and cable.
I loved that they were happy.
3 stars and we would definitely come back if we could stay on the 4^th floor… above room 315 (that end of the property).

Otter Inn is a great low cost choice! Walked to Cannery Row each night. Great service, clean rooms — yes it is in need of updating, but was very clean. Complimentary refillable basket was great — snacks for our car ride. We didn’t find it noisy at all — yes sea gulls live on the ocean — get over it!
Gabriel was awesome — all in all, will definitely stay here again.

We booked two nights at the Otter Inn due to the value. For the area it was a money saving option that is a decent place to stay. The room was clean, although outdated and in need of renovation. The front desk staff was friendly, personable, and professional. There weren’t too many guests staying while we were there so it was pretty quiet. As per the other reviews, we heard the sea gulls, but… let’s face it… they’re birds, they’re going to make noise. It was loud, but not a put off. Although I was okay with they stay I would probably look elsewhere next time I’m in Monterey.

Awesome! This place is perfect. Reasonably priced, clean and in walking distance (one block) from cannery row. I’ve been coming here for years and love it. Park your car in a very secure parking area under the hotel. Check in and they give you a snack basket to help you out when you get back from Sly McFly’s at midnight. It’s not fancy but who cares, you didn’t come to Monterey to sit in your room. It’s got a nice bed in a secure location, great price and seconds from historical Cannery Row. The best part. You are paying half, if not a third, of what those uppity snobs are paying and they need to hire taxis. A true win for a common sense vacation

Location is perfect !! Its right on the beach, next to all the shopping and dinning places andd its fairly priced. The complimentary basket is cool too. I ate like 3 struddles soon as i got it lol.

I first stayed here ten years ago with my parents. I liked it a lot. It was quiet with the occasional squawks from sea gulls. I wanted to stay with my boyfriend and called up about a room. The man said I had to go to the web site. Later when my boyfriend booked, the price jumped right before his eyes. When we checked out, I learned that all the rooms start at $ 99 and then go up the closer you are to your arrival date. Also, a tip I learned, is if you say at the outset that you are a repeat customer, you will get the better price, not the one increasing before your eyes online. I wish I had not felt deterred by the front desk person and had the chance to say I was a repeat customer. Other than that, it is a quiet, convenient, and nice place to stay.

HORRIFIC for a mere 149.00!!!
If you are giving this place a good review, then I can only assume you live in a broken down trailer at home, and your idea of a vacation is pitching a tent behind your broken down trailer at home.
This place hasn’t seen an improvement since the first day it opened, I’m guessing a good 25 years ago? Just hold up one of the bed sheets and you will see a collage of stains dating back to the late 80’s. Oh if only stains could talk. If that ain’t bad, how about a carpet that if you walk barefoot on too many round trips from the bed to the bathroom, there is the fear that your feet might begin to stick to the carpet. Yea, keep your socks on. Oh and that camper like bathroom, complete with plastic shower stall, and wonderful laminate flooring, all dimly lit to help hide the years of neglect by maid service that years ago gave up on trying to make this worn out relic of a highway rest area pit stop look good. Then there’s the pillow situation. I always enjoy a foam pillow, so thick that the closest your head comes to the actual mattress is about the same distance you would dare someone to get as close to that mattress before serious chance of catching something. Which is about a foot. Unfortunately I haven’t figured out how to levitate while sleeping. My advice, if you are stubborn enough to stay in this place after this review, at least bring your own pillow and can of Lysol.
Oh and as another reviewer posted, about as low tech place your going to find outside of Siberia. If you need to plug in a cell phone for an alarm to wake up, you will have to plug into the bathroom, there are no available plugs anywhere else. Hey maybe that’s a sign, you might just be better sleeping in the shower stall anyway as I can’t imagine these old mattresses, sheets, blankets and carpets are not happy hideaways for world traveling bed bugs that decided to jump ship and stay in Monterey for a little R and R. Bed bugs deserve vacations too!
Bottom line, do yourself a favor and stay away from this place. It’s way overpriced, you’re on vacation, you deserve better and this place needs a wake up call and a makeover pronto.

My husband and I would love to stay here again. Helpful and friendly staff; the lobby clerk had a a great sense of humor! Of course, the Otter Inn has an amazing location– steps from Cannery Row and the recreation trail. The convenient parking lot (not every hotel in Monterey has one!) saved us some money and time. We could just walk from our hotel everywhere with no parking garage fees or time limits. I’ve read posts where people hated on the simplicity of the hotel, but our room was perfectly lovely. We had a gorgeous bay window and window seat that overlooked the water. Elegant electric fireplace. Hidden microwave. Cute art of (of course) otters. The hotel’s hot tub worked great; we even had it to ourselves. Though I would have loved a continental breakfast, the refillable basket of snacks provided upon checking in was a fun treat. Who wouldn’t want a never-​ending supply of Chex Mix and granola bars? :) Great stay.

I’d dock half a star if I could, but not a whole one. This place is great! I went mid-​October for a night to take kiddo to the aquarium. It took ages for me to find a hotel because I didn’t want to be far and worry about driving and parking, but all of the hotels within walking distance were out of my price range. Then I stumbled upon Otter Inn and I was sold. Wasn’t expecting much for the price, and I was pleasantly surprised! Sure, it’s older, but it was clean, convenient, and the staff was great.
I can’t believe people are put off by the Costco goodies. They were awesome, and I could trade in what I didn’t like for something I did like.
I didn’t see it in other reviews, but there is a CVS very close (on the block caddy-​corner from the hotel). No need to buy overpriced personal items you may have forgotten — just walk to CVS! It was a life saver when I realized I’d left my phone charger at home.
Free Wifi? Yes please! Free parking ALL DAY on check-​out day? Fantastic!
So, you want to stay near Cannery Row and not spend a ton of money? Otter Inn is awesome. Do it.

Just spent two nights at the Otter Inn.
Pros:
— Super close to everything and FREE parking in the hotel lot.
— Cheap!
-«Costco themed» welcome basket upon arrival
— Even numbered rooms have ocean views
— Comfy bed and fuzzy blanket!
— Some rooms have fireplaces.
— Fridge in room
Cons:
— No AC (leaving the window open was fine for us, but if you’re noise sensitive. I would ask for a room not on the street side)
— Bathrooms could use some updating. Or some better «patching skills»
— Shower pressure was light
— Microwave next to elevator in hallway (not like we used it but still seems a little odd)
Tip:
–Right across the street from the Otter Inn is the trailside café which is so cute and my pancakes were delicious. I also had a guava mimosa– which was huge compared to other places I’ve had for only $ 5.50! FYI-​cash only there!
Overall we had a great trip, we would rerun again … But we know we like the even numbered rooms!

Where else than in Monterey can anybody get away with Motel 6 quality (minus the AC, that is actually needed due to the stuffiness) at the price of a real hotel? The only good part is that it is within walking distance to the aquarium.

It’s a reasonably priced vagabond near cannery row. Yes the carpets torn, place needs paint & goody baskets from Costco. But hey! You get what u pay for. True seagulls are loud & street side is noisy & no ac & place kinda sticks that aside there’s a breakfast place across street called trailside café that was the highlight of my trip! Try everything. I had the Benedict & loved every bite. Solid crew there with great food.
Yes it’s foggy in Monterey in the summer

Reasons to stay at the Otter Inn:
— Close proximity to the main touristy stuff in Monterey
— Free parking
— Free WiFi
— Good weekday rates
Other than that, I can’t really recommend it; the furniture is old, the interiors need new paint, there aren’t enough electrical outlets for the 21^st century traveler, the walls are too thin (seagulls fighting ALL THE TIME, and apparently an olympic gymnastic team stayed in the room above us). The air circulation in the rooms is practically nonexistent.
It wasn’t bad enough for us to change lodgings, and we didn’t get bedbugs… so we’ve got that going for us. Which is nice. The water pressure is also superb in the shower.
I know it’s tough running a motel (my family ran one for years) and I know people can be picky… but you really do have a captive audience when it comes to Monterey lodgings. The place really needs some upgrades. Maybe charge a bit more per night or even a nominal fee for parking… that wouldn’t be the end of the world if it gets some new carpets and furniture in there.
This really shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone, but you really do get what you pay for when staying near the tourist stuff in Monterey. I know it’s hard to justify Intercontinental rates, but maybe next time I’ll weigh the actual benefit of staying so close to Cannery Row and pick somewhere else.

Stayed here for two nights with my wife for a Wedding the weekend of August 24^th, 2013.
Pros:
— Great location within a block from the heart of cannery row, 5 mins from the Monterey Bay Aquarium, and inclose proximity to more dining/​shopping than you could shake a stick at.
–Hotel staff was very courteous, highly knowledgeable about the area, and was willing to let us park in the hotel garage 6 hours past checkout. Parking is at a premium in the area.
Cons:
— Dated furnishings, bathroom, décor. Had a slight «old hotel» smell.
— TV was early 2000’s era.
— No A/​C. Only heat.
Final word: Monterey is not about staying in your hotel room and enjoying the décor, its about getting out and doing things. We stayed here cause it was $ 70 a night less than the surrounding places. It served our purpose as a place to call home for just over 48 hours and enjoy the area.