El Castell Motel

Although it is an older motel everything is very nicely updated and very modern. So many good things to say about this motel. They have gone over and above trying to make it comfortable. The staff is nice and welcoming. I can’t give it 5 stars but only due to the type of motel it is, not because it isn’t nice. The indoor pool is great and it is heated to 80-85°. The location is nice and within a short distance of many nice restaurants, shopping as well as many beautiful sights like Monterey and Carmel. I highly recommend this motel.

The satellite TV was a bit sketchy but it worked. There was a small gap around the door but that could be easily fixed with a little insulation. Both are very minor issues and hardly worth mentioning.

This was one of the best stays I have ever had at a motel / hotel. From the very beginning, the staff was more than accommodating. The manager even came in on her day off to help us figure out what was going on with the television! They were so very helpful. The rooms were clean, the property was clean. The mini fridge is really large and the fact that the room actually has a microwave in addition to the fridge makes all the difference in the world. Most hotels do not have microwaves, just fridges. The pool area was so nice. The pool is heated, that doesn't mean it's bathtub temperature , just warmer than it normally would be in 64° weather! Again, the cleanliness of this property cannot be understated. Thank you, the next time we are in the area, this will be our go-to place to stay!

I think the only thing I didn't like was that we had a second floor unit and the stairs were a little steep but that's it.

Booked a suite which consisted of a main room with double and a side room with 2 x double beds for kids. Excellent sized room for price and ideal for families. Location is good for an overnight stop in Monterey and avoiding the expensive hotels in the centre. Staff are great and very friendly as well.

The only downside was the room was quite warm (as you’d expect in august), with air-conditioning you’d think this wasn’t a problem but the air-conditioning unit is so loud it kept waking us up. Choice between being hot, or being woken by the unit revving up. It may just have been our unit though. Shame as if it wasn’t for that it would have been a great score.

The rooms were very clean and the beds were comfortable. We also loved the soap, shampoo and conditioner they had at the sink and shower areas because they smelled so good! The location isn't too bad either. It was a short drive to the aquarium and we were about a 13 minute walk from the Black Bear Diner and about 10 minutes from Grandma's Kitchen down the street. My brother and sister in law said the Denny's right across the street wasn't great, so I'm glad we had other options for breakfast. My husband and I had a King room with our 3 year old son and he absolutely loved it! It was his first trip away from home and he loved sleeping in the king size bed. We'll keep this place in mind when we come down to Monterey for a weekend again!

Outlets were more available on one side of the bed only, coffee was convenient (there were pods and a Keurig) but not that great tasting.

The rooms were clean. The only hotel in the area to accommodate us with 3 queen beds! The outside of the hotel’s looks are a bit deceiving; as it appears dated, however the rooms were update, clean and comfortable. We were disappointed that the pool was not open. We did receive an email ahead of time to advise us of the closure. I thought that there was breakfast provided after looking at the pictures but they stopped breakfast with Covid and never started back up. I should have looked further at the accommodations listed and it would have informed me otherwise so this was my mistake. It would be really nice if breakfast came back. Staff was very friendly and they provided us with early check in. We will stay here again. A great hotel if anyone is on a budget!

It would be nice if breakfast was brought back. Would have liked the pool to be open ( an email warmed us of the closure). Outside of hotel is very dated with not much greenery.

Don’t let the word “motel” discourage you from staying here. It is completely renovated, with all the amenities you will need to be comfortable. When I booked this motel I booked it off of reviews. I had no idea that I stayed in this same motel 8 years ago, based on reviews, until we pulled up in the parking lot. The location is close to everything and the owners are very friendly and accommodating. It shows in the rooms that they really care about their property.

The room is good, with fridge, great location, next to HWY 1, good parking lot, friendly and helpful staff. I had some courier delivered at the hotel with no glitches.

The facility is a bit dated and the bathrooms could be improved, but nothing that impedes a comfortable stay. As a general comment on this kind of motels: prices have gone up considerably after the pandemic across the board, consequently over a period of time improvements will have to be made lest they will suffer given that the competition is coming out with excellent more modern facilities at competitive prices.

Super clean. Staff was nice. They've taken proper steps to avoid infestations, such as an encased mattress and raised furniture. Washer and dryer worked well ($3 each to use). My 5yo loved the pool! By the way the shallow end is 3ft deep, so little kids can't touch the bottom. So we picked up a floaty and the kiddo had fun. We had the pool to ourselves every time we went. They're a little stingy on towels, and since it's a high humidity area they don't dry overnight. But if you ask they'll give you a stack of towels!

The pool could of been a touch warmer, but it was swimable! Room just had a desk with one chair, so there wasn't anywhere to sit and eat.

Room simple but clean and comfortable. Appreciate free and no password wifi access. The only issue was that we had booked the room for 2 nights and was told in the office we didn't have it for the 2nd night. The office staff helped to book a room at another motel nearby. While there we received a message that the charge for the 2nd night which we didn't get was being removed. I don't have my statement for the time period and I do hope that the charge was actually taken off.

See note above and noisy thumping around from the room above us into evening and very early in the morning.

The room with the 3 queen beds was spacious, clean and very nice. We loved that there was a porch helped out alot when we unpacked to avoid the rain. We will definitely be staying here again.

Everything was very nice except the bathroom needs major ventilation after a shower the hole bathroom was wet. Our biggest let down was that the wifi is terrible literally non existent which is to bad since the room has a very nice smart TV that can't be used do to the bad wifi connection.