"Hidden Treasure" in Monterey

This is a cool place tucked away in a great location near the Aquarium and Cannery Row. Debra was very communicative and flexible. The house has a separated bedroom from the living space with a small kitchen and bathroom. It basically has everything you'd need for a month-long stay. We're very fortunate and happy to have stayed here.

First: we had a great time and were happy with the value we got for our money. The owner is tremendously good about communication, and everything was exactly as we asked for and was completely clean. She was very good about answering all our questions and we had no worries about COVID in the property at all. The furniture is comfortable and high quality, especially the recliners, and the beds were fine once we figured out which one suited each of us best. The kitchenette was well set up, had plenty of dishes and silverware, and was fine for "bring in takeout and warm it up" meals, and the hot water pot was excellent for making tea (we drink a lot of tea). Shower had plenty of hot water and was sparkling clean. We do, however, have to let other travelers know about a few things exterior to the cottage which may not be issues for them, but were, for us, blemishes on an otherwise lovely stay. Parking is limited; this is made clear in the listing, so that's fine, but it's also quite tight. The cottage sits in back of a store on a main street that's perhaps two blocks away from the Aquarium (like I said, great location!), and you need to drive up a narrow alley beside the store to get to the parking. This is only three car widths across, and is pretty shallow. Even with a compact car it's a tight fit, and getting out can be quite difficult if the middle space is occupied and the car in it isn't pulled well forward. Be warned that it will be tight if you have a larger vehicle. Cottage door and windows open onto this common parking area. One downside of the location is it really is right on a main street in downtown Monterey, so there’s quite a lot of traffic up and down it, even into the evening. In addition, the back of the cottage, particularly the bedroom wall, backs up against a commercial building next door — I believe it’s the nearby 7-11. If you're a heavy sleeper, neither of these will bother you, but both of us are light sleepers and got woken up in the early hours (4-5AM) several nights by deliveries, trash being dumped, and the garbage truck visit, wherein the dumpster is emptied, on Thursdays. The last issue, and this really isn't one anything can be done about, is that the space above the shop is also rented, and the person renting it seems to be both a long-term renter and unfortunately a COVID skeptic. He and his family were at times not very careful about masks and distancing. When we mentioned it, the owner talked to him to tr

Fantastic rental in a great location for enjoying everything Monterey has to offer. Debra goes above and beyond in providing a great experience. Nice to have fridge and laundry on site, and there is tons of closet space/storage. Nice little bistro set on the porch, and it’s an added bonus to see a little of the ocean from the bedroom window.

Overall, very nice and convenient location for short stays. Location was a little difficult to find and when getting in/out of driveway, especially during traffic time. Cottage is quite old so interior got dirty quick (mold in shower, inside of toilet, bedsheets, ant issue).