Monterey's New Layer of Luxury

The seaside town you love has even more to offer.

Photography by Sara Remington

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The Casa Munras Hotel, in downtown Monterey, is built around what remained of the 19th-century hacienda occupied by Spain’s last diplomat. In 2005, new owners purchased what was a modest motel and began a major renovation. The hotel now has a sleek new lobby and cozy but luxurious suites with gas fireplaces, and huge bathrooms with deep tubs and multijet showers. Also on-site is the serene new Sano Spa, which features four spacious treatment rooms, where you can enjoy a Thai massage that will leave you feeling as if you just finished a really good yoga class. In the spa’s private garden, you can soak in a whirlpool bath then sip a glass of wine or have a spa lunch.

One of the most beautiful rooms in the area sits in the dunes just north of Marina State Beach: an ocean-view suite at the newly renovated Sanctuary Beach Resort. The resort, about a 10-minute drive north of Monterey, lacks such five-star amenities as a top restaurant. But, the well-appointed suite feels like a real luxury retreat: It is housed in a bright, airy cottagelike building that blends in with the dunes scenery and features a private deck overlooking delicate dune flora and the blue Pacific.

To Eat
 

About a year and a half ago, the owners of Montrio Bistro, one of Monterey’s more upscale restaurants, decided to open Willy’s Smokehouse and All American Grill, which serves spicy, juicy barbecue, such as the St. Louis–style spareribs, seasoned overnight and smoked for eight hours in oak.

Locals flock to the three-year-old Crystal Fish, which is a few blocks up from Cannery Row and serves deliciously fresh sushi in a low-key atmosphere.

It’s not new, but locals also dig the Hula’s Island Grill and Tiki Room, which revels in its cheesy Hawaii/surf-themed decor, complete with tiki statues and an autographed photo of Hawaii Five-0 star Jack Lord. The menu highlights Asian and Pacific island fare—Vietnamese spring rolls, curry fish soups, and seafood grilled with lemongrass—as well as fruity, lethal concoctions like the special mai tai.

Readers of the hip Monterey County Weekly named Esteban, the new tapas restaurant at the Casa Munras Hotel, the best new restaurant of 2007. The interior is contemporary and warm, with sandstone walls and dark wood tables; the patio is dominated by a large fire pit. For lunch or dinner, try a seafood chowder, a crispy spinach salad with shaved parmesan, spicy grilled prawns, or savory Spanish sausage.

For a casual gourmet breakfast, lunch, or snack, including scrumptious chocolate chip cookies, visit the Wild Plum Café and Bakery, across from the Casa Munras Hotel. The café uses fresh, organic ingredients and has a take-out menu.