It's all about the location, being right in the middle of Monterey. The hotel is OK, but given the price and the rating I was expecting more. Nothing special or outstanding. We booked two rooms. One with a terrace, which was nice but not clean (and asking for it to be cleaned up made no difference; dust and cobwebs were still there).
The pool is a joke, and the smallest "pool" I've ever seen (or is it a big tub? ;-). Can even swim a lap without touching both sides of it. Jacuzzi is nice, but also very small (4-5 people max).
Staff is a mixed bag. Some were nice, others rude.
Called ahead of time to ask for an early check-in. Got that confirmed, so we timed our arrival, but still ended up waiting an hour and a half, being told that I "must have called the wrong number" (which was not the case).
We stayed in the same hotel a couple of years back and had great memories, but unfortunately things have changed. Will not repeat.