Gateway Thunderbird Motel

Thunder from down under.

To be fair, we booked this room at the last minute for two nights of the Memorial Day weekend. Price was our motivator and I knew kind of what to expect (I didn’t expect the Hyatt or even the Holiday Inn) thanks to reviews and because of my own knowledge of the area. Upon check-in, we waited for at least 10 minutes while an elderly woman (whom we had heard call the manager, presumably a family member) watched us. Once he arrived we checked in with no problems. Awkward. Our room was fine. Clean enough, large bed, big t.v., sinkette-area, and separate shower/toilet area. On the not-so-good side: musty smell that comes with years of use; flat, hard bed with flat, hard pillows; tiniest shower area ever; and worn towels the size of a handkerchief. The neighborhood was not great but I didn’t feel scared -- and both nights we returned to our room after 9pm. One night our key got de-magnetized (or something) and the night-desk man was super nice and helpful. They made up our room and restocked towels. The housekeepers left (or someone did) a big water bottle on our table that was not ours. That was a little strange. Mainly we were happy to have a room inexpensive enough to afford us two extra, last-minute, days of vacation. I would suggest bringing your own pillow and even a throw-blanket and a towel. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this hotel to anyone but if you find a nice price and you are going to use the room as only a base for sleeping I’d say it’s OK.

Perfectly acceptable

No frills, comfortable, clean, just fine for overnight or two-day traveler

good experience for low star hotel

The hotel staff were very cordial and made a requested repair in my room before my second night. It is conveniently located, clean and well-maintained.

Traveler's tip on dining

Taste Cafe & Bistro in Pacific Grove - excellent food & service!