For a two room suite, the price was great. The hotel is located in a very quiet area of Pacific Grove and it's close to Asilomar so you can walk to the beach. However, the two room suite (one King, two twins) was very small. The closet was about three linear feet. There was one tiny round table with one chair, so it was difficult to eat or play cards in the room. We did have a small balcony and a wet bar (not a kitchenette, as advertised). The rooms that the hotel promoted as renovated were still very outdated. The parking was pretty tight and the front desk was very unhelpful. Our room wasn't ready at check in time and we had to wait an extra hour to check in. Then, after one night we were asked to change rooms to a "renovated" room. It was a hassle to move four people, but we obliged (after having to hang around and wait for the other guest to vacate and for the room to be cleaned). Unfortunately the room was just as tiny and out dated as the other room. When we asked the manager if he would consider doing something for us due to the hassle, he told us we were getting a good room rate already. However, we were getting the same rate that anyone going on-line through Howard Johnson would pay. The new room we were moved to was next door to a room being renovated. The work began at 7:30 am each day and the crew worked until 7 pm. When we contacted the front desk, they said that the crew woudln't start until 9 am the next day. No apology was offered. Of course, work started at 7:30 am the next day. I was very disappointed in the desk staff and the manager.

It is a beautiful location. they could not find our reservation on their computer. resolved that went to our room, and the inside hallway leading to our room smelled very bad, like curry. the managers apartment was right below our room. well, the manager and friends partied untill after 2am, keeping us awake. and when we complained about it would not admit or take resposibility. This location is too great to be sooo mismanaged.
do your self a favor and stay somewhere else, i wish i had.

We stayed in one of the king suites in 2004 and again in May, 2007. Rooms are currently being renovated, new paint, some new cabinents, fixtures and carpet. Although renovation on other rooms was ongoing during our stay, we were never bothered by the construction work.

They also upgraded their internet service with both wired & wireless capability. Download speed was excellent with rates consistently over 3Mb.

The King Suite is larger than most one bedroom suites with a large bedroom with fireplace, den area with sofa bed, and full kitchen with a breakfast area. The bedroom and den have separate TVs but are only separated by a half wall.

Our room was reasonably clean but the kitchen floor and windows in the breakfast area needed cleaning. No objectionable smells, mold or meldew. The staff was courteous but they didn't know anything about local restaurants.

You don't get an ocean view but the beach is only a five minute wall thru Asilomar conference center which has a ton of deer.
IMO, it's a good value for the Pacific Grove area.

The Tinnery at Lover's Point is now Latitudes but it's still a good place for lunch or dinner.

I stayed in this hotel Christmas weekend (2006) and after reading the reviews before I went? I thought I'd share my impressions, "post-stay." First, it is not a "fancy-schmancy" property. If you are looking for luxury, I would urge you to stay somewhere else. Is it functional? Yes. Was the bed comfortable? Yes. Was property management courteous, friendly and professional? Yes. My boyfriend and I stayed in unit #101. #101 is a king suite with a full kitchen, king size bed, and fireplace. The unit had a wonderful patio deck that could be accessed from the bedroom or the kitchen. However, it was a little too cold to use in December. But in warmer weather? I could see myself sitting out there enjoying a glass of wine and pre-dinner appetizers after a long day outside riding bikes on 17 Mile Drive or playing golf at the Links, conveniently located nearby. The room had an "odd" shape, but as others on this site have commented, the hotel used to be an apartment complex. Where they had to make divisions to make larger rooms into smaller hotel units, sometimes make odd angles in the room. For instance in room #101, as soon as you enter, there are 3 little steps that go down from a sitting/TV room to the bedroom. If you don't anticipate those stairs being there? You could trip and fall. Though once you get used to them? It's no big deal. Again, while HJ Express is not the "lap of luxury," we found the room to be clean, comfortable, and quiet. It was a non-smoking unit where travellers have respected the "no smoking" policy and have NOT smoked in the room. This is very important to us. We CAN'T STAND the smell of secondhand cigarette smoke and the residual odor it leaves behind. No problem (so far) in unit #101. Traveling frequently to Pacific Grove, we enjoy doing activities outside all day and then picking up groceries and making ourselves dinner and breakfast in the morning. Normally we have rented a house there posted on Craigslist when we visit. This time the house was already booked and we had to find other options. The unit at HJ Express with its full kitchen was perfect for us. Also, there is a Safeway and Trader Joe grocery store and Blockbuster and Hollywood Video stores (DVD player in the room) right up Forest Ave. It's about a 20 minute walk from the property, even less if you drive there. You can also rent DVDs at the property office from a collection they keep on site. The ocean is close, as is 17 Mile Drive. Overall, we had a great stay. I would recommend this hotel if you are looking for something basic, functional and comfortable.