Hampton by Hilton Hotels in Salinas

Had car trouble on New Years Eve. Checked in and was delighted by front desk personal Michelle and Nadia. All smiles. John the night auditor too plenty of smiles. This is rare for a night auditor as they usually choose their job not having to deal with people. The upgrade in a/c and heating controls seem to have a few bugs still in them. TV screen was too small for the spacious room. Bathroom is nice and large too. Rug, really nice and thick carpeting makes it a dream to walk on. Though entranceway was not and naturally the bathroom too there was no coldness to ones barefoot touch. Kids rule. Perfect for the family as the breakfast included had everything one could wish for. Granola, when was the last time you enjoyed this at a hotel breakfast. Naturally the fruit loop container emptied fast. Orange juice was not, it dispensed cold water. Apples and oranges were supermarket size. Line at waffle maker. Hotel was sold out the previous three nights. There are none to match the quality here. One thing the bathroom could use would be rainforest shower heads. Hot water in about 2 minutes, as it is winter time. Lighting in the lobby and breakfast area supurb. Rooms were quiet, no outside street noise. Noise absent from adjoining rooms too. 3 not 2 large bath towels and accompanying smaller ones are nice. Clean hallways and rooms. Quick telephone response. One can see their smiles. .Pantry is well stocked and the dining area pleasantly decorated. Accompanying photos may be sideways as Trip Advisor has not corrected their bugs in the system. Elevator is quick, quicker than most of a three story abode. Entrance has two double doors and driveway is quite convenient Starbucks is at the corner. Quick trip to the Steinbeck Center. Secret, Cannery Row use to be called Ocean View until the publication of John Steinbeck's ”Cannery Row”. John was born in Salinas. Only until the early 1960's did the population of the Salinas Valley outnumber that of the Monterey Peninsula. John would not recognize it now. My grandfather S.F.B. Morse (Google) knew him well. John wrote his novels in Pacific Grove, a town grandad owned. Before he became famous for ”The Grapes of Wrath,” he wrote a column for a San Francisco newspaper entitled, ”Migrant Gypsies.”. Salinas would not be Salinas if it were not for agriculture. All the lettuce America eats comes from Salinas. Easy freeway 101 access, connecting to the Monterey exit. Salinas is the county capital too. Hotel is safe no car break ins at night. Microwave and large personal refrigerator are handy especially if you have kids. Train stops here. For those who enjoy the Coast Starliner from Los Angeles to San Francisco the hotel is 5 Uber minutes away. Not much to do in Salinas at night, so relax here. Gordon the general manager and Larissa the guest service manager will do everything to assure that your stay is a pleasant one. Once you stay, except for car trouble you wil