Sanctuary Beach Resort

We loved staying here and especially the golf carts were fun for the kids to get around the resort. The evening with s’mores on the beach was awesome. Even the restaurant was great. Only wish it wasn’t so expensive and had more deals during the year. Will definitely stay there again!

We stayed here for two nights over the weekend in November. It was a wonderful experience. From booking to check-​out, every staff interaction was above expectations. Bringing our puppy with us was the reason we booked here, and the environmental beauty outside our doorstep will keep us returning time and time again. It was so nice to have a little porch where we could read in the sunlight, with our puppy playing by our feet, as we watched the ocean and the little dune birds playing.
Loved:
Welcome wine reception upon check in.
Beachfront location; a three minute walk and we are dipping our paws in the pacific.
Dog friendly! Watch where you walk, not everyone’s as conscientious as we are about picking up refuse.
Restaurant on site. (Not at the level of the resort, but it’s THERE if ya need it.)
Fireplace in the room! (Is there anything better than a cozy fireplace with a puppy and the sound of the ocean crashing in the background?
Bonfires in the evenings!
Found the bathroom a little disappointing, for the price and the quality of everything else in the room, we would loved a deep bathtub for soaking by candlelight. We did NOT find Kula ranch disappointing, as we had read reviews and went in expecting a kitchy divey style restaurant. It was what we expected. Husband really enjoyed his Prime Rib, and I enjoyed that they had sushi on the menu, I’ll eat sushi 10 times out of 10. They also allow dogs on their patio, which I’m sure we’ll take advantage of in the future when it’s not freezing outside at night.
We are already planning a return trip. This is a lovely little hidden gem, and I can’t wait to bring my surfboard!

Loved it! Got a beach front room, which was definitely worth the splurge! Got our own golf cart to drive around the property and enjoyed the beach. Didn’t make it to the pool. The only negative was the restaurant. Kula’s is pretty terrible. This property deserves better food.

I was so lucky to be a guest of my friend, who booked a room at the Sanctuary. This place is so beautiful and location, location, location. We opened our blinds in the morning to crashing waves. Breath taking. Our unit had a gas fire place that was on a timer. Fully functional with stove, washer and dryer, dish washer and bbq. Our unit had 2 bedrooms with a murphy bed out in the living room. I slept on that and it was very comfortable.
I so wish that I had time to play out at the pool, but ran out of time. Anyone is lucky who gets to stay at this resort. Enjoy and relax.

My wife and I came here for a quick getaway. We stayed in a beachfront deluxe room and loved it! The view was beautiful and the staff were super friendly and helpful. There was free wine and cheese upon arrival, fire pits out back at night, and they give you a golf cart, which was kinda fun. The place was clean and exactly like the pictures online. It was small, but good enough. We hope to go back!

My family loved this place! Literally steps from a great beach… we couldn’t get our 6 year old daughter off of it. She loved the golf carts that we got assigned to take from the parking lot to our room. We saw pods of dolphins. Beautiful. Binoculars are in every room for whale spotting (we didn’t see any-​boohoo). Great set up for our family – we had a partial ocean view suite room with a fireplace. King Bed with a sofa-​bed for our daughter. Perfect.
We tried to eat at the restaurant one night but it was crazy-crowded…there was a wedding at the resort, so lots of people on the property.
We had a wonderful stay and would definitely return!

I am updating this review because, after receiving my customer survey, the management promptly contacted me to address my concerns and make things right. I appreciate very much that they pay attention to the customer satisfaction survey.

By far the best trip to Monterey /​Carmel thanks to this resort. The name is quite fitting!
I found a deal on
and received a $ 5 coupon, bringing our total to $ 206 for a 1-​night stay around mid-​May. (Recommend searching retailmenot for coupons on third-​party sites)
Our room wasn’t ready when we arrived, which was fine because their lobby was super cozy with a fire place and comfy couches. We drank fruit-​infused water and browsed through a photo album they had on the table. When our room was ready, we hopped in a golf cart and tailed the bell hop to our room. So exhilarating…
Our room had a fireplace, king-​sized bed, balcony overlooking the ocean, and a huge bathroom. After settling in, we hopped back in the golf cart and took a breezy drive down to the beach (just to the entrance… you can’t take the carts on the sand… they will break…) We carved romantic shit in the sand wall and took a nap on the beach under the sun… ahhhh~
For dinner, we drove down to the restaurant (Kula) and ordered a shit ton of appetizers (very convenient) and spent the rest of the evening in front of the fire place watching the sun set, drinking Modelo’s and grubbing on shrimp kebobs. There is a giant communal fire pit (Sunset Bonfire) every evening on the beach where you can purchase s’mores kits and kick it with fellow guests. We could see the fire pit from our room so we decided to skip it.
One note: Don’t use their razors. I had forgotten mine so I called and requested one. The razor is sharp as a knife and I cut myself really badly on my ankle. (Scars are still there…) :tears:
Thanks for making my weekend getaway so memorable and comfortable, SBR! Highly recommend.

Phenomenal resort space with lots of potential, cabins with beach view and even right on the sand.
We generally had a great experience, and its worth noticing that the staff have really stepped the performance up big time.
The sanctuary beach is really unique in that you are literally on the beach, sand in front of the door.
Unfortunately the experience was marred by the resort having contractors working in the cabin next to us the last day and strangely way into the night. frankly, when you pay this much per night for a cabin on the beach you don’t want to listen to power tools or have your room bathed in their construction lights. Until the last day, my review was 4+ stars, but now I have to leave with «meh I have experienced better» I really have experienced better. Nuff Said.

I’d like to say I’m an expert when it comes to staying on the central coast and this place ranks in my top 3! Not only are the rooms beautiful and clean but their customer service is impeccable! We had a less than stellar experience at the restaurant (which come to find out is leased and isn’t directly associated them) but due to that, the manager of this resort sent over a great bottle of wine and cheese platter for a bad experience. So sweet of them!
Upon arrival, I was greater with wine before check in, friendly staff, and once you park, they take you to your room on a cart. Once you enter your room, he explains all the keys and shows you your own personal golf cart (how sweet is that?!). We later met some great people down at the bonfire and enjoyed the rest of the weekend lounging on our porch staring at the ocean. You MUST come here!

My parents and an aunt spent two nights at Sanctuary Beach Resort. I spent a good deal of time with them at the resort and can represent a fair opinion concerning their stay.
The first night they were placed in a suite with a partial ocean view. My mother was told during the reservation process that they would be given a room with two separate ocean views.
She was very disappointed with the misrepresentation.
The next morning I talked to management on the behalf of my folks. Bianca took it upon herself to correct the situation. She upgraded my parents and aunt to a suite with a full ocean view. They were not charged for the first night.
A negative turned into a positive just like that.
The grounds are impeccable, the staff buzzing around on golf carts are all very polite and courteous. The resort is quiet and if you don’t want to leave the grounds there is a restaurant option adjacent to the resort.
My parents said they slept to ocean waves slapping against the shore. That alone would have made their stay very special.
Thank you again Bianca.

We just returned from one of the most excellent retreats we have ever had. We love Monterey and have stayed at the Monterey Plaza, the Intercontinental… etc. All beautiful stays. However, views and beach access are limited. Plus the crowds can be a bit cumbersome.
The view was awesome! We stayed in a Jr. Suite Ocean View. The balcony provided us a wonderful view of the sunset, beach and let’s not forget the tons of Dolphins and Whales playing within plain eyesight. The room was provided with binoculars, but they were only needed when the whales went off further. Otherwise, sea life was to be had everyday.
The beach is boarded by state protected dunes. There are limited paths, but they are short. What you get is pretty much a private beach to yourself, for the most part. I would guess maybe 25 – 30 people would be there, during the busiest times. Definitely not crowded.
Staff was excellent. They were very friendly and courteous. One particular staff member (Gergardo) that brought us whatever we needed with a smile. Guy is really great.
The room was really nice. Our couch had a pull-​out bed that was very comfortable. Our queen bed was very comfortable as well. Our bathroom had one bathroom but two showers (one with tub). I heard that some rooms the second shower may be turned into a hot tub. We had two nice TV’s, but hardly watched them, because of the excellent view.
Dog friendly! Our main reason for coming here, was because of the dog friendly status. We didn’t see (didn’t asked either) any bowls for dogs to drink from or treats. But we brought our own. Our Lab loved it! The walks to and on the beach and patio area were great for him.
Golf carts are provided for each room, as parking is limited closed to the beach. We found out, some carts are little more powerful than others, so be aware. Otherwise, this was a nice touch, even though we rarely used ours.
Linens and towels are plentiful. When you check in, staff will provide an extra tote filled with them for you to use. Just be aware, that they will not be in your room, as they are sat on the balcony.

We have stayed here several times as we love the eco-​feeling and being able to walk on the beach with direct access. No cars are allowed throughout the property. Golf carts are assigned to each individual room and are a fun way to get around. Unfortunately, we feel that the property was much better on former visits. On this stay we had a beachfront deluxe room (611)with our doors opening onto the dunes. The room is really small and I’m not sure what makes it «deluxe». It did have a microwave, refrigerator, coffeemaker, and bar sink. The view was spectacular but the room itself had some unsatisfactory issues. The bathroom had a strong mildew odor, the American Standard toilet took three flushes to complete the flush (not good in a drought), and (this from a designer’s viewpoint) none of the faucet fixtures matched. One sink had chrome faucets, the other brushed nickel, and the mirrors had framed mirrors hung on top of older wall-​to-​wall mirrors. Our mattress was so hard that it felt like sleeping on a plywood plank. The louvered wood blinds on the sliding glass door wouldn’t open or close. Of these the hard mattress was the most uncomfortable as we came here for a retreat-​a sanctuary. Management was very kind when notified, however, no other beachfront rooms were available and they didn’t have any foam add-​ons, etc. There were PODS throughout the property so we may assume that upgrades are in process. The pool is large. There is a very big hot tub next to the pool, with only lukewarm water with very few jets and zero bubbles. Not as relaxing as hoped.
There were lots of families with little kids and many many dogs on the property as this is a pet friendly establishment. Location of the Sanctuary on the ocean is ideal, so I do hope that the property gets everything updated and back to its better rating. We saw whales breeching from the patio of our room.
That is 5 stars for sure. The Kula Ranch restaurant on the property has a very fun happy hour with excellent pupu’s and a talented roving ukulele player who has a terrific voice.