The Hampton Inn Monterey is basically a clean motor lodge. It is near Monterey tourist attractions which could make it a good hotel for someone wanting to be centrally located without being in the heart of a tourist district.
When we arrived there were some homeless people across the street, and since the parking is open and not monitored I did question how safe the parking area is.
The person who checked us in was unfriendly. When I made some basic inquiries, he snapped at me. The other desk clerks were neither friendly or unfriendly. I would say overall this was one of the least friendly/helpful staff I've encountered in the last few years.
While the room was a comfortable size, and clean, the walls are paper thin--we could hear our neighbor's conversations, toilet flush etc. And the road noise makes it hard to sleep at night. The breakfast and in room coffee are basic. There was no tea in the room, but it was available in the breakfast area. Our fridge did not work, so the milk/cream we bought went bad.
I brought a large group to this hotel (more than 20 people) and since I am in charge of travel for our organization, I will not be bringing our group back. I heard from several families that the noise level made it difficult to sleep and that the rooms were musty. In addition, the cost of the hotel/motel is high for what you get. It was actually more expensive than some of the nicer area hotels for the weekend we stayed (almost $700 for two nights).