Help with Big Sur accommodation

I%26#39;m driving from LAX up the Pacific Highway in May this year but I wanted some advice on accommodation. I%26#39;m thinking of doing 2 nights around Big Sur (driving straight from LAX in one day stopping at Hearst Castle) . We can%26#39;t afford anything on the scale of Post Ranch Inn or Ventana but would like a nice hotel in the same area so we can eat at the posh restaurants but not pay the high room rates. Preferably somewhere with a pool. Then we were thinking of a night in Monterey. Anyone have any suggestions?

Help with Big Sur accommodation

For Monterey, check out the Best Western Beach Resort, about a five minute drive to downtown Monterey. It is right on the beach and they have a very nice pool area and a jacuzzi. I have some photos posted of the property. The rooms are standard, but it%26#39;s so great being right on the beach and the rates are pretty reasonable. Hope this helps! :)

Help with Big Sur accommodation

What time will you be leaving LAX? The drive to Hearst Castle from LAX will take approx. 3-4 hours, depending on traffic. From the castle to Big Sur will take another 1-2 hours, which would make for a really long day. I recommend a 1 night stop in San Simeon. Then you can take your time driving up the coast, which you%26#39;ll want to do as the road is full of hair pin turns and several hundred feet above the ocean.

I can%26#39;t think of any hotels in Big Sur with a pool that would be affordable. Aside from the upscale lodging, you%26#39;ll find Big Sur to be quite rustic with several campsites and cabins available,

The previous mention of a hotel in Monterey on the beach is an okay recommendation. I%26#39;ve stayed there twice, although not recently. You might consider Carmel for lodging as this would put you near many ';posh'; restaurants in the Carmel Highlands and down to Big Sur, which is about a 30 minute drive, if that, from Carmel.

I agree that your plan would make for a very long day. Just so you%26#39;ll know, the drive from Carmel to Big Sur is not 30 minutes--it%26#39;s only 30 miles, but it takes a good hour due to a winding road and slower traffic. If you want to stay in Big Sur, consider Treebones Resort for a unique experience. I don%26#39;t know of a place in Big Sur with a pool, but I could be wrong about that. Monterey Beach Resort is a good, more-moderately priced suggestion. However, with just one night here, you might consider a B%26amp;B in Pacific Grove (Green Gables, Seven Gables, or Martine Inn)--they are across the street from the water, and easy walk to the aquarium, and have direct access to the recreation trail that offers some gorgeous coastline.

Ragged Point Inn ( 15 miles north of Hearst Castle) could be an option for you. Though they don%26#39;t have a pool, the Pacific Ocean vistas are welcoming and wonderful. There is a restaurant on the premises with decent food... not posh... but decent.