Super 8 Salinas has a Mediterranean-inspired exterior with light yellow and burnt-red stucco walls, a kidney shaped pool, and a manicured lawn which all look somewhat out of place sitting right along the highway in a nondescript Salinas neighborhood. Sandwiched between a frequently trafficked main road and a freeway divider, the Super 8 shares the street with a restaurant, gas station, pawn shop, and other budget hotels. The lobby is pleasant and modern, if not generic, with beige tiled floors, neutral walls, and dark wood accents. It has a basic reception desk on one side and a breakfast area on the other, with a few tables and an L-shaped counter where the food is laid out.

Designed mainly for travelers coming in off US 101, the Super 8 Salinas is often a stop on the way to somewhere else, but it’s also only a five-minute drive from downtown Salinas, where guests will find the National Steinbeck Center and The Steinbeck House as well the Salinas Amtrak stop. Thrifty tourists who want to visit Monterey, a 35-minute drive away, also find themselves at this Super 8 to avoid staying at pricier Monterey hotels. 

Rooms at the Super 8 Salinas are clean and surprisingly contemporary, with plaid carpeting and purple-and-green coverlets that some guests say is mismatched and others say is modern. Black-and-white photographs feature pictures of San Francisco cable cars and large redwood trees, offering a slight air of contrived cosmopolitan sophistication. Armchairs, small desks, and flat-screen TVs with plenty of channels are also in all rooms. Bathrooms are small with combination shower/tubs, though the sinks and mirrors sit outside of the bathrooms and share space with coffeemakers, microwaves, mini-fridges, and hairdryers. Some guests complain about the noise in the rooms, which comes from the freeway on one side of the hotel and a busy street along with a cast of local characters sometimes wandering the parking lot on the other. 

The hotel offers room service and has a coin-operated laundry and dryer. While the outdoor pool overlooks a Motel 6 and a busy road, it’s clean and well-maintained and has lounge and patio chairs. The hotel offers free Wi-Fi and free breakfast, which is the standard continental breakfast of a budget hotel with options such as cereal, coffee, and make-your-own waffle.