The Aquarium is a different place after the doors close. The crowds are gone and the halls go quiet. The light turns a deep, slow blue, and the animals carry on as if nobody is watching. On Thursday, Oct. 22, we got to spend an evening in that quiet with the Crane Mastermind Group, celebrating four decades of MontereyRentals.com.

The night began with the jellies. Against a wall of drifting moon-colored bells, the bartenders poured Sunset Margaritas, rosy with a wedge of lime on the rim. It was the kind of first sip that makes people stop talking and just look for a minute.

Dinner was in the Open Sea wing, at round tables set with candles, printed menus and place cards for every guest. Behind them, the great window held the open ocean. Schools of sardines rose like silver rain, and sharks and rays slid slowly past, close enough to make you lose your place in a conversation. We toasted the years and the people who made them, and we took in a room most visitors only see by day.

Forty years is a long time to do anything in one place. For four decades, MontereyRentals.com has welcomed guests and residents to this coast and cared for the homes they stay in. The owners trusted us with their houses, and the families made those houses their homes year after year. The Monterey Bay is the reason any of it works, and celebrating beside it felt right.

“We had an amazing time,” Jan Leasure said afterward. “I can’t think of any place else we’d want to be for the 50th!”

Our thanks to Paige Axton and the Monterey Bay Aquarium events team for making the evening so special. Every private event at the Aquarium supports its mission to inspire conservation of the ocean, so the celebration gave a little back to the bay too. Thank you also to everyone who joined us that night.

The Aquarium is worth the trip by day or, if you ever get the chance, by night. And whether you’re looking for a place to stay for a season or a home to rent for years to come, we’d love to help you find it. Owners, the same goes for you: we’d be glad to care for your home the way we have for 40 years.

☀️ Surf, Sun & Fun… All That’s Missing Is YOU!

Take advantage of introductory pricing and spend October by the beach! Enjoy this beautiful 2-bedroom, 2-bath ocean-view home for under $5000 for the month of October.

🌊 Steps to Del Monte Beach
☕ Ocean-view balcony for morning coffee
🔥 Firepit for evenings under the stars
🍽️ Beautifully updated kitchen
🛏️ 2 bedrooms | King + Queen
🛁 2 full bathrooms
🏡 Approx. 1350 sq. ft.
👥 Sleeps 4
🚶 Walk to Fisherman’s Wharf
🎶 Minutes from Cannery Row, the Aquarium, downtown dining, breweries, cafés & live music

And for those in the know, there’s no better time to experience the Monterey Peninsula than fall.

Monterey Bay Property Management
📞 (831) 655-7840
✉️ info@montereyrentals.com

DRE #01263576 | #01936813

#Monterey #MontereyBay #DelMonteBeach #VacationRental #MontereyVacation #BeachHouse #CanneryRow #CaliforniaCoast

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www.MontereyRentals.com/monterey/del-monte-beach/surf-inn 

40 Years of Making Monterey County Feel Like Home

Explore Beachouse – Luxury at Asilomar

For 40 years, MontereyRentals.com has had the privilege of welcoming guests to one of the most beautiful places in the world.

Since 1986, we’ve helped visitors find more than a place to stay. We’ve helped them find a home base for beach walks, family vacations, weekend escapes, celebrations and traditions that bring them back to the Monterey Peninsula year after year.

As we celebrate our 40th anniversary, reviews like this one from a recent guest at Beachouse – Luxury at Asilomar remind us why we love what we do.

“This trip was like chicken soup for the soul! Mere steps from the beach… the best walks, so much wildlife, and beautiful ocean vistas.”

Located near Asilomar State Beach in Pacific Grove, Beachouse gives guests the opportunity to experience so much of what makes this area special. Days can begin with a walk along the coast, continue with exploring Pacific Grove’s shops and cafés, and end back at home beside the fireplace with the sound of the ocean nearby.

Our guest also shared:

“Nothing beats coming home to a fabulous kitchen, a spacious living room with a cozy fireplace, and drifting off to sleep in the comfiest of beds to the soundtrack of ocean waves.”

But our favorite part of the review may be the last line:

“Lovely home, great host: staying here has become one of my favorite traditions!”

Tradition. That’s what 40 years means to us.

Over four decades, we’ve watched first-time visitors become returning guests. We’ve welcomed families back for annual vacations and helped people celebrate milestones, reconnect with loved ones and simply take a few days to enjoy the beauty of the Monterey Peninsula.

We are grateful to every guest who has trusted MontereyRentals.com with their stay and every homeowner who has trusted us with their home.

Forty years later, we still believe the best vacations are the ones that feel a little bit like coming home.

Here’s to 40 years of stays, stories and traditions — and many more to come.

Explore Beachouse – Luxury at Asilomar

“Don’t Quit Your Day Job.” Forty Years Later, MontereyRentals.com Is Still Here.

Forty years ago, MontereyRentals.com began with an idea, a lot of determination and one very memorable piece of advice.

At the time, owner and founder Jan Leasure was a teacher when she began exploring the possibility of building a vacation rental business on the Monterey Peninsula.

Her husband’s advice?

“Don’t quit your day job.”

Fortunately, Jan didn’t let that stop her.

What started as a new venture alongside her teaching career grew, property by property and relationship by relationship, into MontereyRentals.com — a locally rooted company that has now served homeowners and guests for 40 years.

There was no Airbnb, no online booking system and certainly no social media when Jan started. Building a business meant answering phones, developing relationships, earning the trust of homeowners and taking exceptional care of guests.

Four decades later, technology has transformed the vacation rental industry, but the foundation of MontereyRentals.com remains remarkably similar.

It is still about relationships.

It is still about trust.

It is still about knowing the Monterey Peninsula and understanding what makes a property — and a guest experience — special.

Today, MontereyRentals.com represents decades of local knowledge, countless vacations, family celebrations and memories made in homes throughout the area.

And that little piece of advice from 40 years ago?

We’re very glad Jan didn’t take it.

As MontereyRentals.com celebrates its 40th anniversary, we’re sharing the stories, people and moments that helped build the company along the way.

Watch Jan tell the story of how it all began.

#MontereyRentals  #Monterey #VacationRentals

Location, Comfort and Tranquility: A Five-Star Stay at Monterey Dunes 166

Sometimes a guest says everything that needs to be said in just a few words:

“Location, location, location! What a beautiful place. We couldn’t have asked for a nicer unit. The beds were super comfy. Tranquility at its finest.”

That recent five-star review of Monterey Dunes 166 perfectly captures what makes a Monterey Peninsula getaway so special.

There is something wonderful about arriving at a vacation rental and immediately feeling like you made the right choice. A beautiful setting. A comfortable place to settle in. Beds you look forward to climbing into after a day of exploring. And, perhaps most importantly, the opportunity to slow down and enjoy some genuine peace and quiet.

For 40 years, MontereyRentals.com has helped guests find homes where they can experience exactly that.

Over four decades, the vacation rental industry has changed dramatically. The way people search for properties has changed. The way they book has changed. Technology has changed.

But what guests want from their time away really hasn’t.

They want to open the door and love where they’re staying. They want comfort. They want a great location. They want a property that feels cared for. And they want to return home feeling like their time away was truly a vacation.

Reviews like this are why celebrating 40 years means so much to us.

Behind every five-star review is a guest who trusted MontereyRentals.com with part of their vacation. Behind every property is an owner who trusted us with their home.

Forty years later, we remain incredibly grateful for both.

And when a guest describes their stay as “tranquility at its finest,” we know we’ve helped create the kind of Monterey Peninsula experience we’ve been working to provide since the very beginning.

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A Special Home for a Special Celebration:
Beachouse – Luxury at Asilomar

Some guest reviews stay with us because they capture exactly what a vacation home can mean when it becomes part of an important family memory.

A recent guest chose Beachouse – Luxury at Asilomar for a particularly meaningful occasion: an intimate family celebration honoring her mother-in-law’s 90th birthday.

What makes her perspective even more meaningful is that her family has been visiting and staying in the area two to three times a year for the past 15 years. After all those visits, she described Beachouse as “the best home rental in the area that we’ve ever had.”

That is quite a compliment — and one that speaks to so many of the details that make this Pacific Grove home special.

A Kitchen Made for Gathering

As a former personal chef, the guest paid particular attention to the kitchen, calling it one of the best-equipped kitchens she had encountered in a vacation rental, from the appliances to the utensils.

For a family gathering centered around a milestone birthday, having a kitchen designed for actually cooking, serving and spending time together helped make the home part of the celebration rather than simply the place where everyone was staying.

Ocean Views, Quiet Spaces and Asilomar Just Steps Away

The guest also highlighted the home’s glorious ocean views from multiple rooms, comfortable and quiet bedrooms, beautiful grand room and peaceful patio with plenty of space to enjoy the outdoors.

Despite being so close to the coast, Beachouse offers a wonderful sense of privacy.

And then there is the location.

A walk of approximately two minutes brings guests to the ocean path, where the family’s experience included one of the Monterey Peninsula’s favorite sights: sea otters.

It’s the Details Guests Remember

One of the most interesting observations in the review was something longtime visitors to the coast will immediately understand. The guest specifically noted how fresh the home felt, without the mustiness that can sometimes accompany properties located near the ocean.

It may sound like a small detail, but exceptional hospitality is often about exactly those things.

A thoughtfully maintained home. Comfortable beds. A kitchen with what you actually need. Beautiful spaces where a family can gather. Privacy when you want it. And the Pacific Ocean just a short stroll away.

For MontereyRentals.com, reviews like this are particularly meaningful. After 40 years in the vacation rental business, the goal remains much the same: to connect guests with exceptional homes where vacations, celebrations and family milestones can become lasting memories.

Happy 90th birthday to this family’s very special guest of honor — and thank you to Kris and her family for allowing Beachouse to be part of the celebration.

#MontereyRentals #PacificGrove #Asilomar #MontereyPeninsula #40Years #VacationRental

Meet Jan: Why It All Started

Behind MontereyRentals.com is a story that began with a love for the Monterey Peninsula, an understanding of hospitality and a simple belief: both homeowners and guests deserve to work with people who genuinely know and care about this community.

That story starts with our founder, Jan.

When Jan began the company, vacation rentals looked very different than they do today. There weren’t countless online platforms, automated messages or algorithms deciding what travelers should see. The business was personal. It was built through conversations, recommendations, relationships and knowing the homes — and the community — firsthand.

Those values helped shape MontereyRentals.com.

Over the years, the company has grown and the vacation rental industry has changed dramatically, but the importance of local knowledge and personal relationships hasn’t disappeared.

For homeowners, that means having people who understand the responsibility that comes with caring for a property.

For guests, it means having a local resource who understands that a trip to the Monterey Peninsula isn’t simply about finding somewhere to stay. It’s about experiencing the destination — the neighborhoods, coastline, restaurants, hidden corners and places that make this part of California unforgettable.

Jan’s original vision continues to be part of MontereyRentals.com today.

As we introduce the people behind the company through our Meet the Team series, it seems only fitting to begin where MontereyRentals.com’s story began.

With Jan.

Watch the video to hear Jan share, in her own words, why it all started.

#MontereyRentals #MeetTheTeam #MontereyCounty #OurStory #VacationRentals

★★★★★ “We’ve found our nest for many return visits.”

Sometimes the best Monterey Bay travel advice comes from the guests who have been visiting for years.

After many trips to the area, a recent guest at A Tiny House in Pacific Grove shared their favorite way to experience the Monterey Peninsula:

Stay the full week. Arrive Sunday. Leave Saturday. Skip the heaviest traffic — and give yourself more time to enjoy everything you came here for.

And A Tiny House turned out to be the perfect home base.

“Perfect space for just us two. Great location, bed is comfy, kitchen well equipped for prepping meals in and quiet surroundings. Monterey Rentals has always been responsive to any needs.”

A few extra days mean more time for morning walks along the coast, leisurely meals, exploring Pacific Grove and Monterey, and those wonderful days when there’s absolutely nothing on the itinerary.

Why rush a Monterey Bay getaway?

Come for the week. Settle in. Make yourself at home.

And, like Peggy, you just might find your own little nest to return to again and again.

Plan your stay at www.MontereyRentals.com .

#MontereyRentals #PacificGrove #MontereyBay #VacationRental #StayAWeek

Experience Coastal Luxury at Ocean Pines in Pebble Beach

If you’re looking for a peaceful coastal retreat with breathtaking ocean views, this beautifully appointed two-bedroom, two-bath condominium at Ocean Pines offers the perfect blend of comfort, privacy, and convenience.

Nestled within the enchanting Del Monte Forest just off the world-famous 17-Mile Drive, this spacious 1,200-square-foot vacation home provides sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean through the Monterey pines. Whether you’re visiting for a golf getaway, a relaxing coastal vacation, or an extended stay, you’ll find everything you need to feel at home.

Comfortable Coastal Living

Designed for relaxation, the open living area features walls of glass that frame the stunning coastline while filling the home with natural light. Sink into the comfortable sofas, enjoy a cozy evening by the fireplace, or step onto the covered deck to take in the fresh ocean air and spectacular sunsets.

The well-appointed kitchen includes:

Custom cabinetry
Granite countertops
Breakfast bar
Premium Gaggenau grill with pop-up vent hood

Whether preparing a quick breakfast before exploring the Peninsula or enjoying dinner with family and friends, the kitchen offers both style and functionality.

Relax After a Day of Exploring

The condominium comfortably accommodates up to four guests with two spacious bedrooms and two full bathrooms. Additional features include:

Jacuzzi-style soaking tub
Washer and dryer in the unit
Multiple televisions with DVD players
Elevator access
Covered carport parking

Everything is designed to provide a relaxing and convenient stay.

Minutes from Pebble Beach’s Best Attractions

Ocean Pines places you in one of the most desirable locations on the Monterey Peninsula. World-renowned golf courses, scenic drives, and beautiful coastal trails are all just minutes away.

Nearby attractions include:

Pebble Beach Golf Links
17-Mile Drive
The Spa at Pebble Beach
Carmel-by-the-Sea
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Cannery Row
Big Sur
Highway 1 coastal adventures

Whether you’re planning championship golf, fine dining, boutique shopping, or unforgettable sightseeing, you’ll be perfectly situated to experience everything the Monterey Peninsula has to offer.

Your Pebble Beach Coastal Escape

Combining panoramic ocean views, luxurious amenities, and an unbeatable Pebble Beach location, this Ocean Pines condominium offers an exceptional vacation experience. From relaxing mornings overlooking the Pacific to evenings by the fireplace after a day of exploring California’s Central Coast, it’s the perfect place to create lasting memories.

If you’re planning your next Monterey Peninsula getaway, this beautiful Ocean Pines condominium delivers the ideal balance of luxury, comfort, and location.