Need a place to stay in Santa Cruz? Here are our picks for the best Santa Cruz hotels for a waterfront stay.
Featured photo courtesy of Seascape Beach Resort.
Santa Cruz
Dream Inn Santa Cruz
For couples who like a little play in their getaways, the 165-room, retro-chic Dream Inn Santa Cruz is primed for fun in the sun. For one thing, there’s its beachfront location — the only one in town — just steps away from the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. That means the retro-chic rooms and suites have the benefit of sweeping views of Monterey Bay from private balconies or patios. The onsite Jack O’Neill Restaurant & Lounge serves up California-inspired fare and creative cocktails featuring locally sourced ingredients — and live music nights make it a great choice for date night. And then there’s the pool deck, a hub of activity that overlooks the beach and bay and is outfitted with a cocktail bar and street taco cart. Stay until sunset to watch the sun go down together, cozied up by the firepit, cocktail in hand.
HIGHLIGHT: Bring on the romance by staying in the Dream Inn Suite, featuring a fireplace; seating area; and private balcony overlooking the bay, wharf and Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.
La Bahia Hotel & Spa
The 155-room oceanfront La Bahia Hotel & Spa finally opened its doors to guests, bringing a new level of luxury to Santa Cruz, and a new standard for wellness in this quirky, sustainability-forward, bohemian beach town. Central to the hotel’s wellness vision is The Spa at La Bahia, a destination for both residents and hotel guests. Inspired by the saltwater bathhouses that once dotted Santa Cruz’s shoreline, the spa combines modern luxury with authentic Santa Cruz vibes. Guests can choose from treatments that draw on the bounty of the sea and the healing traditions of California’s coast
HIGHLIGHT: Wellness at La Bahia extends far beyond the treatment rooms. Guests can recharge in plush poolside cabanas or embrace the coastline with complimentary e-bikes for oceanfront rides. Those seeking mindfulness can take guided walks on curated routes designed in partnership with RunGo, which highlight Santa Cruz’s redwoods, shoreline and urban trails.
Aptos
Seascape Beach Resort
Beach fires with hot and gooey s’mores are a big draw for guests at Seascape Beach Resort in Aptos, which has 283 suites and villas above a 17-mile stretch of beach. By reservation through the concierge, the resort will build a fire on the sand and provide chairs, bottled water and all the necessities for making s’mores available to rent for up to two guests, with a small added fee for each additional guest. Seascape Beach Resort also makes our lists for Santa Cruz County’s best hotels for group getaways.
HIGHLIGHT: Seascape offers in-suite spa services like glycolic facials, personalized Swedish massage or a reflexology session. A 3-hour package that combines a massage, facial, reflexology session and aromatherapy scalp treatment is also available. Many rooms also come with two-person whirlpool tubs to add to the sense of a spa getaway.
Beach Street Inn and Suites
With its long verandas outfitted with colorful Adirondack chairs overlooking bustling Beach Street and palm-tree fringed Cowell Beach, Beach Street Inn and Suites perfectly epitomizes Santa Cruz’s laid-back beach-town vibe. There are plenty of room configurations to choose from that accommodate groups up to six, all tastefully decorated with a breezy, beachy aesthetic, including some with ocean views, shared or private patios, and kitchenettes or full kitchens. Perks like easy access to Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and the Municipal Wharf, along with onsite complimentary espresso bar, boutique and laundry facilities and Google Chromecast streaming in the rooms, make it easy to enjoy your stay.
HIGHLIGHT: The hotel’s ocean view pool deck (open until 10 p.m.!) features a heated swimming pool, hot tub, outdoor shower, firepit, and views of the beach and bay.
Ocean Echo Inn & Beach Cottages
It’s a mere 100 feet walk from this charming inn’s doorstep to compact Sunny Cove Beach, a neighborhood-favorite Santa Cruz beach nestled between two cliffs. Many of the inn’s bright, contemporary lodgings feature ocean views, and some cottages are outfitted with fully equipped kitchens and can accommodate groups of four to six guests. Additional perks like a generous continental breakfast, on-property barbecue grills and a ping pong table make Ocean Echo Inn & Beach Cottages a fun beach getaway destination for the whole family.
HIGHLIGHT: Borrow chairs, towels and toys from Ocean Echo Inn for an easy beach day and return in the evening to toast marshmallows over a crackling fire with the inn’s Beach Bonfire Package, which includes a firewood bundle, igniter, s’mores kit and skewers.
Casa Blanca Inn
It’s all about the location at this “no frills” waterfront inn — situated right across the street from the beach and a few blocks from the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Housed in the historic, Mediterranean-styled Cerf Mansion, the affordable Casa Blanca Inn features 33 simply decorated rooms, many of which have ocean views, and some have microwaves as well. Several larger accommodations can accommodate up to six people, and guests appreciate the pet-friendly policies.
HIGHLIGHT: Enjoy the views of Monterey Bay from the outdoor deck, which features a firepit for chilly evenings, or relax in the spacious patio garden, which is available for hosting events with up to 150 guests.
