Need a place to stay in Santa Cruz? Here are our picks for the best Santa Cruz hotels for wellness and spas.
Featured photo: Courtesy of Dream Inn
Dream Inn Santa Cruz
Down by the beach, the 165-room Dream Inn Santa Cruz is continuing its “vertical concert” series, in which internationally recognized musical acts perform on the iconic hotel’s pool deck while guests take in the show — and views of Monterey Bay — from their private balconies or patios. Ticket packages include an overnight stay, the concert and access to food and beverage service from Jack’s Patio or room service; prices vary by room category, with concert packages also available. Dream Inn also makes our lists for the best waterfront hotels and hotels for group getaways in Santa Cruz.
HIGHLIGHT: Chef Avram Samuels joined Chaminade about six months ago and is working with local wineries on a monthly, five-course dinner series called Vine to View. One recent edition featured Storrs Winery vintages with a four-course locavore meal that featured gazpacho, seared ahi, fried organic chicken thigh with herb Belgian waffle, and roasted organic chicken breast, plus a dessert of olallieberry cobbler and an array of appetizers. Seating is on the patio, with music by Asher Stern. Tickets are $115, including tax and gratuity.
Chaminade Resort
A 300-acre campus with just 156 guest rooms and 3 miles of hiking trails through the redwood forest already gives Santa Cruz’s Chaminade Resort & Spa an advantage when it comes to offering room to roam — as do its luxuriously appointed, spacious suites. But the historic hilltop compound, built in Spanish Revival style in 1930 as a Catholic boys’ high school, recently completed renovation of all its public spaces that not only enhanced its architectural heritage but also gives guests even more choices for outdoor R&R. The resort redesigned Linwood’s Bar & Grill and aptly renamed it the View, greatly expanding its patio seating with vistas of Monterey Bay and, at night, twinkling market lights. Keep fit during your stay at the onsite fitness center and tennis and pickleball courts and enjoy a relaxing massage or facial at the spa.
HIGHLIGHT: The luxurious vibe at Chaminade extends to its expansive pool decks, featuring two heated outdoor swimming pools and three hot tubs with nine private cabanas. Don’t miss the seasonal Friday movie nights at the pool — even better with popcorn and a cocktail from the pool bar.
