Seaside Inn & Suites — Hotel in Santa Cruz

If you need a spot to land while you give Santa Cruz a try, or you’re road tripping up or down the coast and want a well-priced option, this is absolutely a solid choice.

The only reason the rooms get 4 stars is because they are in progress - and that’s a good thing! The new owner is wisely taking his time and renovating things top to bottom. The mattresses are brand new, the shower curtains still have the folds in them from being taken out of the package (love), and the paint is fresh. Over the next year or so, I imagine the older pieces of furniture and such will also be replaced, but everything is clean, including the floors, which get mopped frequently (I saw it myself several times, something that I appreciated so much!).

There’s a good reason nearly every review for this place mentions the management. The new owner of the Sea Side is SO lovely, and cares about this place so very much. It shows in every interaction. The customer service is there, as is the pride in his business. We had one tiny issue when we first checked in, and her personally took care of it within 15 minutes.

One last thing: I’m obsessed with the coffee machine. It makes tons of drinks, at varying strengths and sizes, and my entire family was in love with it. Oh, and be sure to check out the second screen - there are two screens! I didn’t even discover the vanilla choco latte til day two!! Don’t make the same mistake I made!

A few reviews on other sites mentioned the parking lot and area of town. Yes, there are people wandering about occasionally. But I mean…you’re in a city. Just be aware and smart about it. We did not feel unsafe, even with small children. We left nothing valuable in the car, there are super bright parking lot lights, (no blackout curtains, just cool wooden shades, but we all slept just fine in our room facing the lot), the front desk faces the parking lot with a clear view, and the building access is always locked. Use common sense and you’re fine. The location is worth it. You’re 5-10 mins from absolutely everything!

We look forward to returning here on our next road trip down the coast and seeing how things have...

My experience on March 26, 2024 at Seaside Inn and Suites. Sadly, I did not have an exceptional experience and my stay was less than desirable. It did not meet any of the expectations I had after looking at the pictures available and seeing the 8.4 rating that was a very good, family friendly on Orbitz with 326 reviews. This is not a family friendly location I would feel safe taking my children to again. I checked in and checked out in less than 15min. I did use the restroom after driving 3 hours to get there. My room was on the main floor. My room smelled of stagnant cigarette smoke in a non-smoking room. If you are a larger individual, the toilet was smaller than others. Instead of blackout curtains there were wooden shades. If someone outside peered into the room or at an angle you could see straight inside my room. My room was a conjoining room with a conjoining door. My rooms conjoining door was missing a deadbolt lock. In its place was pieces of shoved toilet paper. The bottom door knob did not have a lock on it. If the guests in the other room decided to enter my room they would have no problem in doing so. There are many stores and places to go nearby that you can walk too, but I recommend driving. They did communicate well and held my room for me. It was a non-refundable purchase on Orbitz. I did understand that it was non-refundable but I did request a refund due to the circumstances and it was denied. I hope my experience and information helps others to make an informed decision for their...

I recently stayed at this hotel and enjoyed my stay quite a bit. The rooms are not anything too fancy; but for what you get at its price, it is perfect for a few days stay in Santa Cruz. The first thing I noticed was a good deal of hospitality. The front desk folks are really kind and knowledgeable, hoping you get the most out of your stay and give you some suggestions while you are here. Another thing I appreciated was how close this hotel was to the downtown area. A short walk across a bridge and you are basically there, so, easy to grab some dinner or drinks and walk back. It is also a 20ish minute walk down to the ocean too, so great location. Otherwise, the hotel has parking on the lot which makes it convenient to hop in your car and go. The price we paid was very fair and reasonable for the area which was nice.

Our room was on an outdoor section of the building and this meant a couple funny things. It was windy during our stay and there would be a loud whistling coming through the door when a particular gust picked up, and also meant that our little 'do not disturb' sign was ripe for flying off the handle lol. Just a little quirky, not unlike anything in Santa Cruz. The room however was clean and put together. You get the basics in the rooms here that's about it, so make sure to bring along anything you need. I really...