This guide is part of Explore Santa Cruz 2021.
Hotels, Resorts & B&B’s
Adobe On Green
103 Green St., Santa Cruz, 831-469-9866
This quaint, unique B&B offers private, quiet rooms and is a short walk from downtown. Each room has its own bathroom, and no two rooms share a wall. Enjoy lush gardens, top-notch bedding and eco-friendly features.
Babbling Brook Bed & Breakfast Inn
1025 Laurel St., Santa Cruz, 831-427-2437, babblingbrookinn.com
This B&B with 13 rooms is on one of the few redwood acres of land in downtown. Modern rooms in separate chalet-style buildings have private entrances, some with jet tubs, fireplaces and decks overlooking a historic water wheel, shade gardens and waterfalls. Full breakfast, and wine and cheese are served in the parlor. Five minutes to the beach, Boardwalk and downtown.
Bayview Hotel Bed & Breakfast
8041 Soquel Drive, Aptos, 831-688-8654
The most beautiful building in Aptos Village for the last 125 years, the Bayview Hotel’s façade takes you back to the days of horse-drawn carriages and a flourishing logging industry. Restored to the original grandeur of hotel builder Jose Arano, the 11 guest rooms each have their own private bath and modern amenities, including TVs, phones and modem hook-ups, fluffy beds, and fine linens. Extended continental breakfast is served on the veranda.
Best Western Capitola-By-The-Sea Inn & Suites
1435 41st Ave., Capitola, 831-477-0607
This charming inn is perfectly located in Capitola, near the mall and close to the beach and shopping district. Easy access and fabulous customer service.
Best Western Rose Garden Inn
740 Freedom Blvd., Watsonville, 831-724-3367
This inn has fine decor and a great vibe. Located in Watsonville, near Moss Landing and a short drive from Santa Cruz. Close to an array of shops and restaurants in downtown Watsonville, too.
Best Western Seacliff
7500 Old Dominion Court, Aptos, 831-688-7300; reservations at 800-367-2003, seacliffinn.com
A short walk from Seacliff State Beach, this 149-room, award-winning lodge features a bar and grill, pool, fitness center, and meeting spaces. Check out Severino’s Bar & Grill, a locally owned restaurant inside the inn with great food and entertainment.
Brookdale Lodge
11570 Hwy 9, Brookdale, 831-609-6010, brookdalelodge.com
Take in the mountain atmosphere in this tranquil setting.
Casablanca Inn
101 Main St., Santa Cruz, 831-423-1570, casablanca-santacruz.com
Located across from the Boardwalk, Casablanca is a fabulous inn, featuring 33 elegant accommodations—from rooms and bungalows to a guesthouse. Great for weddings.
Chaminade Resort & Spa
1 Chaminade Lane, Santa Cruz, 831-475-5600, chaminade.com
Here, you’ll find unforgettable views of Monterey Bay and guest rooms that come with full amenities and room service. Chaminade boasts an excellent conference center and is also ideal for weddings. Meals at Chaminade are created and presented with expert attention. Also check out the irresistible spa.
Cliff Crest Bed & Breakfast Inn
407 Cliff St., Santa Cruz, 831-427-2609, cliffcrestinn.com
The 1887 Queen Anne Victorian estate overlooks the ocean and mountains. A cluster of redwoods, lilacs, rockroses, bamboo, and jasmine surround the original carriage house. Full breakfast—including fresh fruit, homemade muffins, eggs to order, and tea—is served in the sunny solarium. A short walk to the Boardwalk, beaches and downtown. Each of the five rooms has its own bath, some with original clawfoot tubs and ocean views.
Continental Inn
414 Ocean St., Santa Cruz, 831-429-1221
Just a short walk from the Boardwalk and Main Beach, this inn has great deals and a great location.
Costanoa Coastal Lodge and Camp
2001 Rossi Road, Pescadero, 650-879-1100, costanoa.com
It’s just a half-hour north of Santa Cruz and was created for people who prefer a gentler kind of camping. Offers furnished canvas cabins with heaters, down comforters and tent service. You can also stay in the 40-room lodge or in one of the Douglas fir cabins with shared “comfort station” facilities. Note the great spa treatments, too.
Dream Inn
175 West Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz, 866-774-7735, dreaminnsantacruz.com
Situated on Cowell Beach, this boutique hotel offers newly renovated rooms with stunning views and close proximity to the wharf and Boardwalk. Each of the 165 ocean-facing rooms has a private balcony or patio. Take a swim in the pool or relax in the spa. Eat at Aquarius, the inn’s popular restaurant.
Fairview Manor Bed & Breakfast Inn
245 Fairview Ave., Ben Lomond, 831-336-3355, fairviewmanor.com
On the banks of the San Lorenzo River, this country home on three acres features five guest rooms decorated in “country eclectic” decor, all with private baths. Full breakfast, plus it’s close to hiking trails and is a quick drive to Big Basin and Henry Cowell Redwoods state parks, Roaring Camp Railroads and quaint restaurants.
Four Points by Sheraton Santa Cruz/Scotts Valley
5030 Scotts Valley Drive, Scotts Valley, 831-438-1500, marriott.com
Spacious rooms and suites, plus a gym, restaurant and lounge, and complimentary parking.
The Hilton Santa Cruz/Scotts Valley
6001 La Madrona Drive, Santa Cruz, 831-440-1000
One of the area’s finest hotels, complete with great service, big guestrooms and many amenities. Stonehouse Bar & Grill is the hotel’s impressive restaurant. Not far from Felton and Ben Lomond.
Hinds Victorian Guest House
529 Chestnut St., Santa Cruz, 831-423-0423, hinds-house.com
Weekly lodging in a historic landmark. It is a self-catered alternative to a standard hotel with full kitchen, laundry, common rooms, cable, phone, free WiFi, dining room, parlor, and sitting room.
Hotel Paradox
611 Ocean St., Santa Cruz, 831-425-7100, thehotelparadox.com
Boasting a style that balances modern edge with welcoming warmth, Hotel Paradox impresses right from the lobby’s front desk, made from a large eucalyptus tree. Other perks: Solaire, the restaurant-bar that offers indoor and outdoor seating, and serves modern American cuisine, with an emphasis on seasonal, sustainable products from local farms and wineries. Fire pits and cabanas surround the pool, and a fitness room is available, too. All that, plus conference rooms, complimentary WiFi, iPod docks and more make this hotel stand out. Take note: the hotel plays off its moniker, so look for some quirky interactive happenings here, too.
Hyatt Place Santa Cruz
407 Broadway, Santa Cruz, 831-226-2300, hyatt.com
Find spacious rooms and amenities including free breakfast, free internet access, a fitness center, pool and much more.
Inn at Depot Hill
250 Monterey Ave., Capitola, 831-462-3376, innatdepothill.com
The Inn at Depot Hill was once the site of the original railroad depot built in 1881. Each of the 12 rooms is beautifully decorated and includes a fireplace, stereo, modem, phone, featherbeds, TV/VCR, robes, and most have private hot tubs on their patios.
Pacific Blue Inn
636 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz, 831-600-8880, pacificblueinn.com
The Pacific Blue Inn’s nine rooms were built using recycled and reclaimed construction materials.
Mission Inn
2250 Mission St., Santa Cruz, 831-425-5455, mission-inn.com
A modest Spanish Colonial-style hotel 1.9 miles from the Santa Cruz Wharf, Mission Inn is located on the main travel artery in and out of Santa Cruz in proximity to grocery stores, restaurants and one of the most photographed local icons, Natural Bridges State Beach.
Redwood Croft Bed & Breakfast
275 Northwest Drive, Santa Cruz, 831-458-1939
This cedar home with a wrap-around veranda and rural Bonny Doon setting is a place where pets and children are welcome. All three rooms are plush and clean, each with a fireplace, antiques, leather couches, and quality linens. Breakfast is prepared from all-organic ingredients.
Redwood Reflections Bed & Breakfast
4600 Smith Grade, Santa Cruz, 831-423-7221
On 10 redwood-filled acres in the Santa Cruz Mountains, this haven features three country-style rooms with decks and woodstove fireplaces. Note the vintage recreation room with a soda fountain, piano and merry-go-round. Swimming pool, bonfire pit and trails. Full breakfast, too.
Sea & Sand Inn
201 West Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz, 831-427-3400, seaandsandinn.com
Enjoy the scenic location close to the Wharf and Boardwalk as well as complimentary amenities, including free breakfast scones and yogurt.
Seascape Beach Resort
1 Seascape Resort Drive, Aptos, 866-867-0976, seascaperesort.com
Overlooking the bay, Seascape Beach Resort is the perfect place to wind down and relax. This four-diamond, green-certified resort features villa-like rooms and two award-winning restaurants: Sanderlings and Palapas. Get a massage or take a fitness class here. Great for weddings.
Ventana Inn
48123 Hwy. 1, Big Sur, 831-667-2331, ventanainn.com
Discover a combination of luxury and natural beauty at this Big Sur getaway.
Day Spas
The Spa at Chaminade
1 Chaminade Lane, Santa Cruz, 831-457-5600, chaminade.com
With a vast 1,700-square-foot luxury destination spa and 200+ acres of natural beauty, prepare to indulge in the ultimate journey of relaxation and renewal.
Faust Salon and Spa
1855 41st Ave., Suite B4, Capitola, 831-462-9201
110 Cooper St., #100F, Santa Cruz, 831-420-0701
219 Mount Hermon Road, Scotts Valley, 831-706-8960, faustsalon.com
Offering everything from men and women’s haircuts to hair rebonding and Brazilian blowouts, Faust can help just about anyone find the look they seek.
Flying Crane
245 Mt. Hermon Road, Scotts Valley, 831-515-8380; 2381 Mission St., Santa Cruz, 831-288-5888; 1501 41st Ave., Suite J, Capitola, 831-687-8188, flyingcranemassage.com
Flying Crane will help you relax, whether you’re carrying your stress in your neck or your feet. The spa offers acupressure foot massages (also known as reflexology) and very affordable body massage in each of its three convenient shopping center locations.
Kalani Day Spa
245 Mt Hermon Road D, Scotts Valley, 831-600-7116, kalanidayspa.com
Relax, review and renew with facials, massage, waxing, lashes and wellness.
Pacific Skin Care
2628 Soquel Drive, Santa Cruz, 831-476-1060, pacificskincaresc.com
From facials to waxing, mineral makeup, diamond microdermabrasion, and massage, Pacific Skin Care can make you feel like a new person. Great attitude and service make it stand out. By appointment only.
Santa Cruz Core
317 Potrero St., Suite C, Santa Cruz, 831-425-9500, santacruzcore.com
Santa Cruz Core staff are experts in integrative wellness. They offer an array of massage and bodywork services, including Swedish, deep tissue, myofascial release, Thai, shiatsu, acupressure, Tui na, acupuncture, prenatal, hot stone, and aromatherapy.
Skin Care Pleasure Point
871 41st Ave., Santa Cruz, 831-475-1001, skincarepleasurepoint.com
Skin Care Pleasure Point offers a variety of beauty treatments and skin treatments, in addition to hair removal and waxing services customized for each person’s unique skin and hair type.
Tea House Spa
112 Elm St., Santa Cruz, 831-426-9700, teahousespa.com
The redwood decks, private ozone-purified hot tubs with jets, cedar-lined saunas and shoji windows that open into a 1940s Japanese bamboo garden are divine. The Tea House is known for its fine array of green, black and herbal teas. It offers massage in a variety of techniques, and even has a frequent-tubber discount.
Well Within Spa
417 Cedar St., Santa Cruz , 831-458-9355, wellwithinspa.com
A retreat in the center of downtown, Well Within is a favorite spot for locals and visitors to soak in tubs set in a soothing, private indoor-outdoor space. Or treat your body to a private sauna, therapeutic massage or facial. Their house line of herbal and aromatherapy products can be purchased.
Yoso Wellness
740 Front St., #110, Santa Cruz, 831-600-8053, yosowellness.com
Wellness spa offering facials, massages and peels and more while using only organic products.
